Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2016 to Question 57440, how the safety of asylum seekers housed in initial accommodation centres is protected when such centres go through public consultations and the planning process.

The asylum seeker accommodation contracts require providers to liaise and consult with local authorities prior to accommodating asylum seekers in any address, to ensure that accommodation provided to asylum seekers does not adversely affect local authority developments or community plans.

Any accommodation used as Housing of Multiple Occupancy must, prior to use demonstrate or seek relevant planning consents in line with housing regulations. Providers must also take into account the cultural compatibility of the environment; capacity of local health, education and other support services; concentration of accommodation of service users within particular areas; and the assessment of social tension risks. Once an initial accommodation centre is operational we do not routinely comment on its location.