Almost in the final hour of debate on this Bill, the Government have introduced the word "homelessness", thereby affording some recognition—albeit insignificant—to a growing problem.

Over the past decade, the Government have presided over a doubling of homelessness in Britain, and that is only the tip of the iceberg. Those figures are calculated by the Government and local authorities and do not include people who are homeless but do not qualify as such under the Act. Another reason why the Government are trying to give the impression that they are concerned about homelessness is that it was becoming clear throughout the summer in leaks from the Department that the Government intended to consider changing the whole nature of homelessness legislation in the Queen's Speech and to replace it with the concept of rooflessness. At that point the Government came under ever more powerful pressure because of their callous attitude to homelessness.

Since July, five reports on the problem have been issued. The Audit Commission's final report has not yet been completed but the draft report is a damning indictment of the way in which the Secretary of State has handled and defined homelessness. The Commission said that the major reason for homelessness was the Government's market philosophy of housing, as shown in the Bill. It is also true that the Government, in trying to avoid the embarrassment of the report, have rushed out their own document about rural housing. That is a matter that we shall return to on other amendments.

What has been said by the Institute of Housing and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy? Those organisations completed major reports about housing this summer. On 9 November, a report was published in Housing magazine about homelessness. The report was prepared not by politicians but by professionals and it involved consultations with housing associations, local authorities, community groups and housing charities. The report comes to the conclusion that the Government's underinvestment in public housing is a major factor in the increase in homelessness in the United Kingdom. The report says: Some means, such as 'homeless at home' schemes, exist to help reduce the use of bed and breakfast. We were also convinced that housing associations must play a more active role and offer greater assistance to local authorities in housing the homeless. Nevertheless … Government must accept responsibilities for meeting the needs of homeless people, instead of expecting local authorities with their limited administering resources, to bear the brunt. Direct action must be taken to ensure that the 50,000–70,000 extra homes a year … are actually built. Those homes should be built in the public sector.

What is the Government's response to that call from the professional organisations involved in housing, the voluntary sector and charities? The Chancellor of the exchequer gave a clue in his autumn statement. Inside Housing, Volume 5, No. 43 says:

The bonanza caused by the rise in council house sales will not be reinvested in housing. That is the message contained in Chancellor Nigel Lawson's Autumn Statement published this week—and it's bleak news for local authorities and those in housing need … For 1989/90 local authorities have been given a negative cash limit: the total they will be allowed to spend (£3,303 million) will be less than the amount coming in from capital receipts (£3,490 m). Actual allocations through the housing investment programme will be cut 20 per cent. in cash—and nearly 26 per cent. in real terms—compared to this year, leaving a HIP total of only £920 m. That is the Government's response to the debate over the summer about the growing crisis of homelessness and that is why the Minister spoke so inadequately for the Lords amendments. None of the amendments will tackle the growing crisis of homelessness in Britain. The Government are creating not only an under-class, but a class of nomads who go from one hostel to another and from one bed-and-breakfast hotel to another. There is no opportunity for the single homeless or for homeless families to set down roots or to be involved in the community. The Government do not give a damn about that, because the homeless are also voteless. The crisis of homelessness denies people the opportunity to put down roots and the opportunity to have a say in the running of the country. The Government's policy of underinvestment shows a great disregard for many people in the United Kingdom. The Minister owes it us to bring forward genuine proposals this evening to deal with the growing crisis of homelessness.

The Minister need only walk with me five minutes from the House to see men and women sleeping tonight in cardboard boxes. That is London 1988, not 1888. Tonight, 7,000 young people will sleep rough in the nation's capital. They are not feckless people who are unable to seek jobs. They were persuaded by the Government and by the former Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to get on their bike to seek their fortunes in the capital city. They find themselves not only isolated and jobless, but without a roof over their heads. That happens not only tonight, but every night of the year—in summer, winter, or spring.

The Secretary of State does not seem to be able even to listen—or perhaps he does not like to hear about what happens to the homeless. He is responsible for the housing problem not only because of his intellectual contempt for the homeless, but because in a former life he was a private landlord. I can imagine his attitude to the homeless.