Asylum Accommodation

Lord German Excerpts

Tuesday 16th December 2025 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Lord German]

To ask His Majesty’s Government how, in expanding the use of large-scale sites for asylum accommodation, they will ensure that lessons learnt from the operation of Napier Barracks and the RAF Wethersfield sites will be applied to new facilities from the outset.

[Lord German (LD)]

In begging leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper, I draw attention to my interest in that I am supported by the RAMP organisation.

[The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Hanson of Flint) (Lab)]

The Government are confident that the level of due diligence carried out on sites has improved since 2024 and that value-for-money assessments now take place at the appropriate stage. I can assure the noble Lord that lessons have been learned from large site acquisitions that occurred under the previous Government and are now being implemented to inform our future accommodation procurement.

[Lord German (LD)]

I thank the Minister for that Answer. A previous Permanent Secretary to the Home Office told a Select Committee of the House of Commons that there were a thousand lessons to be learned. I am not going to ask the Minister to outline the answers to all those thousand lessons, but can I specifically ask him about the practice of transporting people long distances to Croydon and other places, simply to have video conferencing interviews? It is an absolute waste of money; surely provision could be provided on-site.

[Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab)]

One of the improvements that the Government intend to make is to ensure that interviews take place on-site. That is good for cost, for the people being interviewed and for the taxpayer as a whole.