§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance MASS has issued to providers of accommodation for people seeking asylum on encouraging partnership working and promoting good community relations. [159774]
§ Mrs. RocheAll property providers who enter into contract with the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) are expected to meet the high standards of performance specified in the contract. They must provide a management system to assist the asylum seekers they are accommodating including help with registration with a general practitioner, getting children into school and access to the one stop services set up by the voluntary sector.
§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to monitor the numbers of people seeking asylum housed in each local authority area under the NASS scheme; and if these figures will be made publicly available. [159773]
§ Mrs. RocheNumbers of asylum seekers allocated accommodation by the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) are currently monitored within the regions and each cluster area. These figures are available from Immigration Research and Statistics Service.
Currently there are no plans to monitor numbers of asylum seekers in each local authority area.
§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the(a) private companies and (b) regional consortia that have entered into contracts with NASS to provide housing for people seeking asylum; how many bed spaces each one has provided; how many of those bed spaces are occupied; and how many of those bed spaces have been inspected by NASS inspectors. [159772]
§ Mrs. RocheThe following have contracts with the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) to provide accommodation for asylum seekers:
Private companies Regional consortia Adelphi Hotels Scotland Angel Group Ltd. North East Accommodata Ltd. Yorkshire and Humberside Capital Accommodation Ltd. North West (East Region) Clearsprings West Midlands Roselodge Ltd. Cardiff CC Safe Haven East Midlands The Landmark YMCA Glasgow Leena Corporation I am unable to provide information on the number of bedspaces provided under individual contracts since this information is commercial in confidence.
As at 30 April, 80 per cent. of accommodation provided by the private sector and 4 per cent. of accommodation provided by the public sector had been inspected either by or on behalf of NASS.
624W
§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if NASS will publish an annual report. [159771]
§ Mrs. RocheI refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton North-East (Mr. Crausby) on 15 January 2001,Official Report, column 86W.
§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements are in place for consulting local authorities before people seeking asylum are placed in their areas under the NASS scheme; and under what circumstances authorities would not be consulted. [159789]
§ Mrs. RocheThe identification of suitable cluster areas for the dispersal of asylum seekers and their dependants is based on research conducted centrally by the National Asylum Support Service (NASS). Information is obtained from local authorities and other organisations with an interest in asylum. Before entering into a contract with an accommodation provider NASS consults local authorities through the regional consortia. Local authorities receive weekly information of the numbers of asylum seekers dispersed to their area.