Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the quantity of food provided to asylum seekers in temporary accommodation.

Asylum seekers in contingency accommodation are provided breakfast, lunch and evening meals, with a choice of at least one hot and one cold selection, at least one vegetarian option with each main meal and a food service for babies and small children with the appropriate foodstuffs. Food is provided in a location easily accessible to all.

We continuously look at ways to improve our procedures to ensure we address concerns quickly and effectively, and one of the tools we use to achieve this is through our targeted surveys. These are 100% anonymous and available 24/7 in a variety of languages. The Initial Accommodation (IA) survey in particular is aimed at all those who reside in all forms of contingency accommodation and seeks insight on the fundamental aspects of the provision. This includes questions on the accommodation standards and suitability, food offering, information provided.

The Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration also conducted a thorough review of contingency accommodation. Their findings were published in May 2022 and the Home Office has accepted all of the recommendations made. The food service at hotels meets appropriate nutritional standards for each menu and satisfies cultural, religious, health or other specific requirements.