:00:00. > :00:00.proper steps are taken and we do all we can to get to the bottom of this
:00:00. > :00:10.and get justice, as is rightly deserved for Poppi Worthington.
:00:11. > :00:15.Order. Urgent question, Mr @ndy McDonald. Thank you Mr Speaker. Will
:00:16. > :00:20.the Secretary of State for the Home Department make a statement on the
:00:21. > :00:27.revelation today of discrimhnatory treatment of asylum seekers in
:00:28. > :00:31.Middlesbrough? Mr Speaker, H'm grateful to the honourable gentleman
:00:32. > :00:34.for asking this question. And for allowing me the opportunity to set
:00:35. > :00:40.out the government's response to the issues raised in today's Tiles
:00:41. > :00:43.newspaper. From the outset, I want to underline the fact the United
:00:44. > :00:48.Kingdom has a proud history of granting asylum to those who need
:00:49. > :00:54.it. We are committed to providing safe and secure accommodation while
:00:55. > :00:58.asylum cases are considered. The immigration and Asylum act 0999
:00:59. > :01:01.introduced the policy of national dispersal designed to show the
:01:02. > :01:06.impact of asylum seekers across the whole of the UK. Under this
:01:07. > :01:13.arrangement, asylum seekers are housed across the UK, it in
:01:14. > :01:19.arrangements that have been in place since 2000. Under current
:01:20. > :01:22.arrangements, the compass contracts, three companies provide
:01:23. > :01:28.accommodation, transport and related services. In Middlesbrough, they are
:01:29. > :01:33.provided by G4S. As honourable and right honourable member 's would
:01:34. > :01:37.have seen from my response published in The Times newspaper this morning,
:01:38. > :01:43.I am deeply concerned about the issues raised about the painting of
:01:44. > :01:47.doors of asylum seeker accolmodation in a single colour. Anything which
:01:48. > :01:51.identifies asylum seeker accommodation for those who may wish
:01:52. > :01:59.to harm those accommodated hn the properties must be avoided. I've
:02:00. > :02:04.spoken to the Chief Executive officer of G4S this morning, and he
:02:05. > :02:11.has assured me that neither he or their subcontractor in Middlesbrough
:02:12. > :02:15.have a policy that states a property can be identified in this w`y.
:02:16. > :02:20.Although they do accept that they use red paint across their portfolio
:02:21. > :02:25.of properties. I've asked Home Office officials to look into this
:02:26. > :02:29.matter as a matter of urgency and reports to me and the permanent
:02:30. > :02:35.Secretary. G4S have advised those in the area will be repainted so there
:02:36. > :02:41.is no predominant colour. I've asked them also as part of the audit that
:02:42. > :02:47.we have commissioned to enstre the Compass contracts have been
:02:48. > :02:50.implemented in Middlesbrough and consider the Home Office 's
:02:51. > :02:55.arrangements for monitoring contract compliance in this area and more
:02:56. > :03:00.generally. The Home Office works with Compass providers to m`ke sure
:03:01. > :03:02.the impacts of dispersal on local communities and services ard taken
:03:03. > :03:08.into account when allocating accommodation. It's the
:03:09. > :03:11.responsibility of suppliers to ensure all accommodation usdd meets
:03:12. > :03:16.required contractural stand`rds and complies with decent homes standard
:03:17. > :03:21.specifically accommodation tsed is safe, habitable and fit for purpose.
:03:22. > :03:27.Each property used is subject to a housing officer visit every 28 days
:03:28. > :03:33.and Home Office contract colpliance teams inspect a third of properties
:03:34. > :03:36.using intelligence led risk,based approaches to monitor stand`rds and
:03:37. > :03:42.ensure any maintenance faults RX defied within prescribed tilescales.
:03:43. > :03:46.Can I say to the house, I expect the highest standards from our
:03:47. > :03:50.contractors and if we have dvidence of discrimination against asylum
:03:51. > :03:59.seekers, I can be clear to the house it would be dealt with immediately.
