Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what criteria they use to identify hotels that are suitable to accommodate migrants.

The Asylum Accommodation service providers identify suitable hotels and ensure that they conform to the accommodation standards and provision set out in Schedule 2 of the Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts (AASC). The Home Office will then assess the recommendation, undertaking a site visit if needed to ensure the suitability of the site. The Home Office will work with the service provider and the hotel owner to bring the site up to a suitable standard if necessary.

In addition to meeting the necessary standards, other factors in the sourcing of contingency hotels are important to note. The hotel needs to be agreeable to contract and be able to accommodate sole use for the duration of the contract. Many hotels do not wish to enter into a contract and some have offered partial use which we cannot allow.

The latest published Immigration Statistics detail the number of asylum seekers accommodated in each region and local authority area. These statistics can be found at Asylum and resettlement datasets - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Data is published on a quarterly basis, with the latest information published on 24 November, correct to end September.