Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 4
4
Accepted
Set out how 'place-based approach' will meaningfully engage local authorities on asylum accommodation
Conclusion
The Home Office is failing to engage meaningfully with local authorities on decisions that affect their residents and already strained public services. We have previously reported that the Home Office has not adequately engaged with local stakeholders on asylum accommodation. This continues to be the case. The Home Office acknowledged that its letters about maximising the use of hotels were to inform local authorities of its decision, not to consult them. It has also sent contradictory letters to councils about how much accommodation it intends to source in local areas, and it seemed to have no practical solutions to progress its ‘place-based-approach’. Worryingly, the lack of coordination between the Home Office and local government means the Home Office is competing with councils and their partners to secure accommodation, driving up prices and exacerbating the homelessness challenges that local authorities already face. Recommendation 4: The Home Office should, as part of its Treasury Minute response, set out how its ‘place-based approach’ will give local authorities a meaningful say on the use of accommodation in their areas, and what specific actions it will take to improve its relationships with local authorities. The Asylum Transformation Programme 7
Government Response Summary
The government agrees, stating it will run pilots between January and March 2024 in London, Wales, and South West England to test design principles for a revised place-based approach. It also committed to improving relationships through data sharing, individual discussions, and refreshing Full Dispersal plans from 2024, utilising existing governance structures.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. on the Full Dispersal model and adopt a Place-Based Approach to all protection-based immigration demands in an area; there is a desire to build sustainable partnerships, based on a collective responsibility, trust and support. We will be running pilots between January and March 2024 with London, Wales and South West England to test initial design principles for a revised approach. The government has endeavoured to improve working relationships with local authorities, through data sharing, including populations for asylum, resettlement, and Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children by region and LA. The department has further shared decision service data for Streamlined Asylum Process cases by local authority with the next iteration due to be shared via a new automated visibility tool in Winter 2023-24. Moreover, individual discussions have taken place between the department and those local authorities most impacted by Streamlined Asylum Processing and case clearance this year, to discuss local authority handling proposals that will reduce impacts. The department continues to follow the same collaborative approach used for engagement for the Full Dispersal project, including launching informal consultations, and working collaboratively through its Regional governance boards, where data is shared, and decisions are taken collectively. Finally, the department will utilise existing well-established governance in place through the Asylum, Resettlement Councils Senior Engagement Group, Oversight Group and regional governance boards, which is the active space for collaboration. Based on the feedback the department has had over the past year from local authorities, it intends to refresh the Full Dispersal plans from 2024 ensuring they are evidence based and deliverable. It will be factoring in a range of matters including housing market, social pressures and existing populations. It is also exploring the possibility of broadening the plans out to include contingency accommodation.