Written questions by Beales.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of including longer-term funding settlements for homelessness services in the (a) Comprehensive Spending Review and (b) Homelessness Strategy.

Future funding for homelessness services is subject to the outcome of phase 2 of the Spending Review. Councils can also draw from the wider local government finance settlement to help meet homelessness costs. We know that the sector has long called for long-term certainty on its budgets. That is why the government is committed to providing a multi-year funding settlement starting in 2026-27.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of starting a national roll out of Housing First.

The Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant is a consolidated rough sleeping fund aimed at tackling rough sleeping and is providing a total of £185.6 million to local authorities across England in 2025-26. Local authorities have the flexibility to choose to continue provision of their Housing First or Housing Led services through the Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant allocations. The Deputy Prime Minister is leading cross-government work to develop a strategy to deliver the long-term solutions we need to get us back on track to ending all forms of homelessness. This work includes taking into account what is working well nationally and locally and where improvements are needed.

Communities and Local Government, if she will extend the exemption for the local connection test to survivors of modern slavery.

The government is committed to ensuring that, where appropriate, barriers preventing vulnerable groups in need from accessing social housing are removed.We are working with stakeholders to explore the detail of the proposed exemptions from local connection requirements further and consider what more needs to be done to support vulnerable cohorts, including victims of modern slavery.There are alternative routes for vulnerable cohorts to access social housing. Guidance asks local authorities to make exemptions for applications with special circumstances, such as those who need to move for medical reasons or who are at risk of harm and to escape violence.