§ Mr. PortilloTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether persons from Sangatte admitted to the UK under special arrangements will be eligible for local authority housing at the end of their period in hotels financed by central Government. [87510]
§ Beverley HughesI have been asked to reply.
Those persons admitted from Sangatte to the United Kingdom under special arrangements are being brought here, not as asylum seekers, but on work visas to contribute and pay taxes. Once they arrive they are being given accommodation while we start the process of training and job matching. We are confident that they will be able to move on to alternative accommodation within three months. In the event of an individual being unable to find their own accommodation they would be eligible to apply for assistance from a local housing authority, but we expect numbers to be small and any burden to be spread across different local authorities.