:04:00. > :04:04.I am very grateful to the Mhnister of his very thoughtful and
:04:05. > :04:08.considered response to but H do share with the proud record
:04:09. > :04:12.Middlesbrough has in welcomhng people fleeing persecution `nd
:04:13. > :04:14.torture. We are very proud of the arrangements we have with otr
:04:15. > :04:19.churches and charities and H am proud of those people and wd welcome
:04:20. > :04:23.what they offer. But the background, as he rightly says, the contracts
:04:24. > :04:29.for asylum and housing for `sylum for asylum and housing for `sylum
:04:30. > :04:38.seekers in the north-east is held by G4S and excellent article ptblished
:04:39. > :04:44.in the Times says 168 properties in two words, 155 of them have their
:04:45. > :04:49.front doors painted red, and this is simply marks out those propdrties
:04:50. > :04:53.and there are accounts of asylum seekers being abused in thehr homes
:04:54. > :04:57.as a direct result of being so readily identifiable -- wards.
:04:58. > :05:03.Stories of their doors being smeared with dog excrement, adorned with the
:05:04. > :05:09.National front local graffiti and stones thrown at their propdrty
:05:10. > :05:14.verbal abuse as well. -- National Front. Whilst such a policy may not
:05:15. > :05:18.be deliberate, G4S clearly have to think this policy through. There is
:05:19. > :05:23.a risk of undermining social cohesion and the safety of those
:05:24. > :05:28.seeking sanctuary and I am ` gassed they claim no knowledge of this But
:05:29. > :05:32.worse they have taken to reledy the situation it is important action is
:05:33. > :05:35.taken as a matter of supremd urgency and that the contract and
:05:36. > :05:40.subcontractor or held to account. The minister speaks about the way
:05:41. > :05:44.the contract is managed. I would ask him to stick to that theory that he
:05:45. > :05:49.has outlined in such great detail, because I am aware that the practice
:05:50. > :05:52.is far from the theory, and many people can be confined to one
:05:53. > :05:56.bedroom and it simply is not dignified and it is not a
:05:57. > :06:00.humanitarian response to put people in those conditions. The public
:06:01. > :06:04.policy implications for contracting out these arrangements, I think are
:06:05. > :06:09.devastating. These are not latters for people to get public profit from
:06:10. > :06:11.I think it is a matter for Government and local governlent
:06:12. > :06:19.local government being the best organisation to look at the wider
:06:20. > :06:24.implications of welcoming pdople into our communities. Can I ask him,
:06:25. > :06:32.when he first heard of this concern, and when did G4S become aware of it,
:06:33. > :06:36.and what action was taken? @nd what steps is his department takhng to
:06:37. > :06:42.ensure the readily identifi`ble red doors are corrected, and ovdr what
:06:43. > :06:46.timescale? At the moment thdy are acknowledging it now and ard saying
:06:47. > :06:49.they will do it over three to six months, and I suggest to thd
:06:50. > :06:54.Minister that is simply not acceptable. This must be done as a
:06:55. > :06:58.matter of supreme urgency. H have in mind a timetable more alike three to
:06:59. > :07:02.six weeks rather than months and I would like him to address that -
:07:03. > :07:05.more alike. If the Minister concludes this is discrimin`tory
:07:06. > :07:10.action on their behalf, what action will he take? In short, if he could
:07:11. > :07:16.outline what penalties he h`d available to him to make sure this
:07:17. > :07:22.contract, G4S, who quite fr`nkly have suffered a great deal of
:07:23. > :07:26.reputational damage over recent times, and the others, are held to
:07:27. > :07:30.account? Can I thank the honourable gentleman for the way in whhch he
:07:31. > :07:33.has raised his concerns? Eqtally, like him, I would like to p`y
:07:34. > :07:38.tribute to the work Middlesbrough has done for many years in seeking
:07:39. > :07:44.to accommodate asylum seekers and the approach they have taken as an
:07:45. > :07:49.authority. He will be well `ware of the number of discussions that have
:07:50. > :07:52.taken place between my officials, Home Office officials and
:07:53. > :07:56.Middlesbrough Council in relation to, for example, the concentration,
:07:57. > :08:00.the numbers of asylum seekers, the fact Middlesbrough is the only place
:08:01. > :08:04.in the country where our threshold of one in 200 is exceeded, `nd again
:08:05. > :08:08.I would ask my officials to look at that issue closely on levels of
:08:09. > :08:13.concentration, and a plan to bring that back within the appropriate
:08:14. > :08:21.standards we have set in terms of concentration. On the issue he
:08:22. > :08:24.highlights specifically, thd reporting in the Times newspaper
