Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the effect of the changes to the licenses of Houses of Multiple Occupation that took effect on 1 October 2018 on the practice of enforced room sharing as permitted under the contract for asylum accommodation.

The Government expects the highest standards from our contractors and Providers are monitored closely to ensure they continue to meet these standards. There are strict criteria set out in the current asylum accommodation contracts around when room sharing can take place and who can share a room.

Providers must also comply with national and local housing regulations including, obtaining an appropriate licence if the relevant property is a House of Multiple Occupation. Advice from social services and primary and secondary care bodies is also taken into consideration on whether room sharing is inappropriate for individual cases and discussions about equality impacts form part of regular engagement with stakeholder groups.