asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has advised police authorities that unused police houses should not be made available to local authorities for use as temporary accommodation for the homeless; and whether he will make a statement of his policy on the subject.

No. In 1973 police authorities were urged to dispose of any of their police houses that were surplus to operational requirements or, where there was a longer term need to retain them but to no immediate need, to consider whether arrangements might be made for temporary leases.