A HOMELESS charity is urging Halesowen and Rowley Regis MP James Morris to “seize a historic opportunity” to change the law.

Mr Morris is one of 200 MPs selected in a Private Members’ Bill ballot which gives him the chance to put forward a public bill to parliament on an issue of his choice - a right ordinarily reserved for government ministers.

National homelessness charity Crisis is calling on him to champion a change in the law that will ensure homeless people in England can no longer be turned away to sleep rough by their council.

The proposed bill, put forward by a panel of council representatives, lawyers and housing experts, would see a reformed law introduced requiring councils to take action to prevent people from becoming homeless in the first place.

According to figures revealed in February, 457 people were found sleeping rough on any given night in the Midlands in 2015, an increase of 21 per cent on the previous year.

Crisis chief executive Jon Sparkes said: “The law as it stands means that single homeless people who go to their councils in the Midlands for help are often turned away without any meaningful help and left with no option but to sleep on the streets.

“Mr Morris has an historic opportunity to put an end to this scandal by reforming a 40-year-old law on homelessness.”

He said homelessness did not have to be inevitable, pointing to recent reform to legislation in Wales, which, he added, had already resulted in a drop of two thirds in the number of homeless people.

The Conservative MP said he had been approached by a number of different lobbying groups wanting his support for a Private Members’ Bill.

“This is a very important decision, and I have not as yet decided what I will be tabling, but I will be having conversations with constituents and colleagues over the coming weeks," added Mr Morris.