Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what Key Performance Indicators are commonly applied across asylum contracts.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

KPI schedules and performance measures are set out in the contracts which are available on Contracts Finder and can be found in the links below:

Wales - AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Wales - Contracts Finder

South - AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract South - Contracts Finder

NW - AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NW - Contracts Finder

MEE - AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract MEE - Contracts Finder

NEYH - AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NEYH - Contracts Finder

Scotland - AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Scotland - Contracts Finder

NI - AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NI - Contracts Finder

CTM - CCTM22A01 Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services Contract - Contracts Finder

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to contract “Support Payment Card”, procurement reference 429018/1483183, how many staff delivering services are subject to Security Clearance (SC); and what the average cost of clearance is per staff member.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office does not incur costs for Security Clearance (SC) under the Support Payment Card contract, as these are not charged through the contract, and we therefore do not hold data on the average cost per staff member.

The number of staff subject to SC is also not held by the department, as staffing levels and clearance requirements sit with the provider, who is responsible for ensuring that the appropriate number of suitably cleared personnel are in place to deliver the services in accordance with contractual requirements.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to contract “Support Payment Card”, procurement reference 429018/1483183, how many replacement cards were received; and what was the total cost to the public purse of the replacement.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The requested information is commercially sensitive.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the total value of all active asylum-related contracts currently held by her Department is, broken down by supplier and contract type.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The contract values for asylum contracts are available in the public domain and can be viewed at:

Serco  -

AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NW - Contracts Finder

AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract MEE - Contracts Finder

Mears  -

AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NEYH - Contracts Finder

AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Scotland - Contracts Finder

AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NI - Contracts Finder

CRH  -

AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Wales - Contracts Finder

AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract South - Contracts Finder

CTM  -

CCTM22A01 Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services Contract - Contracts Finder

Contract for the Provision of Asylum Accommodation and Travel Services - Contracts Finder

PFS  -Support Payment Card - Contracts Finder

Migrant Help  - AIRE - Advice Issue Reporting and Elligibility - Contracts Finder

Mitie Limited - Provision of Security Services at Home Office Contingency Accommodation - Contracts Finder

British Refugee Council - Independent Unaccompanied Asylum-seeking Children (UASCs) Support Service - Contracts Finder

The Big Word Group Limited - Contract for the provision of Language Analysis Services - Contracts Finder

VF Services (UK) Limited - Contract for the provision of Home Office and Asylum Interviews - Contracts Finder

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, With reference to contract “Support Payment Card”, procurement reference 429018/1483183, whether alternative delivery models were considered prior to awarding the contract, including in-house provision.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Alternative delivery models, including in-house provision, were considered.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contract, Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services, procurement reference CCTM22A01, if she will publish the minutes of all Monthly Operational Review meetings.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The information requested is considered confidential and commercially sensitive and is therefore not publicly released.

The Home Office operates a rigorous contract management regime, which includes monthly Contract Management Group meetings and Quarterly Commercial Review Meetings to discuss contract management issues and oversee performance. Two Quarterly Commercial Review Meetings have been held.

The minutes of the monthly and quarterly performance meetings and other review meetings are treated as commercially sensitive and are not publicly released.

The Home Office also conducts regular reviews of its contracts to ensure that they deliver maximum value for money, but the minutes, notes, and outcomes of this work are commercially sensitive and not made publicly available.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contract “Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services”, procurement reference CCTM22A01, if she will publish the minutes of the Quarterly Commercial Review meetings.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The information requested is considered confidential and commercially sensitive and is therefore not publicly released.

The Home Office operates a rigorous contract management regime, which includes monthly Contract Management Group meetings and Quarterly Commercial Review Meetings to discuss contract management issues and oversee performance. Two Quarterly Commercial Review Meetings have been held.

The minutes of the monthly and quarterly performance meetings and other review meetings are treated as commercially sensitive and are not publicly released.

