Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much of the £20 per asylum seeker per day budget given by the Government to contractors for providing food for asylum seekers in hotels is spent on the purchase of food; and what guidelines are issued to contractors to ensure they provide nutritious food to asylum seekers in hotels.

Costs are subject to change depending on numbers being accommodated within the asylum system. Accommodation costs are considered to be commercially confidential, therefore the Home Office does not publish this information. However, total expenditure on asylum is published in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ho-annual-reports-and-accounts

The recent inspection by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration found accommodation providers were providing services broadly in line with their requirements. When visiting accommodation sites, ICIBI inspectors noted menus on display at the sites appeared to be well balanced and showed that food options were rotated to create variety. They also found that all the properties were required to supply meals provided the required number.

All providers work to ensure all meals meet the NHS Eat-Well standards of nutrition (The Eatwell Guide - NHS (www.nhs.uk))