Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what discussions he is having with City of York Council on the use of disused care homes for resettlement accommodation under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy and Afghan citizens resettlement scheme.

We are aware that City of York Council looked at bringing disused older persons accommodation in the city back into use as this had been raised with council officers by an elected member. However, given the current state of the accommodation, and the significant cost which would be incurred to make the buildings suitable for family occupation, it was not deemed a feasible suggestion. City of York Council will provide support for families along with Refugee Council and local charities such as RAY (Refugee Action York) and York City of Sanctuary.