Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on support given to local authorities to meet the needs of asylum seekers and refugees.

The Home Office engages regularly with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, as well as other Government departments, on the provision of support to refugees and asylum seekers in the UK.

For refugees resettled through the UK Resettlement Scheme, local authorities are provided with funding to support the welcome and integration of refugees. Through our New Plan for Immigration we will strengthen this safe and legal route to the UK, including with an enhanced integration package to help refugees thrive in the UK.

Asylum seekers who are destitute in the UK are provided with housing and financial support while their claim is being decided. In addition, all asylum seekers have access to a 24/7 AIRE (Advice, Issue Reporting and Eligibility) service provided for the Home Office by Migrant Help where they can raise any concerns regarding accommodation or support services, and they can get information about how to obtain further support.

We have recently announced an additional £20m funding for local authorities supporting unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in the UK as part of the new National Transfer Scheme.

The Home Secretary recently announced the Refugee Transitions Outcomes Fund (RTOF), a £14m cross-Government initiative that aims to increase the self-sufficiency and integration of newly granted refugees, helping them to move into work, learn English, access housing and build links in their local communities. The RTOF has been designed in collaboration with a number of Government departments, including MHCLG.