Clause 16 - Duty of local housing authority to formulate a homelessness strategy
Homes Bill
11:00 am
Mr Nigel Waterson (Eastbourne, Conservative)
The hon. Gentleman is correct. He and I are on the same wavelength. We simply wish to see the practice applied across the board and it is difficult to see how the Minister could not see the force of putting this in the Bill.
We want to amend the Bill to ensure that all organisations that have any role to play in a local authority's housing sector are full partners in the drafting of the homelessness strategy. The Local Government Association allocations and homelessness task group, no less, published a document not long ago called ``No Place Like Home''. It says:
There are many examples of existing good practice in closer joint working and co-ordination between agencies. However, effective implementation remains patchy on the ground.''
It continues:
The development of local protocols involving statutory and voluntary agencies should be further encouraged.
Without going into the sort of detail appropriate to a stand part debate, organisations like the LGA, on a cross-party basis, and Shelter support the amendments.
We are keen to point out that the rather diverse list of strategic partners should have a role. Local authorities should give similar thought to that matter, which is the thrust of amendment No. 98. We are keen to ensure that users, as well as providers and enablers, have a say in their local homelessness strategy. To that end, we support amendment No. 69, which refers, among other things, to tenants' groups. Our amendment No. 95 would ensure that all local people have a say.
The points have been well made by the hon. Member for Bath. We take the same view as the Liberal Democrats, but actually go further. It would be encouraging to all the organisations and bodies that we list if they were written into the Bill. It is plain common sense.