Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to ensure that standards for preventing overcrowding in houses of multiple occupation under the asylum accommodation contract will be upheld above the legal minimum set by local authorities.

Accommodation providers are required to provide safe, habitable, fit for purpose and correctly equipped accommodation that complies with the Decent Homes Standard in addition to standards outlined in relevant national or local housing legislation.

The use of Houses of Multiple Occupancy is commonplace across a range of sectors, including for supported asylum seekers. The contracts will require Providers to obtain the relevant licences from local authorities and remain compliant with the licensing rules and regulations.