Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the suitability and adequacy of conduct of landlords engaged by Serco and its subcontractors to provide accommodation to refugees and asylum seekers under the COMPASS contract.

Mr Robert Goodwill

COMPASS accommodation providers, including Serco, are contractually required to provide safe, habitable, fit for purpose and correctly equipped accommodation to comply with the standards outlined in the relevant housing legislation and the Decent Homes Standard.

The Government expects the highest standards from our contractors and providers are monitored closely to ensure asylum accommodation providers meet these standards. 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.