I am grateful for the opportunity to raise some very serious concerns about the use of bed-and-breakfast accommodation for homeless families.

The Government have adopted robust measures to reduce homelessness, and have rightly committed themselves to reducing by two thirds the number who sleep rough on our streets. The rough sleepers initiative has shown that significant extra funding can enable the rough sleepers unit to make considerable progress towards achieving that target. I welcome the Government's commitment in that regard, and I have initiated today's debate because I want a similar target to be set in another area of housing policy.

The extended use of bed-and-breakfast accommodation for families with children is an aspect of housing policy that shames us all. In Tower Hamlets, the local council currently accommodates about 1,200 homeless households. As a result of initiatives undertaken by its Labour administration, almost half those households are housed in temporary accommodation in the borough. They, at least, have the small comfort of an assured shorthold tenancy near the supportive network of family and friends. The lot of a further 300 or so who are housed in similar assured shorthold tenancies outside the borough is not so good, but at least it is better than that of the remaining 300 or so households who are in bed-and-breakfast accommodation.

Anyone who has taken time to visit such accommodation will recognise that it is inappropriate to house vulnerable adults there for extended periods. It is important to recognise that we are not talking about a room with a view and a friendly landlady serving a full English breakfast with a wry joke about the weather. Often, those who flee domestic violence have to share a cramped space and inadequate facilities with people with mental health problems, or problems involving alcohol, drugs or substance abuse. It is deplorable that families with vulnerable young children and impressionable teenagers are often forced to live in such an environment. The detrimental impact on a child's health, welfare and educational opportunities is undeniable. The stress for parents is unimaginable, and the problem is one that more and more families face.

According to recent figures, the publication of which has coincided with this debate, the number of households in bed-and-breakfast accommodation is rising again. Some 10,000 households across England are in such accommodation, more than 7,000 of which are in London. That highlights the capital's problems in dealing with this issue. Moreover, several thousand other households are in bed-and-breakfast annexes.

In Standing Committee, Ms Buck tabled new Clause 16 to the Homes Bill, which would have established targets for reducing the use of bed-and-breakfast accommodation. I am not entirely sure what the Minister's view was at that time, but today we ask him the same question: are the Government willing to set targets for reducing the use of bed-and-breakfast accommodation?

I accept that the commitment will place significant additional burdens on local authorities and I knew that the chance of new clause 16 being incorporated was very slim. In the nicety of parliamentary language, it was described as a probing Amendment. I want to take a moment to probe the harsh realities of life for every child who went to sleep last night surrounded by the mayhem and insecurity that often characterise bed-and-breakfast accommodation. We have an opportunity now to do something about that. Despite recent performance improvements, many local authority homeless persons' units are still a long way from being able to complete assessments within the six-week period specified in the code of guidance. Many families with children for which local authorities accept a duty are not, even then, immediately moved into assured shorthold tenancies and many vulnerable adults must remain in bed-and-breakfast accommodation for up to a year before they are found alternative accommodation.