Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she plans to take to devolve decisions on the dispersal of asylum seekers to (a) local councils and (b) combined authority mayors.

The Home Office remains responsible for meeting its statutory obligations to accommodate asylum seekers under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. Decisions on the procurement and allocation of asylum accommodation are therefore a matter for the Home Office.

The Department works closely with local authorities, Strategic Migration Partnerships and other local partners to inform decisions on asylum accommodation provision. Local authorities are consulted on proposed dispersed accommodation properties and are able to provide local information and intelligence to support decision-making.