HC Deb 18 May 2000 vol 350 cc213-5W
Mr. Fearn

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his Department has compiled a list of postcodes to be avoided in the dispersal of asylum seekers' programmes. [120632]

Mrs. Roche

Asylum seekers who are supported by the National Asylum Support Service will be dispersed to cluster areas around the country. Our intention is to ensure that the cluster areas are suitable for asylum seekers taking into account, inter alia, the views of local authorities. In some cases, local authorities may advise that particular areas may not be suitable for asylum seekers and they may identify such areas by post-code. That information would be taken into consideration in determining whether to accept any accommodation for asylum seekers if offered in that area.

Mr. David Atkinson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the number of asylum seekers placed to date in bed and breakfast accommodation in Bournemouth; whom local authorities are required to notify before placing asylum seekers in such accommodation in other authority areas; and if he will make a statement. [122477]

Mrs. Roche

The information requested is not held centrally. There is no requirement under the voluntary interim scheme for one local authority to notify another before placing asylum seekers in accommodation in another local authority area. However, we have encouraged local authorities doing this to liaise with those authorities into whose areas asylum seekers are being sent.

Mr. Gordon Prentice

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure that the Asylum Support Agency maintains the closest possible contact with local authorities in connection with the asylum seekers dispersal policy; and if he will make a statement. [122748]

Mrs. Roche

We remain in consultation with the Local Government Association (LGA) and the Association of London Government (ALG). We consult local authority consortiums about proposed accommodation providers operating in their area, giving as much information as possible about the likely locations of the accommodation that the private sector providers are likely to offer.

Mr. Boateng

The Prison Service Key Performance Indicators (KPI) results for 1999–2000 are given in the table. Data are provisional and subject to validation by prisons.

We notify the relevant health and education authorities that an asylum seeker (and family if applicable) have been dispersed to their area. On a weekly basis, we notify the relevant local authority consortiums.

Mr. Gordon Prentice

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for each region in England the contracts that have been entered into between the Asylum Support Agency and providers of accommodation. [122751]

Mrs. Roche

As of 15 May, the Home Office had awarded contracts to the following accommodation providers:

  • Ade1phi Hotels Limited, Hove, East Sussex
  • Angel Group Limit, London E1
  • Capital Accommodation (London) Limited, London N8
  • Clearsprings (Management) Limited, Rayleigh, Essex
  • Glasgow City Council (on behalf of the Scottish Regional Consortium of local authorities)
  • The Landmark Liverpool Limited, London W3
  • Roselodge Limited, Wembley, Middlesex
  • Shallan (UK) Limited, London NW3
  • South Yorkshire Housing Association Limited and Yorkshire Community Housing Association (a joint venture), Sheffield
  • YMCA Glasgow.

These providers—although not contractually limited to the areas in which they are operating at present—are currently supplying accommodation in the following cluster areas:

  • Birmingham (Adelphi)
  • Bradford (Angel: Clearsprings)
  • Gateshead (Roselodge)
  • Glasgow (Glasgow City Council; YMCA Glasgow)
  • Leeds (Angel: Clearsprings)
  • Liverpool (Capital: Landmark)
  • Manchester (Adelphi: Capital: Clearsprings)
  • Nelson (Adelphi: Clearsprings)
  • Newcastle (Angel: Roselodge)
  • Sheffield (Roselodge: South Yorkshire Housing Association)
  • Sunderland (Roselodge).

Other cluster areas will be brought on stream as the new support arrangements are rolled out.

Negotiations will also be continuing with a view to concluding further contracts with other providers to ensure that sufficient accommodation continues to be available to meet projected needs. We expect to be in a position to award further contracts shortly.