Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she is taking steps to help improve (a) security and (b) safeguarding for asylum seekers at the Suites Hotel in Knowsley.

Occupancy levels are recorded at a specific point in time and vary daily. Statistics relating to asylum seekers temporarily residing in contingency accommodation are published as Immigration Statistics under the S98 population tables. These statistics can be found at Asylum and resettlement datasets www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/asylum-and-resettlement-datasets(opens in a new tab).

The Home Office has a legal obligation to support asylum seekers (including any dependants) who would otherwise be destitute by providing appropriate support under section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

When using sites for asylum accommodation, we engage with local police and other community stakeholders as early as possible to identify any tensions, but recognise that the unprecedented rise in small boats means we need to accommodate people.

All accommodation sites have security staff and we continually review the security at asylum accommodation sites with providers.

All incidents at asylum accommodation sites are reported by providers to the Home Office immediately. We then work with the provider to put in additional safety measures if required.

The government has been clear that the use of hotels to house asylum seekers needs to stop as they are an expensive short-term solution. The government is working with our accommodation providers to find longer-term accommodation, such as dispersal properties.

We do not comment on the security arrangements for particular hotels.