On Monday 19 July, Sir David Amess asked Eddie Hughes, the Minister for Rough Sleeping & Housing, to continue to support local charities in Southend aimed at ending rough sleeping. Sir David works closely with HARP and Off the Streets in Southend which provide accommodation and life skills to those who sleep rough.

Sir David Amess said:

And now for something completely different: Southend. Will my hon. Friend join me in congratulating Southend on reducing the level of rough sleeping by nearly 90% since November 2017, which is well above the national average? Local organisations such as HARP and Off the Streets have done a magnificent job under really difficult circumstances, so I urge him and his Department to continue to support local charities with this important and valuable work.

Eddie Hughes replied:

I am delighted to commend my hon. Friend and the local teams and providers who have worked incredibly hard in Southend to achieve the figures that he described. They have worked tirelessly to achieve such a brilliant result and continue to work towards seeing an end to rough sleeping in his area. It is particularly heartening to hear him championing the cause of organisations such as HARP and Off the Streets, which have redoubled their efforts to support local people—vulnerable people—during the pandemic.