Asked by: Baroness Scott of Bybrook (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on local authorities of rising temporary accommodation costs; and what plans they have to respond to the Office for Budget Responsibility finding that long-term demand for asylum accommodation is expected to cost £15.3 billion over the next decade.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office are working with local authorities to manage the impact of asylum accommodation upon communities whilst the department reduces the number of asylum-seekers awaiting a decision.
The financial figure referenced by the Office for Budget Responsibility is taken from an NAO report from May 2025, and it covers the 10 year period 2019-2029 not the next 10 years; it includes peak levels of spending in previous years which is coming down – asylum support costs reduced by £700m between 23/24 and 24/25.
Asked by: Baroness Scott of Bybrook (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to reassess the assumption within the Home Office Spending Review settlement that hotel use for asylum-seekers will end within this Parliament; and what assessment they have made of the Office of Budget Responsibility's projection that maintaining current asylum spending levels would add £1.4 billion to the Home Office budget by 2028–29.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government are working to move asylum seekers into alternative accommodation such as military sites, to ease pressure on communities across the country.
No action has been taken on the assessment of the Office of Budget Responsibility at this point. However, we can confirm spend is already coming down below the level set out here.