Asked by: Ian Swales (Liberal Democrat - Redcar)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether G4S records (a) telephone calls made to it by asylum seekers who have ended the call as they have not been able to explain that they need an interpreter and (b) all other telephone calls received in connection with its contract to deliver accommodation for asylum seekers.
Answered by James Brokenshire
All providers are required under the COMPASS contracts to provide a minimum level of support to asylum seekers accommodated in their properties, this includes briefing the service user in a language that they understand, on how to contact the provider and the Home Office to make complaints.
G4S does make a record of all telephone calls they receive from asylum applicants accommodated in their property and refers service users to their interpreters where it is clear that an interpreter is required.
Asked by: Ian Swales (Liberal Democrat - Redcar)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to make it possible for asylum seekers to make a complaint without it costing them money to call from their mobile phones.
Answered by James Brokenshire
Complaints regarding the operation of the Asylum system can be made by email or in writing to UK Visas and Immigration.
Information regarding the UK Visas and Immigration complaints procedure and how to contact the Complaints Allocation Hub is available to the public at the following website link:
www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-visas-and-immigration/about/complaints-procedure
Asked by: Ian Swales (Liberal Democrat - Redcar)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to ensure complaints submitted by asylum seekers to G4S sub-contractors have been passed on to G4S by those sub-contractors.
Answered by James Brokenshire
The COMPASS contract lays down requirements for accommodation standards and for the receipt of enquiries and complaints from service users. The providers are contractually required to provide safe, habitable, fit for purpose and correctly equipped accommodation to comply with relevant mandatory and statutory requirements in relation to housing, including the Housing Act 2004 and the Decent Home standards.
G4S provide a 24-hour helpline which provides support, advice and opportunity to raise complaints for service users. In addition, G4S and the Home Office conduct regular accommodation inspections across G4S’ property portfolio which presents the opportunity to ensure appropriate accommodation standards are being met and that service users are getting the right level of service.
Asked by: Ian Swales (Liberal Democrat - Redcar)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that asylum seekers receive face-to-face advice when making or following up a complaint.
Answered by James Brokenshire
Asylum seekers are encouraged to raise any issues they have with the Home Office in person when they attend their reporting office or the asylum screening unit.
Where someone is unhappy with the service provided to them, they are advised to raise this immediately so that the issue can be resolved at the
point where the service was provided. Where someone is not happy with the way their verbal complaint was handled or would like to make a formal complaint they are advised to make a written complaint.
Written complaints are handled by Responder hubs who aim to respond to the complainant within 20 working days following an investigation of their complaint. All complaints are acknowledged and contact information is provided both at the initial stage and at the outcome.
Advice on how to make a complaint is available on the Home Office website at: www.gov.uk/visas-immigration. Leaflets and posters providing this information are displayed in most Home Office premises open to the public.
Asked by: Ian Swales (Liberal Democrat - Redcar)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost of redundancy payments for special advisers in her Department has been since May 2010.
Answered by Karen Bradley
No redundancy payments have been made to special advisers in the Home Office since May 2010.