LETTERS
Homelessness
Sir: Alexandra Artley's harrowing account of homelessness around King's Cross (`The London poor', 13 December) cannot fail to move the hardest heart. Unfortunately, her article is largely anecdotal and fails to seek the underlying causes.
For example, why did 'many people in the King's Cross area originally (come) from the North, Scotland, the Irish Repub- lic, Africa, the Indian sub-continent . .
as she herself points out? Did they believe that London streets were paved with gold or were their living conditions at home even less attractive for some reason?
Moreover, what part was played in this by the working of the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act? That Act was sponsored originally as a Private Member's Bill by two backbench MPs but was then taken over by the Callaghan Cabinet as a Gov- ernment Bill during the Lib/Lab Pact. Does the knowledge that turning up in London and declaring themselves to be homeless guarantees at least some accom- modation influence people's decision to move to the capital city?
Neville Beale
Chelsea Manor Street, London SW3
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