The information requested is not collected centrally and could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.

The space standards set out in section 326 of the Housing Act 1985 may apply to bed and breakfast accommodation and any self-contained annexes where they can be considered to be separate dwellings. Those that are not will be covered by the overcrowding provisions governing Houses in Multiple Occupation set out in the Housing Act 2004. Paragraphs 17.16 -17.23 of the Homelessness Code of Guidance set out in detail the way these two sets of provisions work together to deal with overcrowding.

In addition, section 210(1) of the Housing Act 1996 requires local housing authorities to have regard to the space standards and other overcrowding provisions contained in Part 10 of the Housing Act 1985 as well as provisions governing overcrowding in Houses of Multiple Occupation in the Housing Act 2004 (the “2004 Act”) when assessing the suitability of accommodation provided under Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996. Annex 17 of the Homelessness Code of Guidance, to which local housing authorities must have regard, sets out detailed minimum standards which should be followed when deciding whether bed and breakfast accommodation is suitable for an applicant for the purposes of Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996, in the very limited circumstances where an authority may use such accommodation for this purpose.

The Homelessness (Suitability of Accommodation) (England) Order 2003 makes clear that bed and breakfast accommodation provided under Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996 should only be used to house homeless households with children in an emergency, and then for no longer than six weeks.

The Government is determined to tackle the unlawful use of bed and breakfast accommodation and has made available £2 million in 2013/14 to support local authorities to develop innovative and sustainable solutions to the problems which drive its use. Recent reports indicate that this approach is starting to take effect, with local authorities in receipt of funding significantly reducing the number of families with children in bed and breakfast accommodation.

We are also committed to helping other authorities by drawing on the lessons learned from the funding which will be shared with other local authorities.

The Public Service Vehicles (Carrying Capacity) Regulations 1984 are enforced by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), who are able to investigate any alleged breach of the regulations based on information provided to them. If it is found that an operator has failed to comply with the necessary legislative requirements, the relevant Traffic Commissioner may consider taking regulatory action against the operator under Section 17 of the Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981.

Based on the English Housing Survey, the figures are:

The absolute figures for the private rented sector may reflect the fact that the size of the private rented sector has increased over the period.

The social housing reforms in the Localism Act have given local authorities and social landlords the tools they need to tackle overcrowding, while retaining the 'reasonable preference' provisions in the allocation legislation which ensure that overcrowded families continue to get priority for social housing. HomeSwap Direct is there to make it easier for overcrowded social tenants to swap with those who want to downsize. The removal of the spare room subsidy also encourages the more effective use of social housing, by addressing the under-occupation of family homes.

This Government are committed to a bigger and better private rented sector, which is why, following the Montague review, we have put in place the £1 billion build to rent fund and the £10 billion housing guarantee schemes, to help boost the provision of private rented accommodation. We have also avoided excessive regulation which would result in higher rents and restrict choice and supply, whilst helping councils take action against the very small minority of rogue landlords.

The Thameslink Programme is expected to relieve crowding on London Underground Services by reducing the need to interchange from rail onto Underground services and providing more capacity between North London and South London and across Central London.

The Northern Line is expected to benefit from this crowding relief particularly on the City branch between King's Cross/St Pancras and London Bridge, which will benefit from the enhanced Thameslink service, and on the Charing Cross branch which is expected to benefit from passengers from north of London choosing to interchange at Blackfriars in order to travel to the West End.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to her on 10 October 2013, Official Report, column 393W.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to her on 10 October 2013, Official Report, column 393W.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to her on 10 October 2013, Official Report, column 393W.

The UK Government is committed to providing safe, decent and secure places for those in custody.

Figures relating to the number of prisoners who are currently held in cells that have been safely adapted to hold extra prisoners are published annually by the National Offender Management Service. In 2012-13 these figures were at their lowest point since 2001-02.

The proportions of prisoners in such accommodation in total and in each prison for financial years up to 2012/13 can be accessed from the Gov.uk website via the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/225234/prison-performance-digest-12-13.xls

The following table shows the percentage of prisoners in such accommodation for each month between May 2010 and March 2013 (the latest available).

Figures for 2013-14 will be available in July 2014.

The UK Government is committed to providing safe, decent and secure places for those in custody.

Figures relating to the number of prisoners who are currently held in cells that have been safely adapted to hold extra prisoners are published annually by the National Offender Management Service. In 2012-13 these figures were at their lowest point since 2001-02.

The proportions of prisoners in such accommodation in total and in each prison for financial years up to 2012/13 can be accessed from the Gov.uk website via the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/225234/prison-performance-digest-12-13.xls

The following table shows the percentage of prisoners in such accommodation for each month between May 2010 and March 2013 (the latest available).

Figures for 2013-14 will be available in July 2014.

The UK Government is committed to providing safe, decent and secure places for those in custody.