The Home Office also conducts regular reviews of its contracts to ensure that they deliver maximum value for money, but the minutes, notes, and outcomes of this work are commercially sensitive and not made publicly available.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contract, Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services, procurement reference CCTM22A01, if she will publish the minutes of the Benchmark Review.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The information requested is considered confidential and commercially sensitive and is therefore not publicly released.

The Home Office operates a rigorous contract management regime, which includes monthly Contract Management Group meetings and Quarterly Commercial Review Meetings to discuss contract management issues and oversee performance. Two Quarterly Commercial Review Meetings have been held.

The minutes of the monthly and quarterly performance meetings and other review meetings are treated as commercially sensitive and are not publicly released.

The Home Office also conducts regular reviews of its contracts to ensure that they deliver maximum value for money, but the minutes, notes, and outcomes of this work are commercially sensitive and not made publicly available.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contract Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services, procurement reference CCTM22A01, if he will publish all performance reports.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The information requested is considered confidential and commercially sensitive and is therefore not publicly released.

The Home Office operates a rigorous contract management regime, which includes monthly Contract Management Group meetings and Quarterly Commercial Review Meetings to discuss contract management issues and oversee performance. Two Quarterly Commercial Review Meetings have been held.

The minutes of the monthly and quarterly performance meetings and other review meetings are treated as commercially sensitive and are not publicly released.

The Home Office also conducts regular reviews of its contracts to ensure that they deliver maximum value for money, but the minutes, notes, and outcomes of this work are commercially sensitive and not made publicly available.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contract, Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services, procurement reference CCTM22A01, how many Quarterly Commercial Review Meetings have taken place.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The information requested is considered confidential and commercially sensitive and is therefore not publicly released.

The Home Office operates a rigorous contract management regime, which includes monthly Contract Management Group meetings and Quarterly Commercial Review Meetings to discuss contract management issues and oversee performance. Two Quarterly Commercial Review Meetings have been held.

The minutes of the monthly and quarterly performance meetings and other review meetings are treated as commercially sensitive and are not publicly released.

The Home Office also conducts regular reviews of its contracts to ensure that they deliver maximum value for money, but the minutes, notes, and outcomes of this work are commercially sensitive and not made publicly available.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to contract “Support Payment Card”, procurement reference 429018/1483183, what controls exist to prevent (a) unnecessary and (b) duplicate payments being issued.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office has robust controls in place to ensure Support Payment Card transactions are accurate and appropriate, including system led instructions that issue the correct support level, active monitoring of ongoing eligibility, and prompt discontinuation of payments when an asylum seeker is no longer entitled.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to contract “Support Payment Card”, procurement reference 429018/1483183, which officials and Ministers approved the final award decision, and on what dates.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The final award followed all internal approval processes, including appropriate governance committees. Ministerial approval was not required due to the value of the contract award.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contract Support Payment Card, procurement reference 429018/148318, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of commercial confidentiality under that contract on provision of information to Parliament that helps facilitate scrutiny of value for money.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Support Payment Card contract was awarded to Prepaid Financial Services Limited (PFS) on 24 May 2020 as a Call-Off to Lot 2 (Prepaid Cards) of the RM 3828 Crown Commercial Services Framework Contract for the provision of the Support Payment Card Service.

PFS successfully secured a place on Lot 2 of the Framework Agreement along with four other suppliers. The Home Office determined which supplier could deliver the best value for money solution to the Home Office’s requirement. The evaluation considered both quality and price. Therefore, at the time of contract award, PFS’ solution offered the best value for money.

As these services were compliantly procured, and we undertake regular reviews of Supplier performance and assessments of financial and commercial data via established governance forums, value for money is scrutinised on an ongoing basis.

