Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contract, Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services, procurement reference CCTM22A01, if she will publish the minutes of all Monthly Operational Review meetings.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The information requested is considered confidential and commercially sensitive and is therefore not publicly released.
The Home Office operates a rigorous contract management regime, which includes monthly Contract Management Group meetings and Quarterly Commercial Review Meetings to discuss contract management issues and oversee performance. Two Quarterly Commercial Review Meetings have been held.
The minutes of the monthly and quarterly performance meetings and other review meetings are treated as commercially sensitive and are not publicly released.
The Home Office also conducts regular reviews of its contracts to ensure that they deliver maximum value for money, but the minutes, notes, and outcomes of this work are commercially sensitive and not made publicly available.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contract “Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services”, procurement reference CCTM22A01, if she will publish the minutes of the Quarterly Commercial Review meetings.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The information requested is considered confidential and commercially sensitive and is therefore not publicly released.
The Home Office operates a rigorous contract management regime, which includes monthly Contract Management Group meetings and Quarterly Commercial Review Meetings to discuss contract management issues and oversee performance. Two Quarterly Commercial Review Meetings have been held.
The minutes of the monthly and quarterly performance meetings and other review meetings are treated as commercially sensitive and are not publicly released.
The Home Office also conducts regular reviews of its contracts to ensure that they deliver maximum value for money, but the minutes, notes, and outcomes of this work are commercially sensitive and not made publicly available.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contract Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services, procurement reference CCTM22A01, if he will publish all performance reports.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The information requested is considered confidential and commercially sensitive and is therefore not publicly released.
The Home Office operates a rigorous contract management regime, which includes monthly Contract Management Group meetings and Quarterly Commercial Review Meetings to discuss contract management issues and oversee performance. Two Quarterly Commercial Review Meetings have been held.
The minutes of the monthly and quarterly performance meetings and other review meetings are treated as commercially sensitive and are not publicly released.
The Home Office also conducts regular reviews of its contracts to ensure that they deliver maximum value for money, but the minutes, notes, and outcomes of this work are commercially sensitive and not made publicly available.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contract, Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services, procurement reference CCTM22A01, how many Quarterly Commercial Review Meetings have taken place.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The information requested is considered confidential and commercially sensitive and is therefore not publicly released.
The Home Office operates a rigorous contract management regime, which includes monthly Contract Management Group meetings and Quarterly Commercial Review Meetings to discuss contract management issues and oversee performance. Two Quarterly Commercial Review Meetings have been held.
The minutes of the monthly and quarterly performance meetings and other review meetings are treated as commercially sensitive and are not publicly released.
The Home Office also conducts regular reviews of its contracts to ensure that they deliver maximum value for money, but the minutes, notes, and outcomes of this work are commercially sensitive and not made publicly available.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of services for processing of asylum claims from Somali nationals.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office provides a variety of services to facilitate the processing of all asylum claims, irrespective of nationality. This includes provision of interpreters, interviewing officers, decision makers, and legal representation on an entitlement basis. We have a legal obligation, as set out in the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, to support asylum seekers (including any dependants) who would otherwise be destitute, with support payments and accommodation. No separate assessment of the adequacy of services for processing of asylum claims from Somali nationals has been completed.
We signpost to additional sources of support and advice as appropriate, including via the Asylum Safeguarding Hub. The Information booklet about your asylum application is provided to all asylum claimants and includes both telephone numbers and website addresses of various organisations that assist asylum seekers with specific needs. Migrant Help are also funded to provide independent support and advice to all asylum claimants about the asylum process in the UK and accessing relevant services.
Asked by: Paul Kohler (Liberal Democrat - Wimbledon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average time taken to make an initial decision on an asylum claim was in each of the last five years.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the 'Immigration System Statistics' and the ‘Migration Transparency Data’ releases.
Data on the number of asylum claims awaiting an initial decision by duration is published in table Asy_D03 of the ‘Asylum claims and decisions detailed datasets’ and data on the percentage of applications processed within 6 months is published in table ASY_01 of the ‘Immigration and Protection data’. The latest data relates to as at 30 September 2025. For further information on the data, see the notes pages of the tables.
