Evidence session: Tuesday 13 May, 2.45pm
From 2.45pm:
- Steve Lakey, Managing Director, Clearsprings Ready
Homes
- Claudia Sturt, Prisons and Immigration Director, Serco UK
& Europe, Serco Ltd
The National Audit Office (NAO) has published a report requested by the
Home Affairs Committee into asylum accommodation
contracts
The report has revealed that asylum accommodation contracts,
initially estimated to have a total contract cost of £4.5
billion, is now estimated to cost £15.3 billion over ten years.
In 2024/5, hotel accommodation accounted for 76% of the annual
cost of asylum contracts but housed only 35% of people in asylum
accommodation.
The Home Affairs Committee will question asylum accommodation
providers as part of its inquiry into asylum accommodation on
Tuesday 13 May.
The Committee will question providers, Clearsprings Ready Homes,
Serco and Mears, about their delivery of asylum accommodation.
This will include their performance in meeting changing demand
for accommodation, as well as providing wider support to asylum
seekers. It will also look at their role in delivering Home
Office policy goals such as reducing overall cost and ensuring a
more even geographic spread of asylum accommodation.
The session will also provide an opportunity for the Committee to
question providers on their approach to safeguarding and the duty
of care they have for children and vulnerable people. It will
also examine how the Home Office maintains oversight of
facilities and the levers available to it to take action against
poor performance.
Dame said:
“Dealing with the cost of the asylum accommodation system remains
a huge challenge for the Government. The NAO report reveals that
the cost of these contracts is likely to be over three times what
was envisaged when they were drawn up.
“Next week we'll be speaking to providers to understand their
role in sourcing and managing accommodation for asylum seekers.
We want to see why costs have risen so dramatically, but will
also be looking at the quality of support that is provided, and
will be challenging providers on failures to meet key performance
indicators in recent years.”