Figures relating to the number of prisoners who are currently held in cells that have been safely adapted to hold extra prisoners are published annually by the National Offender Management Service. In 2012-13 these figures were at their lowest point since 2001-02.

The proportions of prisoners in such accommodation in total and in each prison for financial years up to 2012/13 can be accessed from the Gov.uk website via the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/225234/prison-performance-digest-12-13.xls

The following table shows the percentage of prisoners in such accommodation for each month between May 2010 and March 2013 (the latest available).

Figures for 2013-14 will be available in July 2014.

The UK Government is committed to providing safe, decent and secure places for those in custody.

Figures relating to the number of prisoners who are currently held in cells that have been safely adapted to hold extra prisoners are published annually by the National Offender Management Service. In 2012-13 these figures were at their lowest point since 2001-02.

The proportions of prisoners in total and by prison for the years requested can be found via the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/225234/prison-performance-digest-12-13.xls

I would certainly like to join my hon. Friend to congratulate the borough of Havering on the excellent work it has done. Overcrowding is a real problem, and hundreds of thousands of families are living in overcrowded properties in which children have no space to do their schoolwork. The fact that the Labour party has no answers to some of those fundamental problems that it created in the first place shows a bankruptcy of ideas.

Will the Deputy Prime Minister join me in congratulating the London borough of Havering, which has rehomed 1,000 previously overcrowded families into larger and more suitable accommodation as a result of the Government’s welfare policy?

The social housing reforms in the Localism Act have given local authorities and social landlords the tools they need to tackle overcrowding, while retaining the ‘reasonable preference’ provisions in the allocation legislation which ensure that overcrowded families continue to get priority for social housing. HomeSwap Direct is there to make it easier for overcrowded social tenants to swap with those who want to downsize.

The removal of the spare room subsidy also encourages the more effective use of social housing, by addressing the under-occupation of family homes.

Our Affordable Homes programme is on track to deliver 170,000 new affordable homes between 2011 and 2015, with £19.5 billion of public and private funding—half way through 98,700 homes have already been delivered. A further £23 billion will help ensure another 165,000 new affordable homes are started between 2015 and 2018. This will be the fastest annual rate of building for at least 20 years.

I refer the right hon. Member to the answer my predecessor gave in March 2011. Operation Safeguard is required when the size or distribution of the prison population is such that it can no longer be managed within the available capacity.

Prison population levels fluctuate throughout the year and we have sufficient accommodation for the current and expected population. There will be more adult male prison capacity in May 2015 than there was at the start of this Parliament

There are no plans to re-activate Operation Safeguard. Police cells, under Operation Safeguard, have not been used since 22 September 2008 and no police cells under Operation Safeguard have been on stand by since the end of October 2008

There have been no changes to Operation Safeguard arrangements since 2010.

I refer the right hon. Member to the answer my predecessor gave in March 2011. Operation Safeguard is required when the size or distribution of the prison population is such that it can no longer be managed within the available capacity.

Prison population levels fluctuate throughout the year and we have sufficient accommodation for the current and expected population. There will be more adult male prison capacity in May 2015 than there was at the start of this Parliament

There are no plans to re-activate Operation Safeguard. Police cells, under Operation Safeguard, have not been used since 22 September 2008 and no police cells under Operation Safeguard have been on stand by since the end of October 2008

There have been no changes to Operation Safeguard arrangements since 2010.

We recognise the important points raised by the College of Emergency Medicine on the pressures faced by accident and emergency (A&E) and the risk of overcrowding. There are enormous pressures on our A&E services which have grown in recent years, including a 50% increase in attendances since 2002-03, from 14 million to 21 million and 1 million more in the last three years.

400,000 people attend A&E every week, resulting in 70,000 emergency admissions, equivalent to a 32% increase over the last decade.

In particular there has been an increase in attendance by frail elderly patients with complex needs who are difficult to treat quickly and difficult to discharge. Patients aged 80 and over represent 8.3% of attendances, but only 4.9% of the population.

Recognising these growing pressures on the system, Sir Bruce Keogh undertook his recent review of urgent and emergency care, published on the 13 November. The report set out an overarching vision of how urgent & emergency care services will be transformed.

However, final plans have not yet been developed. Detailed plans will be developed by NHS England in Phase two by teams of expert clinicians and patients. Phase two, which is already underway, involves NHS England working closely with stakeholders and partners from across the system. A delivery group has already been established, with representatives from more than 20 different clinical, managerial and patients' associations. Details of how specific areas of work will be taken forward will be provided by NHS England in due course.

The first report is based on an engagement exercise which took place between June and August of this year, with over 1000 people contributing, including members of the public, National Health Service staff, commissioners of services and other key stakeholders including the College of Emergency Medicine.

To ensure a managed transition to the future system, NHS England anticipate that it will take 3-5 years to implement the major transformational change set out within its report.