Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the value for money of asylum accommodation contracts operating in Northern Ireland.

The Home Office holds one contract for the provision of asylum accommodation in Northern Ireland. Information on this contract, including the original contract value, is publicly available:

AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NI - Contracts Finder

Information on total spend to date is commercially sensitive and cannot be disclosed.

In relation to value for money, the Asylum Accommodation and Support Services Contracts (AASC contracts) were procured through a competitive tender exercise that adhered to the Public Contracts Regulation 2015. The bid evaluation process identified the most economically advantageous tender, assessing the quality and cost of bid proposals, to ensure best value to the UK taxpayer.

For any new requirements introduced to these contracts following contract award, providers are asked to provide priced proposals. These proposals are assessed, challenged and negotiated by Home Office representatives; ensuring that best pricing is achieved.

The Home Office monitors the AASC Providers’ performance against a range of Key Performance Indicators ensuring performance is driven to deliver maximum value for money for the taxpayer.

The contracts require the establishment and operation of governance structures and regular reporting enabling the Home Office to effectively manage the providers and hold them to account. These include a monthly contract management meeting, and quarterly strategic and executive boards where operational and commercial priorities are addressed and discussed, including financial performance.