To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 23 March 2007, Official Report, column 1180W, on housing benefit: homelessness, whether his Department has assessed Westminster city council’s ability to procure short-term leased temporary accommodation for homeless households within its area following the introduction of his proposed changes to housing benefit subsidy arrangements in 2007-08. (133733)

No assessment was done of the procurement of short term leased accommodation in Westminster city council’s area. The changes introduced in April 2007 to the subsidy scheme for temporary accommodation were a modest reduction in the available subsidy and should not have an impact on an authority’s ability to secure temporary accommodation.