Clause 27
Welfare Reform Bill
1:30 pm
John Penrose (Weston-Super-Mare, Conservative)
I beg to move amendment No. 266, in page 19, line 15, at end insert—
‘( ) The regulations may provide for local variations in AMHB in the event of a shortage of suitable accommodation for disabled people.’.
The amendment is fairly straightforward. I seek to discover the Government’s approach to dealing with those who, potentially, are tremendously vulnerable—disabled people, their carers and associated family—in those parts of the country that do not have a huge supply of houses available to rent with the potential to be adjusted or improved to allow for their particular needs, or places that have already been adjusted to reflect those needs.
The Under-Secretary pointed out this morning that we do not have a national housing market but a series of local markets. It will depend on the local market as to whether there is an adequate supply of such places that can be adjusted or that have already been adjusted. Given the huge variety of adjustments that may be required for the many different conditions, it is clear that there may be no such houses in some parts of the country. That will lead to problems finding an appropriate house or somewhere at a reasonable rent that could be adjusted.