How Simon repeatedly vowed to end hotel use

JANUARY 3:

‘We’re ahead of schedule. I am going to make that happen.’

MARCH 16

‘A lot of people are working very hard to make sure that we meet that target.’ When asked if it could be achieved: ‘I think so, I think so. I mean it’s putting a lot of pressure on people but I think so.’

MARCH 24

‘In relation to the Government’s commitment to exit homeless families from hotels so that, by mid-2017, hotels will only be used as emergency accommodation in exceptional circumstances, my department, local authorities and NGOs have been meeting regularly and working closely together to ensure that suitable and appropriate arrangements and plans are in place to deliver on this very important target.’

APRIL 2

Writing in The Sunday Times: ‘Working with local authorities and NGOs, we are targeting every available source of properties to meet the mid-year target of ending the unacceptable reliance on hotels for homeless families.’

APRIL 25

‘My department, local authorities and NGOs continue to meet regularly and work closely together to ensure that suitable and appropriate arrangements and plans are put in place to deliver on the Government’s commitment to exit homeless families from hotels so that by mid-2017, hotels will only be used as emergency accommodation in exceptional circumstances.’

APRIL 26

Re-committing to the target, he said: ‘I set an ambitious target last year that, by July 2017, the Government’s response to family homelessness would no longer be dependent on extensive use of hotel accommodation.’

JUNE 15

‘I set an ambitious target last year that by July 2017, the Government’s response to family homelessness would no longer be dependent on extensive use of hotel accommodation. That has always been a necessarily ambitious objective and setting it has made a dramatic difference.’