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1134296

	registered interest
	date	24/06/2019
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government why they have awarded contracts to Serco for the provision of housing to asylum seekers; and what measures they intend to put in place to ensure that the quality of the service delivered under those contracts is up to a good standard.
	tabling member printed	Lord Beecham
	uin	HL16581
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2019 answer text <p>The Home Office awarded the new Asylum Accommodation and Support Services Contracts (AASC) to providers following an open, fair and extensive procurement exercise.</p><p>There is a rigorous contract compliance regime in place to ensure that the required performance standards expected of all providers, as defined in the contracts, are met. Instances of non-conformance of the performance indica-tors may lead to a financial deduction from monthly invoices</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 08/07/2019 14:08:36 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	4181 label Biography information for Lord Beecham

1189876

	registered interest
	date	23/04/2020
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Home Office and its contracted providers have made a public health assessment of asylum accommodation in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Hamwee
	uin	HL3387
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/05/2020 answer text <p>The Home Office has been working with a Public Health England embed during the current crisis and we have put in place a number of measures to support people in the asylum system who are affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, including working closely with providers to make sure the most vulnerable people within the system receive the support they need.</p><p>The Accommodation providers recognise the challenge of managing COVID 19 within our accommodation estate and are working closely with Public Health England (PHE) on how their guidance on social distancing and self-isolation is properly applied, while ensuring that people can continue to access essential services.</p><p>In Initial Accommodation facilities, which tends to be hostel based, PHE Guidance recommends that separate rooms and segregation be provided for symptomatic people, or they should be moved to hotels. Our providers have configured their accommodation estate to meet this guidance.</p><p>In Dispersed Accommodation, which is houses or homes of multiple occupancy accommodating small numbers, Service Users have been provided guidance to ensure they socially distance or self isolate in line with the advice provided to the general public. Additionally, services providers have enhanced their contact management and wraparound services to ensure access to medical care, food packages and other essential items.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 07/05/2020 15:42:57 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	2652 label Biography information for Baroness Hamwee

1193356

	registered interest
	date	05/05/2020
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many asylum-seekers in housing provided by the Government or local authorities, including through private contractors, are still in shared rooms of two or more people.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	uin	HL3896
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2020 answer text <p>We do not hold he information requested. However, although room sharing is in place, no one is forced to share rooms with anyone displaying COVID 19 symptoms.</p><p>PHE Guidance recommends that separate rooms should be provided for symptomatic people, or they should be moved to hotels. Those with underlying health conditions and people over 70 years of age should also be moved to the appropriate hotel accommodation following PHE guidance, unless individuals do not wish to be moved. We are reviewing each case on an individual basis and continue to work with our providers to ensure the guidance is followed.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 22/05/2020 10:56:47 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1200735

	registered interest
	date	04/06/2020
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with hotels and guest houses about the accommodation of asylum seekers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
	tabling member printed	Lord Roberts of Llandudno
	uin	HL5323
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2020 answer text <p>All asylum accommodation is sourced and provided by our accommodation providers. Our providers are in regular dialogue with hotels/guest houses before and throughout any usage during the Covid-19 pandemic.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 18/06/2020 11:33:44 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	3691 label Biography information for Lord Roberts of Llandudno

1227105

	registered interest
	date	21/07/2020
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking in response to the £3.1 million in service credits charged to Mears Group between September 2019 and January 2020 for poor performance in its contract to provide accommodation to asylum seekers.
	tabling member printed	Lord Beecham
	uin	HL7075
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/08/2020 answer text <p>We expect the highest standards from our providers and accommodation provided must be safe, habitable, fit for purpose and it is required to comply with the Decent Homes Standard in addition to standards outlined in relevant national or local housing legislation.</p><p>The AASC contracts have robust performance management system to which Providers are expected to deliver; where performance falls short of the required standard for each of the individual KPIs the failures are recorded and can result in the award of Points; which can result in a Service Credits being applied.</p><p>Mears performance is monitored closely with dedicated staff in each contract area who are in contact with the Provider on a daily basis. This is supplemented by a formal governance process which includes quarterly Strategic Review Management Boards and monthly Contract Management Groups. Service credits and subsequent improvement plans are discussed and monitored as part of this process.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 04/08/2020 15:57:51 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	4181 label Biography information for Lord Beecham

1239866

	registered interest
	date	01/10/2020
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what the estimated cost per week is for each asylum seeker staying in an accommodation centre.
	tabling member printed	Lord Roberts of Llandudno
	uin	HL8684
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/10/2020 answer text <p>Accommodation costs are considered to be commercially confidential, so we do not provide this information.</p><p>However total asylum spends are published as part of transparency data https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-transparency-data</p><p>Data is published on a quarterly basis with the latest information covering until 30 June 2020. The next quarterly figures are due to be released in November 2020.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 15/10/2020 12:44:58 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	3691 label Biography information for Lord Roberts of Llandudno

