Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations her Department has received from (a) police forces, (b) their associated governance and advisory bodies, (c) housing and homelessness non-governmental organisations and (d) policing unions on the extent and effect on policing of homeless people coming or being directed to police stations in search of shelter.

I am undertaking a programme of engagement with the sector to understand the impact of changing demands, and to hear how the police are managing this. These issues have not been raised in those discussions to date. It is a local decision for chief officers and Police and Crime Commissioners how they use their available resources to meet these demands.