Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will set out (a) how and (b) when local authorities are consulted on the housing of asylum seekers in HMOs by the Home Office and its contractors.

The government is committed to reducing reliance on hotels by expanding the overall supply of dispersal and temporary accommodation, including through the private sector.  Local authorities are consulted on all dispersed accommodation before it is procured, including for HMOs. This is a necessary step to meet our legal obligations while being cognisant of local pressures.