Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2018 to Question 133797 on Asylum: Housing, what criteria (a) his Department and (b) accommodation providers use to assess the particular circumstances and vulnerability of those in dispersed asylum accommodation.

All asylum Accommodation Providers are contractually required to take account of any particular circumstances and vulnerability of those that they accommodate, including those who have health care issues. In addition Providers must comply with national and local housing regulations including those regarding room sharing. There are strict criteria set out in the contract around when room sharing can take place and who can share a room. Providers must also comply with local regulations including advice from social services and primary and secondary care bodies on whether room sharing is inappropriate for individual cases.

In accordance with our published policy, the Home Office will carefully consider all requests on a case by case basis from asylum seekers who may have particular vulnerabilities, care needs or health problems that necessitate a need for a specific location or specialist accommodation requirements. Further details regarding this policy can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asylum-accommodation-requests-policy