Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to reduce the use of out-of-area temporary accommodation placements for families with children; and what measures she is considering to minimise disruption to children's education and families' access to support networks when such placements are made.

This Government recognises the serious concerns about the pressures facing households in temporary accommodation and the significant impact that out of area placements can have on families, including the disruption caused by separating them from relatives, schools, doctors and other vital support networks. Through the National Plan to End Homelessness, we have committed to taking action on out of area placements and driving out unsuitable practices.

We are aware of poor practice and are actively engaging with stakeholders, including local authorities, to understand the challenges and how we might address this. We have also published new data on out of area placements to improve transparency and are strengthening the performance and accountability framework for local areas to support better outcomes and support stronger local governance arrangements.

On 1 September, we introduced a new notification system which places a duty on local housing authorities to notify schools, GP practices and health visiting services when a child is placed in temporary accommodation. This strengthens information sharing so that schools and specified health services are aware where a child may need new or different support, and can seek to improve their outcomes.