Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of reinstating the 56-day asylum move-on period for families.

In reaching the decision to set the move-on period at 42 days, we have considered a range of evidence, including key findings from the evaluation of the 56-day pilot, operational data, and forecasted impacts on the asylum accommodation estate. This decision best enables the Home Office to fulfil our statutory obligations whilst looking to minimise impact on local authorities and individuals granted leave, and supports our commitment to deliver reductions to the cost of asylum accommodation and end the use of asylum hotels by the end of this Parliament. The approach and its impacts are being kept under review, however, our immediate focus is on ensuring that the 42 day period is used as effectively as possible, considering whether improvements can be made to our process, communications and services to better support individuals successfully move on from asylum accommodation.