Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many residential properties secured by her Department and its contractors in the Upper Bann constituency have been unoccupied for more than (a) three months, (b) six months, and (c) twelve months; and for what reasons each such property has not been brought into use.

The Home Office does not publish data on the utilisation of asylum accommodation. We aim to utilise our estate as fully as possible, however, as with all types of accommodation properties may be temporarily vacant for a variety of operational reasons, including the need for maintenance or refurbishment work, or while awaiting allocation to new occupants following the departure of previous residents.