Vol. 531 No. 2
36 Mr. Dukes asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he is satisfied with the system of payment for bed and breakfast accommodation in hostels in the eastern regional area; if he is further satisfied that the arrangements will be adequate to encourage hostel developments; and if he will review the rate of payment, including the rate of payment for the provision of facilities for children during the day in hostel accommodation. [1443/01]
A range of accommodation is provided for homeless persons, from emergency hostel accommodation to transitional and long-term accommodation. Under section 10 of the Housing Act, 1988, my Department provides 90% recoupment to local authorities for expenditure on the provision of accommodation for homeless persons.
The rate is agreed between the local authority and the voluntary body based on the level of need involved. My Department has recommended that the minimum rate should be £10 per bed night and this is set out in the Government's integrated strategy on homelessness. The rate of payment for accommodation provided can be reviewed at any stage and higher rates may be agreed if individual circumstances warrant it, but my Department is usually consulted in advance of any such agreement.
As part of the homelessness strategy, health boards, under the aegis of the Department of Health and Children, are now assuming funding responsibility for the care and welfare needs of homeless persons, including the provision of in-house care in hostels and in other accommodation for homeless persons. Local authorities have established homeless fora, where they were not already in place, and are developing three year action plans jointly with health boards and voluntary bodies as part of the homelessness strategy. These action plans will set out clear aims and actions on how accommodation, health, settlement and welfare services will be provided to homeless persons by all the agencies involved. One of the objectives of the strategy is the phasing out of the use of bed and breakfast accommodation for anything other than short-term emergency accommodation for homeless people, particularly families.