The risks of disclosing information that is considered confidential and commercially sensitive outweigh the benefits of disclosure. Release would impact on the Home Office’s ability to obtain maximum value for money for taxpayers. Disclosure of PFS’ commercially sensitive information could also impact upon their ability to compete for future services of this nature.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to contract “Support Payment Card”, procurement reference 429018/1483183, what the administrative cost is for each card, excluding the value of payments loaded onto cards.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Information on the allowances provided to asylum seeking cohorts is publicly available: Asylum support: What you'll get - GOV.UK

Administrative costs related to the provision of payment cards are commercially sensitive and not for publication.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to contract “Support Payment Card”, procurement reference 429018/1483183, why parts of the documentation relating to the contract are marked official sensitive; and what criteria are used to determine redactions.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Information considered commercially sensitive, containing personal information or other sensitive topics or information is not routinely published and is therefore redacted by the Home Office.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contract, Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services, procurement reference CCTM22A01, what the annual cost is of the requirement that transport requests will be taken at short notice, all day every day.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Prior to receiving internal, Home Office Commercial approvals, to award this contract supplier performance was reviewed and due diligence was carried out. Necessary external approvals from Cabinet Office Spend Controls were also obtained prior to the contract award. The guidance for Cabinet Office Spend Controls applies to commercial activities costing £20 million or more, and is published on gov.uk at: Commercial spend controls (version 7) - GOV.UK.

The final contract signature was completed on 24 March 2023.

All Home Office contracts are procured in line with public sector procurement regulations. As part of these regulations, robust checks are carried out on suppliers’ ability to deliver the contract in question and, in certain circumstances, it may be necessary to exclude bidders in line with relevant regulations.

CCTM22A01 Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services Contract was a direct award under the CCS Travel and Venue Solutions Framework Agreement (RM6217) – Lot 2. CTM were the sole supplier within Lot 2.

Financial information cannot be provided in the granular detail requested.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contract, Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services, procurement reference CCTM22A01, what expenditure has been incurred on the booking of transport services for those who wish to travel beyond the local area.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Prior to receiving internal, Home Office Commercial approvals, to award this contract supplier performance was reviewed and due diligence was carried out. Necessary external approvals from Cabinet Office Spend Controls were also obtained prior to the contract award. The guidance for Cabinet Office Spend Controls applies to commercial activities costing £20 million or more, and is published on gov.uk at: Commercial spend controls (version 7) - GOV.UK.

The final contract signature was completed on 24 March 2023.

All Home Office contracts are procured in line with public sector procurement regulations. As part of these regulations, robust checks are carried out on suppliers’ ability to deliver the contract in question and, in certain circumstances, it may be necessary to exclude bidders in line with relevant regulations.

CCTM22A01 Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services Contract was a direct award under the CCS Travel and Venue Solutions Framework Agreement (RM6217) – Lot 2. CTM were the sole supplier within Lot 2.

Financial information cannot be provided in the granular detail requested.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contract, Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services, procurement reference CCTM22A01, what was the total number of contracts between the Department and Corporate Travel Management (North) Limited in the last ten years.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Prior to receiving internal, Home Office Commercial approvals, to award this contract supplier performance was reviewed and due diligence was carried out. Necessary external approvals from Cabinet Office Spend Controls were also obtained prior to the contract award. The guidance for Cabinet Office Spend Controls applies to commercial activities costing £20 million or more, and is published on gov.uk at: Commercial spend controls (version 7) - GOV.UK.

The final contract signature was completed on 24 March 2023.

All Home Office contracts are procured in line with public sector procurement regulations. As part of these regulations, robust checks are carried out on suppliers’ ability to deliver the contract in question and, in certain circumstances, it may be necessary to exclude bidders in line with relevant regulations.

CCTM22A01 Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services Contract was a direct award under the CCS Travel and Venue Solutions Framework Agreement (RM6217) – Lot 2. CTM were the sole supplier within Lot 2.

