Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of the introduction of buffer zones around asylum accommodation.

The Home Office keeps the security of asylum accommodation sites under continual review, and the safety of asylum seekers and the local communities in which accommodation is located will always be our priority.

While the Home Office recognises the merit in measures that help ensure safe access to accommodation, there are no clear powers within existing legislation that would enable the Secretary of State to create buffer zones around asylum accommodation. Local authorities may impose Public Spaces Protection Orders under section 59 of the Anti‑social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, and the police have powers under section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986, but these powers do not extend to the Secretary of State.

The Home Office continues to work closely with police, security teams, local authorities and other partners to ensure all accommodation sites are managed safely and securely. These stakeholders regularly attend Multi‑Agency Forums to provide updates and address concerns, including issues relating to protests or public order.