HOMELESSNESS 40 YEARS AFTER CATHY COME HOME BROADCAST

That this House notes that this November is the 40th anniversary of the original screening of Cathy Come Home, the BBC drama that brought home to the British public many of the realities of homelessness in the 1960s; recognises that homelessness today remains a serious issue and is about more than rooflessness with people becoming homeless for a variety of reasons; believes that the path out of homelessness and poverty for many is through learning, which has been shown to build confidence, skills and motivation and to reduce offending, addiction and mental ill-health, and, most of all, to enable people to break their spiral of decline, secure their housing and progress to further education or employment; and supports Crisis's campaign to maximise access to learning for homeless people and those in greatest need.