Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2016-06-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2016 to Question 38918, what discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on asylum seeker dispersal policy in Scotland since December 2015.

David Mundell

I am due to meet the Minister for Immigration soon to discuss a range of issues. Officials from the Scotland Office are in regular contact with officials from the Home Office on a range of issues concerning asylum seekers in Scotland, including asylum seeker dispersal policy.

The Home Office is currently in direct discussions with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and a number of local authorities on how asylum dispersal will continue to work in practice. The Home Office maintains an active partnership with local government across the UK, including those in Scotland, and funds Strategic Migration Partnerships to plan for the most appropriate dispersal of asylum seekers. The partnerships consider the impact on communities and local services so that adjustments to dispersal patterns can be made where appropriate.