Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department gave approval to Mears Group for plans to move some 300 asylum seekers from self-contained accommodation into hotels in Glasgow in April.

The moves that took place in Glasgow were moves from contingency accommodation (serviced apartments) to contingency accommodation (hotels). Contingency use is permitted under the Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts.

Where a provider needs to move an Initial Accommodation (IA) or Dispersed Accommodation (DA) service user they may have to do so as a matter of urgency and in such circumstances there is no contractual requirement to notify the Home Office in advance, but rather within one day of such a move taking place. A provider may only move an IA Service User once.

All accommodation providers are required to undertake risk assessments for the activities and services they perform and risk is formally managed on a monthly basis at formal contract government meetings, the most recent of which updated the risk register in relation to the use of hotel contingency across the AASC contracts held by Mears.

Risk assessment of the suitability of a property for use for supported asylum seekers would normally form part of the engagement with a Local Authority on the use of a particular hotel contingency.

The AASC Contract does not require service users in receipt of S98 support to be given 7 days-notice of moves and there may be times when service users need to be moved quickly, as a matter of urgency. In all cases relating to the moves in Glasgow, Mears have confirmed that the moves were discussed with service users in advance which included discussing requirements, assistance with packing belongings and arranging transport.