Natalie McGarry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Natalie McGarry on 2016-07-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will take steps to investigate reports that asylum seekers have been mistreated and housed in substandard accommodation in Glasgow.

James Brokenshire

The Home Office contract compliance teams regularly check supplier performance, including investigating complaints and incident reporting.

We have worked closely with our COMPASS Providers, including Serco, to improve property standards and over the lifetime of the contract, quality standards have increased.

Where a contractor is found to be falling short of these standards, we work with them to ensure issues are quickly addressed. When they are not we can and do impose sanctions.

Where there are allegations of asylum seekers being mistreated or their accommodation being substandard, I would encourage anyone to notify the Home Office so we can investigate and resolve any issues.