Financial information cannot be provided in the granular detail requested.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contract, Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services, procurement reference CCTM22A01, what the cost is of providing adequate transport links to enable service users to access the local area.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Prior to receiving internal, Home Office Commercial approvals, to award this contract supplier performance was reviewed and due diligence was carried out. Necessary external approvals from Cabinet Office Spend Controls were also obtained prior to the contract award. The guidance for Cabinet Office Spend Controls applies to commercial activities costing £20 million or more, and is published on gov.uk at: Commercial spend controls (version 7) - GOV.UK.

The final contract signature was completed on 24 March 2023.

All Home Office contracts are procured in line with public sector procurement regulations. As part of these regulations, robust checks are carried out on suppliers’ ability to deliver the contract in question and, in certain circumstances, it may be necessary to exclude bidders in line with relevant regulations.

CCTM22A01 Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services Contract was a direct award under the CCS Travel and Venue Solutions Framework Agreement (RM6217) – Lot 2. CTM were the sole supplier within Lot 2.

Financial information cannot be provided in the granular detail requested.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contract entitled Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services with procurement reference CCTM22A01, what the annual cost is of the requirement that service users are taken to and returned from medical appointments.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Prior to receiving internal, Home Office Commercial approvals, to award this contract supplier performance was reviewed and due diligence was carried out. Necessary external approvals from Cabinet Office Spend Controls were also obtained prior to the contract award. The guidance for Cabinet Office Spend Controls applies to commercial activities costing £20 million or more, and is published on gov.uk at: Commercial spend controls (version 7) - GOV.UK.

The final contract signature was completed on 24 March 2023.

All Home Office contracts are procured in line with public sector procurement regulations. As part of these regulations, robust checks are carried out on suppliers’ ability to deliver the contract in question and, in certain circumstances, it may be necessary to exclude bidders in line with relevant regulations.

CCTM22A01 Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services Contract was a direct award under the CCS Travel and Venue Solutions Framework Agreement (RM6217) – Lot 2. CTM were the sole supplier within Lot 2.

Financial information cannot be provided in the granular detail requested.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contract, Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services, procurement reference CCTM22A01, what the cost is of providing assistance to service users to make contact with a local GP surgery and dentist.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Prior to receiving internal, Home Office Commercial approvals, to award this contract supplier performance was reviewed and due diligence was carried out. Necessary external approvals from Cabinet Office Spend Controls were also obtained prior to the contract award. The guidance for Cabinet Office Spend Controls applies to commercial activities costing £20 million or more, and is published on gov.uk at: Commercial spend controls (version 7) - GOV.UK.

The final contract signature was completed on 24 March 2023.

All Home Office contracts are procured in line with public sector procurement regulations. As part of these regulations, robust checks are carried out on suppliers’ ability to deliver the contract in question and, in certain circumstances, it may be necessary to exclude bidders in line with relevant regulations.

CCTM22A01 Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services Contract was a direct award under the CCS Travel and Venue Solutions Framework Agreement (RM6217) – Lot 2. CTM were the sole supplier within Lot 2.

Financial information cannot be provided in the granular detail requested.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contract, Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services, procurement reference CCTM22A01, what the annual cost is of the house-keeping laundry service with a maximum 48-hour turnaround.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Prior to receiving internal, Home Office Commercial approvals, to award this contract supplier performance was reviewed and due diligence was carried out. Necessary external approvals from Cabinet Office Spend Controls were also obtained prior to the contract award. The guidance for Cabinet Office Spend Controls applies to commercial activities costing £20 million or more, and is published on gov.uk at: Commercial spend controls (version 7) - GOV.UK.

The final contract signature was completed on 24 March 2023.

All Home Office contracts are procured in line with public sector procurement regulations. As part of these regulations, robust checks are carried out on suppliers’ ability to deliver the contract in question and, in certain circumstances, it may be necessary to exclude bidders in line with relevant regulations.

CCTM22A01 Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services Contract was a direct award under the CCS Travel and Venue Solutions Framework Agreement (RM6217) – Lot 2. CTM were the sole supplier within Lot 2.

