The Labour government imposed a target in 2006 that local authoritiesshould only place 16- and 17-year-olds in B&Bs in emergencies and forshort-term periods by the end of 2010.
Numbers of young people in B&Bs have fallen year on year, but the latestDepartment for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) figures show thatin March 2010, there were still 190 16- and 17-year-olds in B&Bs, 80 ofwhom had stayed there longer than six weeks.
Paul Marriott, chief executive of youth homelessness charity Depaul UK'said a legal ruling last year against Southwark Council clarified localauthorities' duty tow-ards housing 16- and 17-year-olds. But he warnedthat, while improving councils' awareness, the ruling had increased thepressure to provide accommodation, leading to a reliance on B&Bs.
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