Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
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 asylum-related social care costs on (a) council tax levels and (b) core service provision.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is committed to ensuring that funding is targeted effectively at the places and services that need it most. This includes committing to multi-year allocations for each council through the 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement and moving to a more up-to-date assessment of each council’s needs and resources. The final 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement will make available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase compared to 2025-26. The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities.
Local authorities report revenue expenditure and financing through the following data collection, which is publicly available and includes data from each financial year since 2019-20: Local authority revenue expenditure and financing - GOV.UK.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much and what proportion of local authority spending on asylum-related social care was reimbursed by central government in each financial year since 2019-20.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is committed to ensuring that funding is targeted effectively at the places and services that need it most. This includes committing to multi-year allocations for each council through the 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement and moving to a more up-to-date assessment of each council’s needs and resources. The final 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement will make available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase compared to 2025-26. The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities.
Local authorities report revenue expenditure and financing through the following data collection, which is publicly available and includes data from each financial year since 2019-20: Local authority revenue expenditure and financing - GOV.UK.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 28 January 2026 to Questions 107021 on Housing: Asylum, whether the derelict buildings to be converted into asylum accommodation will be (a) residential, (b) commercial, (c) communal and (d) industrial.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Details of the fund are yet to be finalised. Once these details have been finalised, we will communicatethis to the local government sector and Parliament in the usual way.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 28 January 2026 to Question 107021 on Housing: Asylum, how the basic accommodation will differ from council housing; and whether the asylum accommodation will be council owned.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the Rt. Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 103182 on 13 January 2026. Asylum seekers are not eligible for social housing.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 28 January 2026 to Questions 107021 on Housing: Asylum, if he will publish any prospectus and bidding document given to local authorities in relation to the new asylum accommodation programmes and associated pilots.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Details of the MHCLG asylum accommodation programme have not yet been finalised and no prospectus has been provided to local authorities.
The MHCLG fund is distinct from Home Office-led reforms to the asylum estate.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to establish a community liaison group, to be attended by the Home Office and representatives of residents, including local MPs, councillors, Crowborough Shield & other community organisations, in relation to her department’s usage of Crowborough Training Camp as asylum accommodation.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office has been and continues regular engagement with representatives from the local authority, the NHS, the Police, and local partners, via the Multi Agency Forum and its sub-groups. Regular meetings with the office of the local MP, Parish councillors, the Voluntary Community Sector and non-government organisations are commencing.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2026 to Question 111142 on Housing: Asylum, how many local authorities submitted an expression of interest to the new model for asylum accommodation.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has not invited, nor received, expressions of interest from local authorities in relation to a new model for asylum accommodation.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his department plans to publish timetables for the release of funds to local authorities for the delivery of housing for people seeking asylum.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 114248 on 2 March 2026.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the costs to local authorities of providing social care and related services to asylum seekers.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Ministers and officials from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government engage regularly with counterparts in the Home Office on a range of issues, including on matters relating to local government.
The Home Office has overall responsibility for asylum policy, and continues to work closely with local authorities to understand the pressures arising from the provision of asylum seeker services including the impact on wider local authority obligations and plans.
For more information about social care spend on asylum seekers, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 111400 on 5 February 2026.
As has been the case under successive administrations, government does not normally disclose details of internal discussions.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the current Service User Demand Plan target is for dispersed asylum accommodation in Fylde Borough; and how that target was calculated.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Asylum Accommodation Plans offer an evidence-based approach to procurement and delivery of asylum accommodation nationally, in a manner that is fair and equitable. Development of the Plans was informed by feedback provided by local authorities, Strategic Migration Partners (SMPs) the Local Government Association as well as other Government Departments. Furthermore, the plans are underpinned by an indexing model which considers several social factors, including crime rates, levels of homelessness and availability of GPs and Dentists.
Details of the Asylum Accommodation Plans, including the Service User Demand Plans for specific Local Authorities, are not published. However, these details are shared with nominated local authority officials, including at Fylde Borough Council. Progress against the Asylum Accommodation Plans is routinely monitored within regular official forums jointly attended by Local Authority, Home Office, accommodation providers and SMPs colleagues.