I have rarely come across more blatant political hypocrisy than David Freud's comments (Welfare minister argues in favour of a redefinition of 'homelessness', 4 November). Having argued for a weakening of the laws on homelessness, which for more than 30 years have provided an essential safeguard for some of the most vulnerable people in Britain, Freud goes on to condemn as unhelpful people and commentators who stir up fears and frighten people. Is he so remote from the real world as to be unaware of the fears and anxieties that he himself has already generated by his dangerous and unhelpful proposals to weaken statutory protection for those who are homeless and threatened with homelessness?
Lab, Greenwich and Woolwich
• London Councils does not recognise David Freud's figures on the number of surplus school places in the capital. London faces a massive shortfall of primary school places and needs more than 28,000 new permanent reception places just to ensure that every five-year-old has a school place over the next five years. Without significant new funding, this problem will carry on up the school system into secondary schools. Maybe Freud is referring to spare capacity higher up the school years, but this will be of little good to reception-age pupils who currently aren't guaranteed a school place. What little spare capacity there is tends to be in higher school years and in central London – precisely the areas tenants are likely to have to move from, not to.
Executive member for children and young people, London Councils