1305871

	registered interest
	date	24/03/2021
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many members of staff working for asylum accommodation providers have received the training specified in the Asylum Accommodation and Support Statement of Requirements; and whether training for staff who have face-to-face contact with service users is stipulated in Home Office contracts with providers.
	tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Durham
	uin	HL14571
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2021 answer text <p>The Asylum Accommodation and Support Services contracts (AASC) are published and the requirements of the contract are set out in the Statement of Requirements, this includes provisions around training and the training programme for those with face-to-face contact with our customers.</p><p>The Provider must fully equip and train staff (including volunteers) to ensure they are able to fulfil their roles and ensure appropriate and sufficient security provisions are made for all staff undertaking face-to-face activities. Those with face to face contact must cover the following:</p><ul><li>Ethnic diversity and cultural awareness</li><li>Suicide and self-harm awareness and prevention</li><li>Basic First Aid</li><li>Gender based violence</li><li>Fire Safety</li><li>Health and Safety</li><li>Vicarious Trauma</li><li>Unconscious Bias</li><li>Counter Terrorism</li><li>Modern Slavery</li><li>Training relating to housing standards and regulatory requirements</li></ul><p>As a minimum, provider staff should receive refresher training on the requirements listed above annually (i.e. refresher training completed every twelve (12) months), or more regularly if required.</p><p>The Home Office does not intend to publish data on the number of staff employed by accommodation providers, who will be expected to undertake training. However, provider performance and service delivery is discussed on a weekly basis. There are formal performance meetings each month, plus strategic boards with senior provider management, once a quarter.</p><p>The Home Office discusses performance of the contracts and service improvements with Local Authorities who participate in asylum dispersal. Durham is the only Local Authority in the North East of England who do not accommodate supported asylum seekers. We would encourage all Local Authorities to play their part and hope Durham will join their neighbours in doing so.</p> answering member printed Lord Greenhalgh question first answered 08/04/2021 15:42:42 answering member 4877 label Biography information for Lord Greenhalgh
	tabling member	4312 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Durham

1305872

	registered interest
	date	24/03/2021
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what procedures they have established to (1) monitor, and (2) evaluate, contracts with asylum accommodation providers.
	tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Durham
	uin	HL14572
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2021 answer text <p>We expect the highest standards from our providers, who are expected to conduct regular checks across the accommodation estate. The Home Office have access to providers’ systems to monitor compliance.</p><p>The Asylum Accommodation and Support Services contracts (AASC) have a robust performance management system, against which providers are expected to deliver. Where performance falls short of the required standard, failures are recorded and can result in the award of points and, ultimately, service credits being applied. Providers’ performance is monitored closely by dedicated staff in each contract area, who are in daily contact with them.</p><p>This is supplemented by a formal governance process which includes quarterly Strategic Review Management Boards and monthly Contract Management Groups. Service credits and subsequent improvement plans are discussed and monitored as part of this process.</p><p>Contract management is operated in line with Covid-19 guidance. Service Delivery Managers speak daily with providers about service delivery and performance. ​In response to the global pandemic, officials also have formal meetings on a weekly basis to ensure individuals are housed safely, services are delivered in line with their contractual obligations and adherence to guidance from Public Health England (PHE) is followed. ​</p><p>Asylum seekers can also raise specific issues or concerns about their accommodation through the 24/7 Advice, Issue Reporting and Eligibility (AIRE) service operated by Migrant Help. The Home Office and our providers receive feedback on complaints raised through our regular dialogue with Migrant Help, which enables attention to be focussed on particular areas of concern.</p> answering member printed Lord Greenhalgh question first answered 08/04/2021 15:44:51 answering member 4877 label Biography information for Lord Greenhalgh
	tabling member	4312 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Durham

1307535

	registered interest
	date	12/04/2021
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many asylum seekers they have asked (1) Mears, (2) Serco, and (3) Clearsprings Ready Homes, to provide accommodation for as part of Operation Oak.
	tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Durham
	uin	HL14716
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2021 answer text <p>We currently have c8100 people in hotels, with our providers working to procure sufficient accommodation across the UK to exit contingency accommodation and maintain a business as usual operation thereafter.</p><p>We require providers to work at pace but have directed them to only procure accommodation which is safe and secure for asylum seekers and the communities in which they live.</p><p>We remain committed to working in partnership with local authorities, through the use the Strategic Migration Partnerships to ensure the views of local authorities are included when forward planning.</p> answering member printed Lord Greenhalgh question first answered 26/04/2021 16:32:04 answering member 4877 label Biography information for Lord Greenhalgh
	tabling member	4312 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Durham

1307536

	registered interest
	date	12/04/2021
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there is a maximum recommended length of stay for asylum seekers in contingency accommodation before they are offered more suitable long-term accommodation.
	tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Durham
	uin	HL14717
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2021 answer text <p>There is no maximum recommended length of stay for asylum seekers in contingency accommodation.</p><p>The global pandemic and the pause on the cessation of support has meant that the supported population has grown and in order to ensure the health of both asylum seekers and the community in which they live the Home Office has had to use contingency accommodation to avoid destitution.</p><p>We would encourage Local Authorities who do not currently house supported asylum seekers, such as Durham, to participate in the asylum dispersal scheme so that we can minimise the length of stay in contingency accommodation</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 26/04/2021 16:07:59 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	4312 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Durham