Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what provisions are included in the new asylum accommodation contracts to ensure that people granted asylum who are required to share a bedroom are able to adhere to personal religious practice.

The forthcoming contracts will provide eligible asylum seekers with accommodation, transport and related support services and will continue to permit the use of room sharing for some service users providing it complies with the strict criteria set out in the contracts and with relevant national and local housing regulations, including advice from social services and primary and secondary care bodies on whether room sharing is inappropriate for individual cases.

In addition all accommodation providers will be required to continue to ensure that they take into account a service users individual characteristics and provide them with appropriate accommodation reflective of any changing needs, including adherence to religious practice.