Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 3
3
The Department’s failure to prepare effectively for the new service means that it has yet...
Conclusion
The Department’s failure to prepare effectively for the new service means that it has yet to deliver what was promised. The model of regional accommodation contracts is similar to what existed under COMPASS, although the Department intended the new service to improve asylum seekers’ experience and make it more sustainable. Although the previous COMPASS contract was due to expire in 2017, the Department only started planning for the new contracts in 2016, meaning it did not have enough time to consider all its options before the old contracts expired. The Department extended the COMPASS contracts by two years, to September
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
3.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: July 2021 3.2 The department is considering a wide range of options for potential future models for accommodating asylum seekers, and the time that will be needed for their design and implementation. This is in tandem with, and being informed by, ongoing work to improve the operation of the current contracts. 3.3 The NAO review of the asylum contracts commenced on the day the last contract went live. The project anticipated a short period of stabilisation followed by continuous improvement across the lives of the contract. The contracts are being closely managed to ensure they do provide the benefits that were envisaged. The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have led to unanticipated challenges for the contracts, so the department is working with providers to recover from that and will focus on delivering the contracts as they were designed. 3.4 The expiration and review dates for these contracts are in the department’s procurement and project pipeline. Decisions will be made, in the timelines recommended, on the scale of change required and the length of time for a project to deliver that change.