Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the performance of Serco in providing accommodation and transport services for asylum seekers under the Compass contract.

The COMPASS contracts contain robust provisions to ensure that providers meet the contractual standards relating to the provision of accommodation and transport.

The Home Office works closely with Serco to continually monitor the compliance processes to ensure that accommodation remains of an acceptable standard. Serco has invested significantly to update its property portfolio and transportation service and now routinely achieves the standards of accommodation and transport required within the contract.

Serco faced some difficulties in the second half of 2014 which necessitated the use of contingency accommodation. The Home Office continues to work closely with Serco to ensure that they can source sufficient volumes of accommodation to meet the demands of the contract.