The Department of Transport and Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has today published an annual report.

The DTLR claims to have made important progress over the past year to improve local communities and invest in the country's transport infrastructure, including its claim to have reduced the number of people sleeping rough by 71 per cent.

Forum Response: Centrepoint

A spokeswoman for Centrepoint told ePolitix.com: "Centrepoint welcomes the Department's achievements in reducing the number of people sleeping rough, and in their £125m commitment to ensure that no homeless family with children lives in B&B accommodation by 2004.

"However, we know from over 30 years experience of working with homeless young people that getting off the streets is only a first step and that former rough sleepers may have a whole range of complex issues which need to be addressed.

"We also know, through direct service provision for homeless young mothers with babies, that bed and breakfast is a wholly unsuitable place in which to house this group so welcome the priority placed on eliminating the use of B&Bs for homeless families with children by 2004.

"Centrepoint look forward to working with the new Homelessness Directorate and the new housing minister, Lord Rooker, in continuing to get a better deal for homeless and socially excluded young people."