{ "format" : "linked-data-api", "version" : "0.2", "result" : {"_about" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?answeringDeptShortName=Housing%2C+Communities+and+Local+Government&hansardHeading=Homelessness&max-answer.dateOfAnswer=2019-07-01", "definition" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/meta/answeredquestions.text?answeringDeptShortName=Housing%2C+Communities+and+Local+Government&hansardHeading=Homelessness&max-answer.dateOfAnswer=2019-07-01", "extendedMetadataVersion" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?answeringDeptShortName=Housing%2C+Communities+and+Local+Government&_metadata=all&hansardHeading=Homelessness&max-answer.dateOfAnswer=2019-07-01", "first" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?answeringDeptShortName=Housing%2C+Communities+and+Local+Government&_page=0&hansardHeading=Homelessness&max-answer.dateOfAnswer=2019-07-01", "hasPart" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?answeringDeptShortName=Housing%2C+Communities+and+Local+Government&hansardHeading=Homelessness&max-answer.dateOfAnswer=2019-07-01", "isPartOf" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?answeringDeptShortName=Housing%2C+Communities+and+Local+Government&hansardHeading=Homelessness&max-answer.dateOfAnswer=2019-07-01", "items" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1134217", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1134217/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Ministry of Housing, Commnunities and Local Government does not collect any statistics on the number of homeless camps who have been forcibly removed by local authorities.<\/p>
The Guardian article on 17 June 2019 says the estimate is based on a Freedom of Information request to all councils in the UK about how many homeless encampments they had cleared since 2014, how many complaints about encampments they had received and details on charges for confiscated tents and possessions. The article says \u2018an encampment was defined as a location where one or more homeless people were living in the area in private or public land\u2019. 336 local authorities out of total of 408 in the UK provided a response. No further details about the overall quality and robustness of these statistics is provided so we are unable to make an assessment of the accuracy of these findings.<\/p>
The Guardian article is available at the following link: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jun/17/removal-of-homeless-camps-trebles-as-charities-warn-of-out-of-control-crisis<\/a><\/p> These statistics do not adhere to same rigour as government statistics. The Rough Sleeping Statistics, published on 31 January 2019, which are produced in compliance with the UK Statistics Authority\u2019s Code of Practice for Statistics, include people sleeping rough in makeshift camps but no separate figures about the types of sites where people are sleeping rough are recorded or whether they have been forcibly removed by local authorities.<\/p> These statistics show the total number of people counted or estimated to be sleeping rough in each local authority area in England, on a single night in Autumn 2018 was 4,677. This was down by 74 people or 2 per cent from the 2017 total of 4,751 and was up 2,909 people or 165 per cent from the 2010 total of 1,768. Local authorities use a specific definition to identify people sleeping rough. This includes people sleeping or who are about to bed down in open air locations and other places including tents, cars, and makeshift shelters. The full definition of people sleeping rough is as follows:<\/p> People sleeping, about to bed down (sitting on/in or standing next to their bedding) or actually bedded down in the open air (such as on the streets, in tents, doorways, parks, bus shelters or encampments). People in buildings or other places not designed for habitation (such as stairwells, barns, sheds, car parks, cars, derelict boats, stations, or \u201cbashes\u201d which are makeshift shelters, often comprised of cardboard boxes). The definition does not include people in hostels or shelters, people in campsites or other sites used for recreational purposes or organised protest, squatters or travellers. Bedded down is taken to mean either lying down or sleeping. About to bed down includes those who are sitting in/on or near a sleeping bag or other bedding.<\/em><\/p> This Government is committed to reducing homelessness and rough sleeping. No one should ever have to sleep rough. That is why last summer we published the cross-government Rough Sleeping Strategy which sets out an ambitious £100 million package to help people who sleep rough now, but also puts in place the structures that will end rough sleeping once and for all. The Government has now committed over £1.2 billion to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping over the spending review period. This year, Rough Sleeping Initiative investment totals £46 million and has been allocated to 246 areas \u2013 providing funding for an estimated 750 additional staff and over 2,600 bed spaces.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4053", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South Derbyshire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mrs Heather Wheeler"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-07-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-07-01T14:56:03.507Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Homelessness"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the accuracy of the finding, reported in the Guardian on 17 June 2019, that the number of homeless camps forcibly removed by local authorities across the UK has risen from 72 in 2014 to 254 in 2018; and if he will make a statement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "true", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4243", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dan Jarvis"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Barnsley Central"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Dan Jarvis"}
], "uin" : "268596"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1134218", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1134218/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government does not issue guidance on the removal of tents containing homeless people. Each local authority, together with the police, will make their own plans and decisions about how to best support rough sleepers and ensure their safety in their own area, based on local circumstances. This can include the removal of encampments, alongside support. Encampments can present serious safety risks for the people living in encampments and it is right that local authorities, who know their area best, have the powers they need to respond. A summary of the powers that public bodies have to help them deal with illegal and unauthorised sites, published in 2015, is available at:<\/p> 2013/14<\/p><\/td> 8530<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2014/15<\/p><\/td> 8990<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2015/16<\/p><\/td> 9560<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2016/17<\/p><\/td> 9860<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2017/18<\/p><\/td> 8700<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table> In its first year, the Rough Sleeping Initiative funding provided over 1,750 new bed spaces and 500 staff across the country. This year we have expanded the initiative with an investment of £46 million providing funding for an estimated 2,600 bed spaces and 750 staff. £12 million of this is for areas new to the programme, bringing the total authorities funded to 246.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4053", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South Derbyshire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mrs Heather Wheeler"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-06-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-06-18T15:52:16.56Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Homelessness"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many people have been assessed as deliberately worsening their circumstances as homeless in order to obtain housing in each of the last five years.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1409", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Gregory Campbell"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "East Londonderry"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Gregory Campbell"}
