Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will have discussions with local authorities on the potential for greater council control of asylum accommodation.

Full dispersal is built upon a culture of shared accountability and collective delivery between accommodation providers, the Home Office and local authorities. There are monthly regional governance meetings, which offer an avenue for collaboration and opportunities for the Home Office, accommodation providers, and local authorities to engage, drive progress and monitor the procurement of dispersed accommodation. It is imperative that we work together on asylum accommodation.

The Home Office agreed Full Dispersal Allocation Plans for every local authority and region in the UK, including Scotland and Wales for 2023. The Home Office is exploring how to improve plans for 2024 and beyond and local authorities will be contacted as soon as possible to discuss this in more detail.