From David Hutchings, Exeter 382594, February 23, 2007

DEVON'S DIRECTOR of Children and Young People's Services will be speaking to MPs and peers at a joint meeting of two influential Parliamentary committees on Monday (Feb 26).

Anne Whiteley has been invited to speak to the All Party Parliamentary Groups for Children and Youth Affairs about poor housing and its impacts on children and young people.

She will be one of two expert speakers asked to address the groups along with a Deputy Director of Shelter, Caroline Davey.

Mrs Whiteley will be speaking about how poor housing can affect each of the five aims of the Every Child Matters agenda.

She said: "Children's housing conditions have been shown to have an impact on all five outcomes in Every Child Matters.

"Research suggests that growing up in poor housing increases the risk of severe ill health in childhood by up to a quarter.

"It has a major impact on educational achievement and children from poor housing are more likely to have behavioural problems.

"They also have a greater likelihood of future unemployment and poverty."

Mrs Whiteley said she wanted to dispel any preconceptions her audience might have of Devon as just an affluent, picture postcard destination for holidaymakers.

She said nearly 25,000 children in Devon aged up to15 lived in one of the bottom 25% most deprived wards in the country.

There were 1,070 homeless families in Devon with dependent children and 127 16 and17-year-olds who were statutorily homeless.

Mrs Whiteley will tell the committee that Devon County Council is already working with district council housing authorities and other children and young people's services to set clear priorities.

The aim was to shift from dealing with crisis and short term needs towards early intervention, prevention and community-based support.

Already funding had been identified to provide 40 new places in supported lodgings and 28 new units were being created for young people to live semi-independently with funding from the council tax from second homes.

The next steps would be to end completely the use of bed and breakfast for emergency accommodation, to provide more accommodation and make it easier for young people to get advice from housing specialists within the network of Youth Enquiry Service centres.

NOTE TO NEWS EDS: The joint meeting of the two Parliamentary Groups will take place at 5pm on Monday, February 26 in Committee Room 3 of the House of Lords.