], "uin" : "264347"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1131233", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1131233/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Government is committed to reducing homelessness and rough sleeping. No one should ever have to sleep rough. That is why last summer we published the cross-government Rough Sleeping Strategy. This sets out an ambitious £100 million package to help people who sleep rough now, but also puts in place the structures that will end rough sleeping once and for all. The Government has now committed over £1.2 billion to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping over the spending review period. This year, Rough Sleeping Initiative investment totals £46 million and has been allocated to 246 areas \u2013 providing funding for an estimated 750 additional staff and over 2,600 bed spaces.<\/p> The Chancellor has said that there will be a Spending Review this year, and the Government will be looking at funding for homelessness and rough sleeping services as part of that. Ministers have made very clear that homelessness and rough sleeping is a key priority for the Government.\u202fWe are working with other Government departments to assess what more can be done\u202fto combat rough sleeping and wider homelessness. This work is being overseen by the Ministerial Rough Sleeping and Homelessness Reduction Taskforce which includes HM Treasury and\u202fwill play an important part of our preparations for the forthcoming Spending Review.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4053", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South Derbyshire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mrs Heather Wheeler"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-06-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-06-17T16:12:05.713Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Homelessness"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on increasing the level of funding allocated to homelessness in advance of the spending review.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4510", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Helen Hayes"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Dulwich and West Norwood"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Helen Hayes"}
], "uin" : "263197"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1130867", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1130867/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " This Government is clear that nobody should be without a roof over their head. That is why we have committed to ending rough sleeping for good, with the aim of halving it by 2022.<\/p> Last summer we published the cross-government Rough Sleeping Strategy. This sets out an ambitious £100 million package to help people who sleep rough now, but also puts in place the structures that will end rough sleeping once and for all. The Government has now committed over £1.2 billion to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping over the spending review period.<\/p> We are giving serious consideration to the findings of the report from St Mungo\u2019s and Homeless Link. Housing-related support services are a local government responsibility. To deepen our understanding, we are undertaking a review of housing-related support services in order to build a comprehensive picture of current arrangements and how support and housing fit together.<\/p> We also know that we need to build more social homes, which will help us to achieve our goal of preventing homelessness. The Government has made £9 billion available through the Affordable Homes Programme to March 2022, to deliver 250,000 new affordable homes of a wide range of tenures - including social rent. The expanded programme will provide homes to meet the housing needs of a range of people in different circumstances and different housing markets \u2013 building the right homes in the right places.<\/p> We understand the importance of giving local areas security around funding. The Chancellor has said that there will be a spending review this year. Decisions about the future of homelessness funding, along with all other government funding, will be made at this point. Ministers have made clear that homelessness and rough sleeping are a key priority for this Government. We are working with other government departments to assess what more can be done to combat rough sleeping and wider homelessness. This work is being overseen by the Ministerial Rough Sleeping and Homelessness Reduction Taskforce and will be an important part of our preparations for the forthcoming Spending Review.<\/p> While there is more work to be done in this area, there are some positive developments which I would like to point to. For the first time since 2010, the annual rough sleeping statistics saw a decrease in the number of those sleeping rough. Whilst only 2 per cent, this is in the face of average yearly increases of nearly 16 per cent. The annual rough sleeping statistics also showed a 19 per cent decrease in the number of those sleeping rough amongst the 83 local authorities that were part of the first phase of our Rough Sleeping Initiative (RSI) in comparison with 2017. We are currently carrying out an evaluation of the impact of our RSI, that will help to determine what effect our funding has had on reducing numbers of rough sleepers<\/p> I would like to thank the Baroness for participating in the question on homelessness. She raised an important point in relation to the impact of changes to social security on levels of rough sleeping and homelessness, and I committed to write to her to provide further details. I did so on the 30th May and I trust she has now received it.<\/p> It has also been laid in the library of the House of Lords.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4282", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-06-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-06-17T14:58:25.513Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Homelessness"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 2 May (HL Deb, col 1062), when they will send, and place a copy in the Library of the House, the letter referred to.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4234", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Baroness Lister of Burtersett"}
], "uin" : "HL16023"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1123917", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1123917/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Statutory homelessness statistics for the third quarter (July-September) 2018 will be published on 24 May 2019<\/p>
These statistics are available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/rough-sleeping-in-england-autumn-2018<\/a>.<\/p>
The Government is committed to reducing homelessness and rough sleeping. No one should ever have to sleep rough. That is why last summer we published the cross-government Rough Sleeping Strategy. This sets out an ambitious £100 million package to help people who sleep rough now, but also puts in place the structures that will end rough sleeping once and for all. The Government has now committed over £1.2 billion to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping over the spending review period.<\/p>
In its first year, RSI funding provided over 1,750 new bed spaces and 500 staff across the country. This year we have expanded the initiative with an investment of £46 million providing funding for an estimated 2,600 bed spaces and 750 staff. £12 million of this is for areas new to the programme, bringing the total authorities funded to 246.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4053", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South Derbyshire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mrs Heather Wheeler"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-06-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-06-17T16:10:55.963Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Homelessness"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of recent research by St Mungo\u2019s and Homeless Link showing reductions in local authority funding and in spending on homelessness between 2008-09 and 2017-18 and and an increase in rough sleeping since 2010.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4523", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Catherine West"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hornsey and Wood Green"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Catherine West"}
], "uin" : "262413"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1129538", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1129538/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "