Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire) (Conservative): What plans he has to provide support through his Department’s housing policy to serving and former members of the armed forces. [60274]

The Minister for Housing and Local Government (Grant Shapps): I am absolutely determined to ensure that serving and former serving personnel from the armed forces are treated properly when it comes to housing on their return.

Mr Gray: Serving men and women form a disproportionately large part of those who are homeless or rough sleepers. I therefore very much welcome the Government’s notification that they are a priority group under the Firstbuy scheme. However, many of them cannot afford to buy a house at all. Will the Minister now consider whether he can bring pressure to bear on local authorities, so that serving men and women are also designated as a priority for local authority housing?

Grant Shapps I do not just want to remove the housing disadvantage for those who have served in the military; I want to put them at a positive advantage. That is why we have announced today that they will receive that priority in the Firstbuy scheme. I can also tell my hon. Friend that they will be a priority in the social housing allocation list. Also, if I may correct one point, the new figures for rough sleepers out today from CHAIN—the Combined Homeless and Information Network—show that just 2% of those who have served previously in the military are on the streets.

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