Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 14
14
The accommodation contracts allow providers to use hotels as contingency accommodation to meet excess demand.
Conclusion
The accommodation contracts allow providers to use hotels as contingency accommodation to meet excess demand. Throughout 2017 and 2018, fewer than 100 people had stayed in hotels each night. But since October 2019, this number has increased to more than 1,000 each night.34 At the start of the COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020, ministers decided to continue support for asylum seekers after their asylum claim had been resolved to prevent them from becoming homeless. The Department explained that as a result, since March 2020 many more people had entered the asylum support system than had left and providers had placed the additional people in hotels. It further explained that the need to have social distancing within asylum accommodation also meant that there was space for fewer people within its normal accommodation. The Department told us that there were approximately 9,500 asylum seekers located in 91 hotels, the majority of whom were still having their claims considered.35 The Department said it was keen to end the use of hotels as soon as possible but did not have a target date for doing so.36
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
2.2 The government is committed to reducing and ending the routine use of hotel accommodation and is taking a range of steps with providers to achieve this. One of the ways in which the use of hotels can cease is through providers procuring sufficient dispersed accommodation, which requires the cooperation of local authorities. The department is doing all it can to encourage local authorities to support the procurement of sufficient dispersed accommodation and has recommenced the procurement of accommodation. The department, with support from the Cabinet Office, is working with its providers to accelerate their procurement plans and assess further options. The department is currently assessing the rate at which the hotel population can be reduced and the expected timescale for eliminating regular hotel use from the system. 2.3 The other way in which hotel usage can be reduced is through moving people whose asylum claim has been concluded out of asylum accommodation, and then returning to the usual flow of service users into dispersed accommodation. The department is working with local authorities to move people on from asylum accommodation when their claims have been concluded.