To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is her Department’s policy to consult with local authorities before procuring hotels to use as asylum accommodation in their area.
Answered on
25 July 2022
When any new site has been identified, the Home Office will write to the Local Authority Chief Executive and the MP for the area to inform them of our plans to house Asylum Seekers within the hotel/alternative accommodation identified. This is normally done in advance of a hotel being used, but where an urgent need for accommodation occurs, this may take place retrospectively.
The Home Office always gives as much notice as possible of our intention to use sites, however, the fluctuating nature of intake, coupled with the imperative to meet our statutory obligation, may mean we need to establish sites quickly to avoid people becoming destitute. Home Office officials would be in contact with appropriate Local Authority officers and all other relevant stakeholders to discuss the operational arrangements and share the necessary information. This would include our providers working with the emergency services to mitigate any risks to our service users and the wider community.