A PIONEERING new homelessness initiative aimed at preventing rough sleepers from abusing drink and drugs has been backed by South Swindon MP Robert Buckland.

Taunton Deane Council are asking people not to give money to street beggars but to give it to the council instead, who will then pass it to the town’s homeless charities.

It is based on the claim that not everybody who begs is necessarily homeless, and money given to people on the street is, more often than not, spent on drugs and alcohol.

Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday Politics West at the weekend, Mr Buckland backed the scheme and said that rough sleepers in Swindon could also benefit from more organised, local authority-led assistance.

Asked if he thought it was a good idea to give money to the council in order that it be distributed among charities, he said: “Yes, I think it is.

“I know a lot of rough sleepers in Swindon, and I think it’s the targeted help and support that we need to be doing in order to make sure that they can have the opportunity to come out of that and into more permanent accommodation.

“We have some great local charities in Swindon doing work with homeless people, and we’ve got more government investment coming in in order to deal with the problem of rough sleeping.”

He also stressed the importance of helping people deal with drink and drug problems that might be preventing them from accessing the help available.

In January, a new will be launched by Swindon Borough Council that will see between 12 and 18 rough sleepers in need of intensive support and accommodation given a bed, a roof and the coordinated care they need for a three month period.

At the end of the project, if they have engaged sufficiently with authorities, the hope is that they will be offered some sort of housing by the council.

It had been hoped that the project could get up and running prior to Christmas but it now appears the launch date will put off until January.

Mr Buckland has praised the scheme and hoped that it would lead to more long-term successes.

He said: “Having support services on hand to help people with their issues so that this isn’t merely a short term sticking plaster is crucial.”