Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on the number of homeless people who have been offered a one-way train ticket by local authorities under the policy to reconnect those people with their families between 2012 and 2017.

Even one person without a roof over their head is too many. That’s why this Government is investing £550 million to 2020 to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping, as well as implementing the Homelessness Reduction Act, which will require councils to provide early support to people at risk of becoming homeless.

In some circumstances, the chance to reconnect with their family or friends in another area can help resolve a person's homelessness. But councils should be certain that they are offering someone real help that will resolve their homelessness.

The Department does not hold information on the number of homeless people offered reconnections. More people will be offered help under the homelessness legislation following the commencement of the Homelessness Reduction Act in April 2018. From this point our new data requirements will generate more detailed information about applicants who are referred from one local authority to another for help because of their local connections.