I welcome the opportunity to contribute today, and I welcome very much what the Minister has said in her two statements. The COVID crisis has been hard, but there are also many wins, and the temporary eradication of homelessness is one of them.

Local authorities and the third sector have responded brilliantly in very, very challenging circumstances. I note the initial investment of £10 million and now a further investment of £20 million through revenue, taking the total to £30 million. This is most welcome.

I've spoken before in this Chamber about my own experience of sofa surfing and its long-term effects on my life, so I'm so glad to see that your intention is to do all that you can to keep those 800-plus people in accommodation of some sort. It's clear from statistics and waiting lists that there just aren't enough homes to go around. However, COVID might have presented an opportunity to occupy empty B&Bs and student accommodation.

Can I ask you what your plans are for ensuring adequacy of supply once the economy opens back up? Your latest statement proclaims that you want to see creativity, partnership and a willingness to invest in these programmes. Are creativity and partnership not already embedded in this type of service?

The human cost of homelessness is huge, but the preventative spend implications of getting this right will reap rewards across local government, health and the police. I particularly liked your input on sustainable house building—