Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions his Department have had with Serco on recent reports of the eviction of asylum seekers from their allocated properties; and if he will make a statement.

The Home Office currently provides accommodation to asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute, until their asylum claim is fully determined or where they have a practical or legal obstacle that temporarily prevents them leaving the UK.

The individuals who are subject to the proposed lock change notices in Scotland are those who have no right to accommodation, have had their asylum claims determined and, where relevant, upheld by the courts.

Home Office officials are in regular contact with our accommodation providers as part of our day to day management of the accommodation contracts.

In relation to the issuing of lock change notices there have been a number of meetings between senior officials, Serco and relevant stakeholders to address this issue, with a protocol agreed with partners in Glasgow City Council around how such cases are managed.

In addition, following a productive series of meetings over recent weeks my officials and representatives from Serco form part of a Task Force chaired by Glasgow City Council which is committed to reviewing the cases identified by Serco that may no longer be entitled to Home Office support to ensure they are managed appropriately.