Data on the average processing times of claims is not currently published. Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, the resources required to compile the statistics, as well as quality and availability of data.
Asked by: Paul Kohler (Liberal Democrat - Wimbledon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum cases were awaiting an initial decision in January (a) 2025 and (b) 2026.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the 'Immigration System Statistics' and the ‘Migration Transparency Data’ releases.
Data on the number of asylum claims awaiting an initial decision by duration is published in table Asy_D03 of the ‘Asylum claims and decisions detailed datasets’ and data on the percentage of applications processed within 6 months is published in table ASY_01 of the ‘Immigration and Protection data’. The latest data relates to as at 30 September 2025. For further information on the data, see the notes pages of the tables.
Data on the average processing times of claims is not currently published. Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, the resources required to compile the statistics, as well as quality and availability of data.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contract, Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services, procurement reference CCTM22A01, what the annual cost is of the requirement that transport requests will be taken at short notice, all day every day.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Prior to receiving internal, Home Office Commercial approvals, to award this contract supplier performance was reviewed and due diligence was carried out. Necessary external approvals from Cabinet Office Spend Controls were also obtained prior to the contract award. The guidance for Cabinet Office Spend Controls applies to commercial activities costing £20 million or more, and is published on gov.uk at: Commercial spend controls (version 7) - GOV.UK.
The final contract signature was completed on 24 March 2023.
All Home Office contracts are procured in line with public sector procurement regulations. As part of these regulations, robust checks are carried out on suppliers’ ability to deliver the contract in question and, in certain circumstances, it may be necessary to exclude bidders in line with relevant regulations.
CCTM22A01 Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services Contract was a direct award under the CCS Travel and Venue Solutions Framework Agreement (RM6217) – Lot 2. CTM were the sole supplier within Lot 2.
Financial information cannot be provided in the granular detail requested.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contract, Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services, procurement reference CCTM22A01, what the cost is of providing adequate transport links to enable service users to access the local area.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Prior to receiving internal, Home Office Commercial approvals, to award this contract supplier performance was reviewed and due diligence was carried out. Necessary external approvals from Cabinet Office Spend Controls were also obtained prior to the contract award. The guidance for Cabinet Office Spend Controls applies to commercial activities costing £20 million or more, and is published on gov.uk at: Commercial spend controls (version 7) - GOV.UK.
The final contract signature was completed on 24 March 2023.
All Home Office contracts are procured in line with public sector procurement regulations. As part of these regulations, robust checks are carried out on suppliers’ ability to deliver the contract in question and, in certain circumstances, it may be necessary to exclude bidders in line with relevant regulations.
CCTM22A01 Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services Contract was a direct award under the CCS Travel and Venue Solutions Framework Agreement (RM6217) – Lot 2. CTM were the sole supplier within Lot 2.
Financial information cannot be provided in the granular detail requested.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contract, Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services, procurement reference CCTM22A01, what the annual cost is of delivering a programme of organised recreational activities.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Prior to receiving internal, Home Office Commercial approvals, to award this contract supplier performance was reviewed and due diligence was carried out. Necessary external approvals from Cabinet Office Spend Controls were also obtained prior to the contract award. The guidance for Cabinet Office Spend Controls applies to commercial activities costing £20 million or more, and is published on gov.uk at: Commercial spend controls (version 7) - GOV.UK.
The final contract signature was completed on 24 March 2023.
All Home Office contracts are procured in line with public sector procurement regulations. As part of these regulations, robust checks are carried out on suppliers’ ability to deliver the contract in question and, in certain circumstances, it may be necessary to exclude bidders in line with relevant regulations.
CCTM22A01 Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services Contract was a direct award under the CCS Travel and Venue Solutions Framework Agreement (RM6217) – Lot 2. CTM were the sole supplier within Lot 2.
Financial information cannot be provided in the granular detail requested.