Recommendation 5

We are not convinced that the Home Office has learned the lessons it identified from its costly acquisitions of large sites. The Home Office claims it has identified “over 1,000” lessons from its acquisition of large asylum accommodation sites. It argues that it had to be innovative in its approach to securing these sites and is proud of this innovation and its ability to learn lessons. However, buying land and buildings is not inherently innovative, and innovation should not be an excuse for failing to make well-informed decisions or managing risks. We are deeply concerned that the large sites programme has come at a high cost to the taxpayer and has gone so drastically wrong. The Infrastructure and Projects Authority criticised the Home Office for not applying lessons from the failed Linton- on-Ouse site to its other acquisitions at the time. Given this, we remain to be convinced that the Home Office will prevent such mistakes from happening again. This is particularly important as the Home Office now intends to transfer or sell the Northeye site as it is no longer suitable for asylum accommodation. If no other government department requires the site, it is imperative that the Home Office resells the property and it should ensure that it properly applies the lessons learnt and achieves the best possible sale price in line with the market. recommendation The Home Office should, alongside its Treasury Minute response, write to the Committee detailing the lessons it has identified from its acquisition of all large asylum accommodation sites and explain how it has changed its structures and processes to prevent it from making the same mistakes again. As part of this, it should explain how it is applying these lessons to its approach to smaller asylum accommodation sites.