Question
A report in July by the Women and Equalities Committee found that black people are four times more likely to experience homelessness than people who are white. In 2025-26, black people made up 2% of households in Liverpool, with 12% of those recorded homeless, or at risk of being so. Despite the Government’s welcome commitment to end rough sleeping, they are still to respond to the Committee’s report. Will the Minister chase that urgently and set out what steps the Office for Equality and Opportunity is taking to ensure that the rough sleeping programme addresses the specific challenges facing black people experiencing homelessness?
Answer
The Committee’s report provides important evidence on the experiences of black people facing homelessness, and I can assure my hon. Friend that the Government will respond shortly. Last month, I visited Liverpool with Baroness Lawrence and the race equality engagement group, and we heard about how real efforts are being made to build stronger communities and tackle racism, and how important it is that there is safe and secure housing for ethnic minority communities across our country.40% vibes
Verdict: AMBER (33/100)
The reply engages with the Committee's report on black homelessness and says a government response will follow 'shortly', but it gives no firm timing or commitment to specific action. It does not address the Office for Equality and Opportunity's work on the rough sleeping programme or describe any action to tackle the specific challenges black people face in rough sleeping; it discusses the wider subject through the Liverpool engagement and remarks on racism and safe housing. Overall the reply is largely hedged and general, so the person who asked would likely need to submit a follow-up for specifics.
Verdict: AMBER (42/100)
The reply partly answers the question. On the first point, the Minister commits to a response to the overdue Committee report 'shortly', though no date is given. On the second point, which asked what the Office for Equality and Opportunity is doing on the rough sleeping programme for black people, the reply does not mention that programme or any specific action on it. It describes a visit to Liverpool and makes general statements about racism and safe housing, so the asker would likely need to follow up on that point.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will the Minister urgently pursue the Government's response to the Women and Equalities Committee's report on homelessness among black people? | Addressed | Hedged | Statement 1 engages with the Committee's report on black homelessness, and statement 2 commits to a government response, which answers whether the Minister will pursue it. The commitment is vague, though, with 'shortly' as the only timing, so it is hedged rather than direct. |
| Will the Minister urgently chase the Government's response to the Women and Equalities Committee's report on homelessness among black people. | Addressed | Direct | The item asks whether the Minister will press for the overdue Committee response, and statement 2 directly commits that the Government will respond shortly, while statement 1 engages the report by name. The 'shortly' timeframe is vague, but it is a concrete commitment rather than a platitude, so the item is answered. |
| What is the Office for Equality and Opportunity doing to ensure that the rough sleeping programme addresses the specific challenges facing black people experiencing homelessness? | Partially Addressed | Generic | None of the statements mention the Office for Equality and Opportunity's work on the rough sleeping programme. The Liverpool engagement (statement 3) and the remarks on tackling racism and safe housing for ethnic minority communities (statements 4 and 5) touch the broader subject area without describing any action to address black people's specific challenges in rough sleeping. |
| What is the Office for Equality and Opportunity doing to ensure the rough sleeping programme addresses the specific challenges facing black people experiencing homelessness. | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The item asks what the Office for Equality and Opportunity is doing on the rough sleeping programme for black people, but the reply never mentions the rough sleeping programme or any specific action on it. The Liverpool visit (statement 3) is a concrete engagement, but it is not tied to rough sleeping, and statements 4 and 5 are general sentiment about racism and safe housing. |