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997183

registered interest
date	29/10/2018
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum: Housing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department has a target for the number of local authorities participating in the asylum dispersal programme; and what contingency plans are in place should that number be insufficient.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	184992
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2018 answer text <p>The Home Office is working closely with a wide range of local authorities to increase the number of areas across the UK that agree to accommodate and support people seeking protection.</p><p>We take a coordinated approach to the delivery of the various resettlement and asylum schemes and engage through the Regional Strategic Migration Partnerships to consider the impact on communities and local services so that adjustments can be made where appropriate. Participation in asylum dispersal is subject to discussion and agreement with individual local authorities and there is no target level of participation - every local authority is encouraged to contribute.</p> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes grouped question UIN 184993 question first answered 06/11/2018 17:34:31 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

997185

registered interest
date	29/10/2018
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum: Housing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information he holds on the reasons why some local authorities have not signed up to the asylum dispersal programme; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	184993
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2018 answer text <p>The Home Office is working closely with a wide range of local authorities to increase the number of areas across the UK that agree to accommodate and support people seeking protection.</p><p>We take a coordinated approach to the delivery of the various resettlement and asylum schemes and engage through the Regional Strategic Migration Partnerships to consider the impact on communities and local services so that adjustments can be made where appropriate. Participation in asylum dispersal is subject to discussion and agreement with individual local authorities and there is no target level of participation - every local authority is encouraged to contribute.</p> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes grouped question UIN 184992 question first answered 06/11/2018 17:34:31 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

971370

registered interest
date	10/09/2018
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum: Housing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to ensure that people seeking asylum are not required to share bedrooms under the new asylum accommodation contracts.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	172529
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/09/2018 answer text <p>The forthcoming Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts will permit the use of room sharing for some service users, providing it complies with the strict criteria set out in the contracts Statement of Requirements.</p><p>This includes compliance with relevant national and local housing regulations including any advice from social services and primary and secondary care bodies on whether room sharing is inappropriate for individual cases. In addition Providers will continue to be required to ensure they take into account a service users individual characteristics and provide them with appropriate accommodation reflective of any changing needs, including adherence to religious practice.</p> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes question first answered 14/09/2018 16:23:34 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

971371

registered interest
date	10/09/2018
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum: Housing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that asylum (a) accommodation and (b) facilities support adequately vulnerable people seeking asylum.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	172530
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/09/2018 answer text <p>All applicants for asylum support and accommodation are asked to declare any specialist circumstance or specific accommodation requirements as part of the consideration of their initial application form. In accordance with our published policy, the Home Office will carefully consider all requests on a case by case basis from asylum seekers who may have particular vulnerabilities, care needs or health problems that necessitate a need for a specific location or specialist accommodation requirements. Further details regarding this policy can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asylum-accommodation-requests-policy" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asylum-accommodation-requests-policy</a></p><p>A further ongoing assessment of needs is undertaken by asylum accommodation providers commencing upon initial entry into accommodation. All asylum accommodation Providers are contractually required to take account of any particular circumstances and vulnerability of those that they accommodate, including those who have health care issues. In addition Providers must comply with national and local housing regulations including advice from social services and primary and secondary care bodies on a case-by-case basis depending on the specific needs of the individual.</p><p>A property inspection process forms part of the Home Office’s contract compliance regime which ensures that the required performance standards expected of all providers are met. Where inspected property does not meet the required standards there are strict time limits on resolving property defects; failure to meet those time limits can result in service credits being applied through financial deduction from monthly invoices. These are monitored formally, on a monthly basis, at Contract Management meetings between the providers and representatives of UK Visas and Immigration.</p> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes question first answered 14/09/2018 16:20:46 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

971372

registered interest
date	10/09/2018
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum: Housing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to ensure the monitoring of the (a) quality and (b) effectiveness of the housing provided under the new ten-year asylum contracts.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	172531
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/09/2018 answer text <p>The forthcoming Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts, include clearly defined performance standards measured through a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) set within a wider Performance Management Regime (PMR) that will ensure the safety and wellbeing of all Service Users.</p><p>This will include ensuring that accommodation is ‘Safe’, ‘Habitable’, and ‘Fit for Purpose’ and is delivered in accordance with the Decent Home Standard, the Welsh Housing Quality Standard and the Scottish Housing Quality Standard. Accommodation providers will also be required to ensure that accommodation meets any other statutory housing standards which are applicable in the specified contract region and is compliant with any Local Authority licensing requirements whilst the property is used to accommodate Service Users.</p><p>A property inspection and audit process will form part of the Home Office’s contract compliance regime which will ensure that the required performance standards expected of all providers are met. Where inspected property does not meet the required standards, there are strict contractual time limits on resolving property defects; failure to meet those time limits could result in service credits being applied through financial deduction from monthly invoices. These will be monitored formally, on a monthly basis, at Contract Management meetings between the providers and representatives of UK Visas and Immigration.</p> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes question first answered 14/09/2018 13:51:57 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

