Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of the asylum accommodation pilot involving the construction of new council housing.

New council housing will not be constructed for use by asylum seekers under any circumstances. Asylum seekers are not eligible for social housing.

MHCLG and HO are investing millions in a new, more sustainable accommodation model, developed in consultation with local authorities. This funding helps deliver better outcomes for communities and taxpayers.

This new funding will complement ongoing Home Office reforms to the asylum accommodation estate, including pilot schemes to repurpose derelict buildings and to develop other community-led alternatives to the use of hotels for housing asylum seekers on a temporary basis. In the longer term, the ambition is that the investment leaves a lasting legacy of housing for local communities and reduces pressure on local housing markets.