Financial information cannot be provided in the granular detail requested.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contract, Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services, procurement reference CCTM22A01, what the annual cost is of delivering a programme of organised recreational activities.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Prior to receiving internal, Home Office Commercial approvals, to award this contract supplier performance was reviewed and due diligence was carried out. Necessary external approvals from Cabinet Office Spend Controls were also obtained prior to the contract award. The guidance for Cabinet Office Spend Controls applies to commercial activities costing £20 million or more, and is published on gov.uk at: Commercial spend controls (version 7) - GOV.UK.

The final contract signature was completed on 24 March 2023.

All Home Office contracts are procured in line with public sector procurement regulations. As part of these regulations, robust checks are carried out on suppliers’ ability to deliver the contract in question and, in certain circumstances, it may be necessary to exclude bidders in line with relevant regulations.

CCTM22A01 Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services Contract was a direct award under the CCS Travel and Venue Solutions Framework Agreement (RM6217) – Lot 2. CTM were the sole supplier within Lot 2.

Financial information cannot be provided in the granular detail requested.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contract, Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services, procurement reference CCTM22A01, what cost is incurred by the requirement that where a service user arrives late and misses the evening meal, a light snack must be provided.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Prior to receiving internal, Home Office Commercial approvals, to award this contract supplier performance was reviewed and due diligence was carried out. Necessary external approvals from Cabinet Office Spend Controls were also obtained prior to the contract award. The guidance for Cabinet Office Spend Controls applies to commercial activities costing £20 million or more, and is published on gov.uk at: Commercial spend controls (version 7) - GOV.UK.

The final contract signature was completed on 24 March 2023.

All Home Office contracts are procured in line with public sector procurement regulations. As part of these regulations, robust checks are carried out on suppliers’ ability to deliver the contract in question and, in certain circumstances, it may be necessary to exclude bidders in line with relevant regulations.

CCTM22A01 Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services Contract was a direct award under the CCS Travel and Venue Solutions Framework Agreement (RM6217) – Lot 2. CTM were the sole supplier within Lot 2.

Financial information cannot be provided in the granular detail requested.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contract, Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services, procurement reference CCTM22A01, what the annual cost is of the cleaning programme delivered to the standards set by the British Institute of Cleaning Science required under the contract.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Prior to receiving internal, Home Office Commercial approvals, to award this contract supplier performance was reviewed and due diligence was carried out. Necessary external approvals from Cabinet Office Spend Controls were also obtained prior to the contract award. The guidance for Cabinet Office Spend Controls applies to commercial activities costing £20 million or more, and is published on gov.uk at: Commercial spend controls (version 7) - GOV.UK.

The final contract signature was completed on 24 March 2023.

All Home Office contracts are procured in line with public sector procurement regulations. As part of these regulations, robust checks are carried out on suppliers’ ability to deliver the contract in question and, in certain circumstances, it may be necessary to exclude bidders in line with relevant regulations.

CCTM22A01 Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services Contract was a direct award under the CCS Travel and Venue Solutions Framework Agreement (RM6217) – Lot 2. CTM were the sole supplier within Lot 2.

Financial information cannot be provided in the granular detail requested.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contract, Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services, procurement reference CCTM22A01, what the per-person daily cost is of providing a varied daily menu, taking into account all religious needs as specified.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Prior to receiving internal, Home Office Commercial approvals, to award this contract supplier performance was reviewed and due diligence was carried out. Necessary external approvals from Cabinet Office Spend Controls were also obtained prior to the contract award. The guidance for Cabinet Office Spend Controls applies to commercial activities costing £20 million or more, and is published on gov.uk at: Commercial spend controls (version 7) - GOV.UK.

The final contract signature was completed on 24 March 2023.

All Home Office contracts are procured in line with public sector procurement regulations. As part of these regulations, robust checks are carried out on suppliers’ ability to deliver the contract in question and, in certain circumstances, it may be necessary to exclude bidders in line with relevant regulations.

