Select committee: Home Affairs Committee

Asylum accommodation inquiry

Closed Opened 7 Nov 2018 Closed 7 Nov 2018
Inquiry scope (the committee's words)
The Committee took evidence from Local Authorities on asylum accommodation contracts that are up for tender.

Where it stands

The inquiry is closed, opened 7 November 2018.

The committee has published 1 report, most recently 13th Report - Asylum accommodation: replacing COMPASS on 17 December 2018.

The government's response

Published 8 March 2019.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The Government states that it has agreed a refreshed approach with local authorities and is implementing an Assurance Plan, but it does not accept that asylum seekers are being housed in degrading conditions and does not accept transferring inspection to local authorities.

  • It reports a new joint structure with the Local Government Association, headed by a Task Group chaired at Ministerial level, with agreed principles on dispersal and a commitment to "develop a steady pathway with set milestones" for redistribution.
  • On cluster limits, it says it will "work flexibly with local authorities" and that imposing fixed cluster limits "could be problematic for some".
  • It is "not convinced" that passing property inspection to local authorities would improve standards, and says it wishes to retain its own inspection and compliance regime.
  • On an independent review of asylum seekers' experience, it "agrees that effective capture and analysis of customer insight is beneficial" and says the initiative "will be complete by March 2020".

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error

Reports

1 report

Oral evidence sessions

2 sessions

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Date Session and witnesses Source
21 Nov 2018
Oral evidence session
No witnesses recorded
View ↗
20 Nov 2018
Oral evidence session
No witnesses recorded
View ↗