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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department will allocate funding to the provision of empty hotel rooms to house people fleeing domestic abuse during the covid-19 outbreak.

On 5 June my Department announced the allocation of £8.15 million funding to 147 refuge charities through 103 successful bids as part of the £10 million MHCLG Domestic Abuse Emergency Support Fund. This funding will re-open bedspaces which are currently closed due to COVID-19, as well as creating 1210 more bedspaces to support more victims of domestic abuse. The remaining £1.85 million of the Fund has been reopened for applications. This will enable refuge charities to continue to respond during the crisis.

My Department have also put in place a system to enable local authorities who need additional accommodation to meet demand during the pandemic to book rooms for domestic abuse victims through Crown Commercial Services.

An additional £3.2 billion has been provided to support councils in responding to the coronavirus pandemic, including supporting vulnerable people.