Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with Serco on the dispersal of asylum seekers or refugees in Grantham.

The Home Office maintains regular and ongoing engagement with all asylum accommodation providers, including Serco, to ensure contractual obligations are met and that accommodation is delivered in line with the Asylum Accommodation and Support Services Contract (AASC).

These discussions take place on a frequent and sustained basis as part of routine operational oversight. Engagement focuses on performance, property standards, welfare provisions, and the quality of accommodation, ensuring services are delivered in accordance with Home Office guidance and statutory responsibilities.

While the Home Office and Serco work closely on these operational matters, decisions on the use of specific properties or locations - including in Grantham - are taken within the Home Office's statutory duty under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 to ensure asylum seekers are not left destitute while their claims are processed. The Department retains overall responsibility for accommodation provision, with Serco delivering services and managing property portfolios in line with contract requirements.

We continue to work closely with local authorities, including those covering the Grantham area, to ensure dispersal is carried out fairly, responsibly, and with consideration of local capacity and public services.

In circumstances where concerns are raised by the local authority about proposed accommodation, these matters are considered through the Home Office's strengthened governance and oversight arrangements for asylum accommodation. Where agreement cannot be reached at a local level, issues may be escalated through internal decision‑making routes for further consideration, in line with the enhanced governance and contract‑management framework described in recent Home Office responses to parliamentary scrutiny.