Due to the unprecedented demand to accommodate asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute, we have had to use temporary accommodation such as hotels and other large-scale sites to manage demands on the asylum estate. We are committed to working with local authorities to move to a fairer distribution of asylum seekers and bring an end to the use of hotels as contingency accommodation.<\/p>
The Home Office has therefore announced all local authority areas in England, Scotland and Wales will be expected to participate in a new system of full dispersal to allow us to move away from hotels to less expensive and more suitable accommodation. We have also announced funding of approximately £3,500 per bedspace procured in this financial year to recognise the pressures of accommodating asylum seekers on Local Authority areas.<\/p>
The Beaconside has been identified as a potential new site for Initial Accommodation as the current site in the West Midlands is due to close shortly. Our accommodation provider, Serco, are proceeding with the consultation on planning and once this is concluded we will convene a Multi-Agency Forum to discuss operations on site. The Multi-Agency forum will be made up of Home Office officials, along with the accommodation provider and representatives from Stafford County Council, the police service, NHS, and Public Health along with others from the voluntary sector. These meetings are an opportunity for all members to discuss any ongoing issues and to share best practice.<\/p>
Ministers have also met with the Hon Member for Stafford who has expressed her concerns about and opposition to the proposal.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4451", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kevin Foster"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Torbay"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kevin Foster"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-06-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "previousAnswerVersion" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1470822/answer/previousversion/8231", "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4451", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kevin Foster"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Torbay"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kevin Foster"} } , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-06-27T11:36:13.513Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-06-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Asylum: Stafford"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will reconsider the Government's proposal to relocate approximately 500 single male asylum seekers to Beaconside in Stafford.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4819", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Theo Clarke"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stafford"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Theo Clarke"} ], "uin" : "19020"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1039069", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1039069/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The government provides funding to local authorities as a contribution to-wards the costs incurred in supporting unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) and young care leavers who were UASC.<\/p>
For unaccompanied children arriving from 1 July 2016, local authorities can claim £114 per day for those children aged under 16 and £91 per day for those children aged 16 or 17. The overall value of each claim is dependent on the number of agreed days that children are supported by the local authority. More information on the funding available to local authorities supporting UASC and former UASC care leavers can be found in the funding instructions published at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/unaccompanied-asylum-seeking-children-uasc-grant-instructions<\/a><\/p> The Home Office directly provides adult asylum seekers and their dependants who would otherwise be destitute with free furnished accommodation (rent and utility free) and a weekly cash allowance to cover their other essential living needs.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4048", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Caroline Nokes"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Romsey and Southampton North"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Caroline Nokes"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-01-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-01-17T17:10:24.533Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-01-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Asylum: Staffordshire"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what financial support the Government has allocated to Staffordshire County Council in support of caring for unaccompanied (a) adult and (b) children asylum seekers in each of the last five years.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4109", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jeremy Lefroy"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stafford"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Jeremy Lefroy"}
], "uin" : "207253"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/780581", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/780581/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Government sought views on proposals for new fees for firearms licences issued by the Home Office and the Scottish Government in a public consultation, which ran from 12 January to 9 March. A Government response will be published in due course.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1561", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Nick Hurd"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Nick Hurd"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-11-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-11-03T10:03:42.23Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2017-10-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Firearms: Licensing"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department will publish its response to the firearms licensing fees public consultation.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4109", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jeremy Lefroy"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stafford"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Jeremy Lefroy"}
], "uin" : "110299"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/769734", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/769734/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " UKVisas and Immigration continually reviews its global visa operation to improve performance, incorporating customer and partner feedback to ensure value for money while maintaining excellent customer service.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4009", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Great Yarmouth"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Brandon Lewis"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-10-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-10-18T11:35:41.643Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2017-10-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Visas: Africa"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps is she taking to ensure that bona fide business and personal visitors from African countries to the UK receive an efficient and courteous visa service.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4109", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jeremy Lefroy"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stafford"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Jeremy Lefroy"}
], "uin" : "107377"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/756820", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/756820/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Police recorded crime figures for Stafford Community Safety Partnership (CSP) between 2011/12 and 2016/17 are published by the Home Office.<\/p> <\/p> Number of crimes recorded by the police, Stafford CSP, 2011/12 to 2016/17. Taken from \u2018Police recorded crime open data Community Safety Partnership tables from year ending March 2012 onwards\u2019, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tables<\/a><\/em><\/p>