Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department takes to consult with local communities before it signs a contract to use a hotel as temporary accommodation for asylum seekers.

The record number of people that have crossed the Channel in small boats in recent years has placed the Home Office's asylum support infrastructure and accommodation services under immense pressure. Under the Immigration & Asylum Act 1999, the Home Office has a statutory obligation to provide asylum seekers, who would otherwise be destitute, with accommodation and support whilst their claim is under consideration. Eligible asylum seekers are ordinarily placed in housing accommodation; however, the unprecedented number of small boat arrivals has forced the Home Office to consider alternative accommodation options to ensure that we meet our statutory obligations, which has resulted in the temporary use of contingency accommodation.

The use of contingency accommodation is a short-term solution and we are working hard with Local Authorities and our accommodation providers to find more appropriate accommodation.

We have taken significant steps to improve levels of engagement with key stakeholders including district and parish councils, around hotel accommodation sites to ensure Local Authorities are kept updated and better informed and to ensure we understand and act on any concerns appropriately.

We work closely with Local Authorities on full asylum dispersal to create a fairer distribution across the UK. We do not routinely engage with members of the public regarding utilising contingency accommodation.