Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an assessment on the implications for his Department's polices of the report A Hostile Environment, published by Refugee Rights Europe in Feburary 2018.

The Home Office and its accommodation providers are committed to protecting the rights of asylum seekers and providing them with safe, secure and suitable accommodation whilst asylum claims are considered. We have a range of policies and procedures to ensure that this is the case and we will continue to thoroughly inspect, investigate and resolve any allegation that standards of accommodation and service are not being delivered in accordance with the contract, when specific information is received.

We remain in regular discussion with Providers, service users, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders about ways to improve the services provided and we will be making a number of improvements to the design of the future contracted services as a direct result of such feedback. The Refugee Rights Europe report was not formally shared with the Home Office but we have retrospectively considered the recommendations made and will ensure that they continue to be taken into consideration as part of our ongoing engagement and improvement plans.