CCTM22A01 Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services Contract was a direct award under the CCS Travel and Venue Solutions Framework Agreement (RM6217) – Lot 2. CTM were the sole supplier within Lot 2.

Financial information cannot be provided in the granular detail requested.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contract, Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services, procurement reference CCTM22A01, what the cost per service user is of the requirement that cabins are cleaned on a twice weekly basis.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Prior to receiving internal, Home Office Commercial approvals, to award this contract supplier performance was reviewed and due diligence was carried out. Necessary external approvals from Cabinet Office Spend Controls were also obtained prior to the contract award. The guidance for Cabinet Office Spend Controls applies to commercial activities costing £20 million or more, and is published on gov.uk at: Commercial spend controls (version 7) - GOV.UK.

The final contract signature was completed on 24 March 2023.

All Home Office contracts are procured in line with public sector procurement regulations. As part of these regulations, robust checks are carried out on suppliers’ ability to deliver the contract in question and, in certain circumstances, it may be necessary to exclude bidders in line with relevant regulations.

CCTM22A01 Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services Contract was a direct award under the CCS Travel and Venue Solutions Framework Agreement (RM6217) – Lot 2. CTM were the sole supplier within Lot 2.

Financial information cannot be provided in the granular detail requested.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contract, Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services, procurement reference CCTM22A01, what due diligence was undertaken on Corporate Travel Management (North) Limited, including financial capacity, relevant experience, and subcontracting arrangements, prior to contract award.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Prior to receiving internal, Home Office Commercial approvals, to award this contract supplier performance was reviewed and due diligence was carried out. Necessary external approvals from Cabinet Office Spend Controls were also obtained prior to the contract award. The guidance for Cabinet Office Spend Controls applies to commercial activities costing £20 million or more, and is published on gov.uk at: Commercial spend controls (version 7) - GOV.UK.

The final contract signature was completed on 24 March 2023.

All Home Office contracts are procured in line with public sector procurement regulations. As part of these regulations, robust checks are carried out on suppliers’ ability to deliver the contract in question and, in certain circumstances, it may be necessary to exclude bidders in line with relevant regulations.

CCTM22A01 Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services Contract was a direct award under the CCS Travel and Venue Solutions Framework Agreement (RM6217) – Lot 2. CTM were the sole supplier within Lot 2.

Financial information cannot be provided in the granular detail requested.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contract, Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services, procurement reference CCTM22A01, on what date Corporate Travel Management (North) Limited was notified that it had been awarded the contract, and which Minister approved the award.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Prior to receiving internal, Home Office Commercial approvals, to award this contract supplier performance was reviewed and due diligence was carried out. Necessary external approvals from Cabinet Office Spend Controls were also obtained prior to the contract award. The guidance for Cabinet Office Spend Controls applies to commercial activities costing £20 million or more, and is published on gov.uk at: Commercial spend controls (version 7) - GOV.UK.

The final contract signature was completed on 24 March 2023.

All Home Office contracts are procured in line with public sector procurement regulations. As part of these regulations, robust checks are carried out on suppliers’ ability to deliver the contract in question and, in certain circumstances, it may be necessary to exclude bidders in line with relevant regulations.

CCTM22A01 Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services Contract was a direct award under the CCS Travel and Venue Solutions Framework Agreement (RM6217) – Lot 2. CTM were the sole supplier within Lot 2.

Financial information cannot be provided in the granular detail requested.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contract, Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services, procurement reference CCTM22A01, what procurement route was used to award the contract; and whether it was subject to open competition, emergency procurement, or direct award.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Prior to receiving internal, Home Office Commercial approvals, to award this contract supplier performance was reviewed and due diligence was carried out. Necessary external approvals from Cabinet Office Spend Controls were also obtained prior to the contract award. The guidance for Cabinet Office Spend Controls applies to commercial activities costing £20 million or more, and is published on gov.uk at: Commercial spend controls (version 7) - GOV.UK.

