Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that asylum seekers are living in (a) safe and (b) suitable accommodation.

The Home Office is firmly committed to ensuring that destitute asylum seekers are provided with safe, secure, and appropriate accommodation, and that they are treated with dignity throughout the asylum process. As part of its assurance processes, the Home Office conducts regular inspections and monitoring of asylum accommodation sites to ensure compliance with contractual and safety standards, including security arrangements. Feedback from local authorities and asylum seekers is also considered and informs improvements.

The Asylum Accommodation and Support Contract (AASC) Requirements (AASC Schedule 2 - Statement of Requirements) gives a detailed breakdown of all the services to be undertaken by Home Office accommodation providers and to the standards expected.