Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of houses of multiple occupation being used to accommodate illegal migrants on (a) the wider private rented housing sector (b) rental prices, (c) the supply of family homes and (d) the (i) availability and (ii) affordability of housing in areas of high demand.

In accordance with the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, the Home Office has a statutory obligation to provide destitute asylum seekers with accommodation and subsistence support while their applications for asylum are being considered. Accommodation is provided on a no-choice basis.

Asylum seekers whose applications have been rejected are generally not provided with dispersal accommodation.

The Home Office consults with local authorities across the UK before dispersal accommodation, including Houses of Multiple Occupation, is procured, ensuring the impact on communities is understood. When considering how much dispersed accommodation to procure in any given area, a range of factors are considered including the local housing availability as well as social factors such as pressures on GPs.