The final contract signature was completed on 24 March 2023.

All Home Office contracts are procured in line with public sector procurement regulations. As part of these regulations, robust checks are carried out on suppliers’ ability to deliver the contract in question and, in certain circumstances, it may be necessary to exclude bidders in line with relevant regulations.

CCTM22A01 Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services Contract was a direct award under the CCS Travel and Venue Solutions Framework Agreement (RM6217) – Lot 2. CTM were the sole supplier within Lot 2.

Financial information cannot be provided in the granular detail requested.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many civil servants employed by their Department work in roles primarily focused on (a) transgender policy, (b) diversity, (c) equity and (d) inclusion; and at what annual salary cost.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Dedicated EDI staff help DWP comply with equality legislation, making sure that vulnerable customers are supported. Proactive EDI initiatives can help prevent issues related to discrimination or exclusion, reducing grievances and costly disputes.

As of December 2025, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) employed 84,373.2 paid full-time equivalent (FTE) staff. There are no roles within the Department that are primarily focused on transgender policy.

Roles considered to be primarily focused on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) are as follows:

• 1 x Grade 6 – 0.86 FTE

• 8 x Grade 7 – 8 FTE
• 6 x Senior Executive Officers (SEO) – 5.3 FTE

This constitutes a total of 14.16 FTE staff, which represents approximately 0.02% of the Department’s total Paid FTE workforce as being EDI focused.

The annual expenditure associated with the salaries for staff whose roles are primarily focused on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (based on People & Capability Annual Average Salary and including employer pension and NI contributions) amounts to approximately £1,121,565.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many nights were spent in hotels by Departmental staff in financial year 2024-25 by the star rating of the hotel.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

All business/duty hotel accommodation booked by Ministry of Defence (MOD) staff must be made using the Global Business Travel (GBT) online booking tool. The GBT tool does not record the star rating of hotels, but MOD policy stipulates that bookings must align with the Department’s Hotel Capitation Rates.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many nights were spent in hotels by Departmental staff in financial year 2024-25 by the star rating of the hotel.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

For the financial year 2024-25, 21,691 hotel nights were booked through the Department's travel booking platform.

The department’s reports do not contain the star rating of the hotels booked, therefore cannot provide an answer.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many nights were spent in hotels by Departmental staff in financial year 2024-25 by the star rating of the hotel.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero does not hold this information centrally. The information can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many people who married members of the so-called Islamic State have been repatriated to the UK from Syria.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 6 February 2025 in response to Question 27530.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the value, annual spend to date and forecast annual spend are for the contract entitled Support Payment Card held with Prepaid Financial Services Limited with contract start date 27 February 2021; and what the per-transaction and per-card cost structure is.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The total contract value is publicly available at: Support Payment Card - Contracts Finder

Information on spend to date, forecast spending and the per-transaction and per-card cost structure is commercially sensitive.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the role of Ministers is in approving or reviewing the award of high-value asylum contracts.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Prior to receiving internal, Home Office Commercial approvals, to award these contracts, supplier performance was reviewed and due diligence was carried out. Necessary external approvals from Cabinet Office Spend Controls were also obtained. The guidance for Cabinet Office Spend Controls applies to commercial activities costing £20 million or more, and is available here: Commercial spend controls (version 7) - GOV.UK

Details of the Principles for Ministerial involvement in commercial activity and the contacting process are included here: Principles for Ministerial involvement in commercial activity and the contracting process - GOV.UK

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what checks are undertaken by her Department on bidders’ prior performance on other public sector contracts, including any history of underperformance or contract failure, during the bidding process for contracts with her Department.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

All Home Office contracts are procured in line with public sector procurement regulations. As part of these regulations, robust due diligence checks are carried out on the bidders’ ability to deliver the contract in question and, in certain circumstances, it may be necessary to exclude bidders in line with relevant regulations.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Department will publish a consolidated annual report setting out total asylum contract expenditure, performance outcomes, and value-for-money assessments.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office Annual Report and accounts contain details of asylum spending and information relating to asylum processing and the asylum system. There are no current plans to expand this reported information.