971373

registered interest
date	10/09/2018
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum: Housing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which local authorities have made representations to his Department on the new asylum accommodation contracts; and whether his Department has received representations on those contracts from the Local Government Association.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	172532
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/09/2018 answer text <p>To continue to meet UKVI’s obligation to provide accommodation &amp; support to destitute asylum seekers, the Asylum Accommodation and Support Transformation (AAST) project has been established to design, develop and procure the future model for asylum accommodation and support, replacing the existing COMPASS arrangements when they expire in Sept 2019.</p><p>Since the establishment of the project in the autumn of 2016, there has been extensive engagement with strategic stakeholders, including Strategic Migration Partnerships, Local Authorities and Non-Government Organisations to identify a range of enhancements and improvements to the existing model which have been reflected in the design of the next generation of contracts.</p><p>We estimate that there have been over 60 separate stakeholder events or written exercises undertaken since autumn 2016. Details of the feedback provided by individual stakeholders from this engagement could only be provided at disproportionate cost by examination of individual correspondence, event minutes and records.</p> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes question first answered 14/09/2018 16:07:31 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

971375

registered interest
date	10/09/2018
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum: Housing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what provisions are included in the new asylum accommodation contracts to ensure that people granted asylum who are required to share a bedroom are able to adhere to personal religious practice.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	172534
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/10/2018 answer text <p>The forthcoming contracts will provide eligible asylum seekers with accommodation, transport and related support services and will continue to permit the use of room sharing for some service users providing it complies with the strict criteria set out in the contracts and with relevant national and local housing regulations, including advice from social services and primary and secondary care bodies on whether room sharing is inappropriate for individual cases.</p><p>In addition all accommodation providers will be required to continue to ensure that they take into account a service users individual characteristics and provide them with appropriate accommodation reflective of any changing needs, including adherence to religious practice.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes question first answered 05/10/2018 11:58:24 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

971376

registered interest
date	10/09/2018
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum: Housing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department has undertaken an equality impact assessment of its policy on room sharing in asylum accommodation.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	172535
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/09/2018 answer text <p>The Government expects the highest standards from our contractors and Providers are monitored closely to ensure they continue to meet these standards. There are strict criteria set out in the current asylum accommodation contracts around when room sharing can take place and who can share a room.</p><p>Providers must also comply with national and local housing regulations including advice from social services and primary and secondary care bodies on whether room sharing is inappropriate for individual cases and discussions about equality impacts form part of regular engagement with stakeholder groups.</p><p>The COMPASS contracts and their associated procurement exercise defined the required performance standards expected of all providers including sensitivity of equality impacts. Equality assessments with regard to room sharing elements of the contract have not been undertaken in isolation from wider contract tendering and management processes.</p> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes question first answered 14/09/2018 16:25:45 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

682426

registered interest
date	31/01/2017
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Child Support Agency: Appeals
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will increase resources for the Independent Care Examiner to enable it to deal with Child Support Agency appeal cases in a timely manner.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	62433
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/02/2017 answer text <p>Once a complaint has been accepted for investigation, the ICE Office will consider whether a solution to the complaint can be brokered with the relevant department or its supplier and the complainant – known as “resolution”. If it is not possible to resolve the complaint, the case papers will be requested and the case will be allocated to an Investigation Case Manager.</p><p> </p><p>Following a review of the evidence, it may be possible for the Investigation Case Manager to “settle” the complaint if the relevant department or its supplier agrees to action that satisfies the complainant. If the complaint cannot be settled, the ICE will issue a report detailing findings and any recommendations for redress.</p><p> </p><p>In the 2016 calendar year the average time taken to process complaints relating to the Child Support Agency, from the point the complaint was accepted for investigation to case closure, was 53 weeks.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="2"><p><strong>Time taken to process Child Support Agency complaints during the 2016 calendar year</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Less than six months</p></td><td><p>49</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>More than six months (but less than nine)</p></td><td><p>11</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>More than nine months (but less than 12)</p></td><td><p>76</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>More than 12 months</p></td><td><p>265</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Resources for the Independent Case Examiner’s Office are reviewed annually.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes grouped question UIN 62316 62317 question first answered 07/02/2017 16:04:45 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

681376

registered interest
date	30/01/2017
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Child Support Agency: Complaints
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the average time taken by the Independent Case Examiner to process a complaint relating to the Child Support Agency.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	62316
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/02/2017 answer text <p>Once a complaint has been accepted for investigation, the ICE Office will consider whether a solution to the complaint can be brokered with the relevant department or its supplier and the complainant – known as “resolution”. If it is not possible to resolve the complaint, the case papers will be requested and the case will be allocated to an Investigation Case Manager.</p><p> </p><p>Following a review of the evidence, it may be possible for the Investigation Case Manager to “settle” the complaint if the relevant department or its supplier agrees to action that satisfies the complainant. If the complaint cannot be settled, the ICE will issue a report detailing findings and any recommendations for redress.</p><p> </p><p>In the 2016 calendar year the average time taken to process complaints relating to the Child Support Agency, from the point the complaint was accepted for investigation to case closure, was 53 weeks.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="2"><p><strong>Time taken to process Child Support Agency complaints during the 2016 calendar year</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Less than six months</p></td><td><p>49</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>More than six months (but less than nine)</p></td><td><p>11</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>More than nine months (but less than 12)</p></td><td><p>76</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>More than 12 months</p></td><td><p>265</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Resources for the Independent Case Examiner’s Office are reviewed annually.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes grouped question UIN 62317 62433 question first answered 07/02/2017 16:04:44 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham