THE MP for Malvern says the Government is committed to tackling homelessness after the Home Secretary's controversial comments about 'banning tents' drew criticism.

The controversial remarks by Suella Braverman about 'banning' tents for homeless people have already sparked criticism from leaders at Maggs Day Centre in Deansway.

There have even been calls for Ms Braverman to spend a night sleeping rough on the streets of Worcester from the chairman of the trustees of St Paul's Hostel, Philp Fowler.

Harriett Baldwin MP for West Worcestershire, was asked about her reaction to the comments of the Home Secretary and, more generally, about homelessness.

She said: “The Government is also committed to preventing homelessness before it occurs. It is giving local authorities £1 billion over three years through the Homelessness Prevention Grant to help them prevent homelessness and provide temporary accommodation.

“This includes extending the flagship Rough Sleeping Initiative to 2025, with up to £500m funding so that local areas can provide the tailored support needed to end rough sleeping over the next three years.

“Our local district councils work hard to prevent homelessness and rough sleeping. If you are aware of a local rough sleeper, please contact Streetlink.”

Now Jonathan Sutton, chief executive of St Paul's Hostel in Tallow Hill, and Worcester Conservative MP Robin Walker have also revealed they do not agree with the Home Secretary's comments. 

Ms Braverman said on X: "We cannot allow our streets to be taken over by rows of tents occupied by people, many of them from abroad, living on the streets as a lifestyle choice.

"Unless we step in now to stop this, British cities will go the way of places in the US like San Francisco and Los Angeles, where weak policies have led to an explosion of crime, drug taking, and squalor.

"Nobody in Britain should be living in a tent on our streets. There are options for people who don't want to be sleeping rough, and the government is working with local authorities to strengthen wraparound support including treatment for those with drug and alcohol addiction."

Worcester's MP Robin Walker said: "I don't support the comments she made personally. I can understand the point she was trying to make is that clearly tents are not the solution to homelessness. We need better support to get people into long term accommodation."

Mr Walker said he would rather support education and improving literacy and numeracy which he said was 'a better way to address the challenge of homelessness than banning tents'.

Jonathan Sutton, chief executive of St Paul's Hostel in Worcester, said: "Fining charities for giving out tents or punishing people who end up in them will not meet the government's policy objective to end rough sleeping. 

"I'm often asked what can the public do to help? So I say this. Don't forget national government policy choices on housing, health, social care and welfare have a considerable influence on the structural determinants, to use the jargon, that set the conditions for people to be shoved into the river upstream. "