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, how many prosecutions for human trafficking or sexual exploitation offences in each of the last three calendar years involved two or more defendants charged as part of the same case.

Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) holds management information which shows the number of prosecuted defendants flagged with the modern slavery (human trafficking) monitoring flag where 2 or more defendants have been prosecuted on the same case. The data is derived using a manual process as the CPS Case Management Information System does not report this information. As with any manual exercise, the data may be subject to errors in processing and the information is for operational use only.

The table below shows the flagged prosecution data (where 2 or more defendants have been prosecuted on the same cases) for the last three calendar years ending 31^st December 2024.

The CPS define modern slavery as the following – for offences committed prior to 31^st July 2015 ss57-59A Sexual Offences Act 2003, s4 Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants) Act 2004, s71 Coroners and Justice 2009 and for offences committed after the Modern Slavery Act 2015 came into force on the 31^st July 2015, s1, 2 and 4 of the Act. Included in the definition are the inchoate versions of the listed offences.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many nights were spent in hotels by Departmental staff in financial year 2024-25 by the star rating of the hotel.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The information requested is not held by hotel star rating. HM Treasury does not centrally record hotel star ratings. All hotel bookings must represent value for money and comply with Civil Service and departmental travel and subsistence policies.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many civil servants employed by their Department work in roles primarily focused on (a) transgender policy, (b) diversity, (c) equity and (d) inclusion; and at what annual salary cost.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

While the Department employs civil servants whose roles include work on transgender policy, diversity, equality, and inclusion, there are currently no civil servants who work in roles primarily focused on all these areas. As such, the total annual salary cost is £0.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many nights were spent in hotels by Departmental staff in financial year 2024-25 by the star rating of the hotel.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

This information is not held centrally.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many nights were spent in hotels by Departmental staff in financial year 2024-25 by the star rating of the hotel.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department uses a travel management company to book hotel accommodation for staff. The star rating of the hotel is not recorded but the nightly cost of hotel accommodation has maximum cost levels set and are only breached when there is no suitable accommodation available within these limits.

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, how many nights were spent in hotels by Departmental staff in financial year 2024-25 by the star rating of the hotel.

Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

In 2024-25 there were a total of 61 nights spent in hotels by departmental staff where overnight stays were essential for departmental business. These are broken down in the following table.

For the hotels that do not have a star rating, these are classed as budget hotels.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many nights were spent in hotels by Departmental staff in financial year 2024-25 by the star rating of the hotel.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The department has access to records of hotel accommodation used by employees; however, this information is not collected or categorised by hotel star rating. In 2024/25, employees booked 8,367 hotel nights, equivalent to an average 1.06 nights per employee.

The department’s travel and expenses policy ensures value for money by setting clear limits for hotel costs: £160 per night in London and £110 per night elsewhere. Employees are expected to book within these caps through approved channels.

Where accommodation cannot reasonably be secured within these limits, any higher‑cost booking must receive prior approval from a Senior Civil Servant (Deputy Director or above). Such approval is granted only where there is a clearly evidenced business or critical operational need.

Rape gang overseas trafficking

Public inquiry into Epstein links

Found: sincerely, Rebecca Paul MP Member of Parliament for Reigate Rosie Duffield MP Rupert Lowe

Found: Warrington South) Lloyd Hatton (Labour; South Dorset) Chris Kane (Labour; Stirling and Strathallan) Rupert Lowe

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Chair); Mr Clive Betts; Anna Dixon; Rupert Lowe

Found: Warrington South) Lloyd Hatton (Labour; South Dorset) Chris Kane (Labour; Stirling and Strathallan) Rupert Lowe

Found: Q5 Rupert Lowe: I think my question is for Simon Ridley.