Mr Don Foster (Bath, Liberal Democrat)

I beg to move amendment No. 72, page 13, line 16, at end insert

`and states that the offer shall remain available to the applicant for not less than three working days from the date of the offer, or such longer period as the authority consider reasonable in all the circumstances.'.

The amendment would provide for a minimum period of three working days during which an applicant may accept or refuse a final offer of accommodation from a local authority. That offer may consist of either a council house tenancy or nomination to a registered social landlord.

The purpose of building in a statutory minimum period is to try to end the practices that we know occur in a number of local authority areas, whereby applicants are given as little as 24 hours to make a decision. I suspect that all members of the Committee will appreciate that a 24-hour time limit will, in many cases, not give the applicant enough time even to view the premises, let alone sort out the range of domestic issues that may be necessary to the decision to accept or reject the property; those include the effect on work or the schooling of any children involved.

I welcome Government's clear intention, expressed by part II and echoed in the housing Green Paper, to increase the amount of choice available to the homeless. However, it would be wrong to tolerate other measures that at the same time militated against choice. My argument is that allowing the practice whereby some authorities allow applicants only 24 hours to decide seriously militates against choice.

Mr Nigel Waterson (Eastbourne, Conservative)

I am slightly horrified by the hon. Gentleman's words. Can he give us any specific examples illustrating how widespread are such practices—which strike me as verging on sharp practice? I cannot imagine any reasonable local authority having a problem with three days or even a few more, if necessary.

Mr Don Foster (Bath, Liberal Democrat)

If the hon. Gentleman will be patient, I will deal with the Department's research on the way people are currently treated. That research has gone some way towards influencing the Government in their determination to find ways of increasing the amount of choice. I am delighted that there is to be improvement.

I am also delighted that the Government are to fund a number of projects around the country where local authorities wish to explore different ways of improving choice. I would say gently to the Minister that my local authority, Bath and North-East Somerset, is anxious to work with the Government to explore ways in which greater choice can be afforded to homeless people. Improving that choice includes being able to give more than one offer to homeless people before considering that the duty to them has been sufficiently exercised. I referred to the research done for the Government by H Pawson and D Levinson. It was published by the Department only a few weeks ago and was entitled ``Local authority policy and practice on allocations, transfers and homelessness''. That research shows that homeless households are likely to get fewer offers of accommodation and less choice of where they live or the type of accommodation. They are also likely to be more heavily penalised for refusing an offer. They might be removed or suspended from the register for longer than other applicants. The research shows that since 1991 there has been a sharp increase in the proportion of authorities operating one-offer only policies. It shows that in 1991, 29 per cent. of homeless applicants were allowed only one reasonable offer and that by 2000, that had increased to 75 per cent. That is very different from the approach to non-homeless households, where very few are restricted to only one offer.

The second issue shows very clearly that, nationally, 79 per cent. of authorities always take into account the area preference of applicants who are not homeless when making an offer. That compares to only 47 per cent. of authorities where homeless applicants' area of preference was always taken into account. The research also demonstrates clearly that homeless households are less likely to have taken into account their aspirations in respect of the type of house in which they would like to live. It points out that one fifth of local authorities currently consider that if an applicant refuses their maximum number of reasonable offers, they are deemed to have made themselves intentionally homeless.

This comes to the point raised by the hon. Member for Eastbourne. In areas where housing pressure is particularly high, the evidence suggests that there is a shorter time limit for homeless households to make their decisions. There is a real difficulty when there is limited time because the homeless household must have an opportunity to view the property. They must be able to see how accepting that property may tie in with work patterns or with any educational requirements that may apply. There is also a problem in that some local authorities do not carry out any repairs and maintenance to a property until the new occupant moves in. The home seeker needs a period of time to get assurances from the local authority that the required repairs and maintenance will be carried out. There is a clear need, for a reasonable period of time to be offered to families before they make a decision.

It being One o'clock, The Chairman adjourned the Committee without Question put, pursuant to the Standing Order.

Adjourned till this day at half-past Four o'clock.