:08:25. > :08:28.today, and equally some of the points he has identified, the
:08:29. > :08:36.experiences of some people accommodated within the housing
:08:37. > :08:41.within Middlesbrough. ICI condemn absolutely any crimes of hate, any
:08:42. > :08:45.actions that so divisions whthin communities
:08:46. > :08:48.# ICI condemn. Or any actions which seek to intimidate or mark out
:08:49. > :08:56.asylum seekers in some way. We have been in contact with the local
:08:57. > :08:58.police this morning to underline any issues of community reassur`nce I
:08:59. > :09:04.know they are actively conshdering any appropriate states to bd
:09:05. > :09:08.regarded but, clearly, if pdople have complained around hate crime
:09:09. > :09:12.they should make those complaints to the police so they are therdfore
:09:13. > :09:15.followed through and action taken appropriately. He has asked me about
:09:16. > :09:20.the urgency of response. I can underline to him that as soon as I
:09:21. > :09:26.heard about this reporting, which was leaked last week when the
:09:27. > :09:29.newspaper first contacted us, at that stage I instructed offhcials to
:09:30. > :09:32.look into the matter urgently because of the very serious concerns
:09:33. > :09:38.I had from what I was hearing around this, and therefore I expect the
:09:39. > :09:41.audit to be concluded on thd Home Office site quickly and speddily and
:09:42. > :09:47.I would expect their work to be completed at the latest by the end
:09:48. > :09:53.of this month. In respect to the work of G4S, we do have an ongoing
:09:54. > :09:56.regime of inspection of the maintenance and conditions of the
:09:57. > :09:59.properties and G4S have met standards where it should h`ve been
:10:00. > :10:03.identified of maintenance that requires medial action. Thex have
:10:04. > :10:07.followed through on that, btt again we will be looking closely `t this
:10:08. > :10:11.in the context of the audit. The conversation with the chief
:10:12. > :10:14.executive of G4S this morning I had, he underlined the seriousness and
:10:15. > :10:18.urgency with which they takd this issue and in the context of the
:10:19. > :10:24.repainting of doors to make sure there is no predominant colour, they
:10:25. > :10:27.underlined the sense of urgdncy that he and G4S attached to this and
:10:28. > :10:31.certainly I underline I expdcted this to be done quickly and that was
:10:32. > :10:36.the message I got back from G4S in that context. This is a matter
:10:37. > :10:40.therefore that I take with ttmost concern. It is something thd Home
:10:41. > :10:45.Office is working at closelx and, as I say, we will look at this
:10:46. > :10:49.carefully, rigorously, and so it is not simply a question of looking at
:10:50. > :10:52.the contract. If issues need to be brought to the attention of the
:10:53. > :10:57.police and criminal action taken, that will be a matter for the police
:10:58. > :11:02.but I again urge those with any evidence to come forward to ensure
:11:03. > :11:06.that is dealt with appropri`tely. Can I echo the plea for urgdnt
:11:07. > :11:12.action on the ground? For the particular reason that throtghout
:11:13. > :11:17.the last 15 years, when asylum policy, and the numbers of `sylum
:11:18. > :11:21.seekers, have been a hugely sensitive public issue, one of the
:11:22. > :11:25.best things is that actuallx on the ground in communities there has been
:11:26. > :11:31.very little pension. And very little violence. It is actually, it human
:11:32. > :11:36.level, a policy which has bden handled very well, it would be
:11:37. > :11:42.tragic if that were to end with some of the actions we have heard
:11:43. > :11:45.described in Middlesbrough. Obviously the Minister will have to
:11:46. > :11:48.take another of actions which will take some time, but in terms of the
:11:49. > :11:53.immediate on the ground acthon, if what is required in the short-term
:11:54. > :11:57.is to repaint 150 front doors then frankly this should not be taking
:11:58. > :12:00.three months or three weeks. The painter should be out now and it
:12:01. > :12:05.should be done by the weekend and I hope the Minister can ensurd that
:12:06. > :12:08.that kind of urgency will bd shown. I am grateful to my right honourable
:12:09. > :12:13.friend for his comments and obviously someone with understanding
:12:14. > :12:18.and experience of this, havhng been a previous holder of the office I
:12:19. > :12:22.know hold as Immigration Minister, I can certainly assure him of the
:12:23. > :12:27.urgency I have impressed upon G S in respect of resolving this issue
:12:28. > :12:32.quickly. The Chief Executivd Officer underlined he recognised thhs and
:12:33. > :12:35.understood this clearly. We will be monitoring the situation closely. I
:12:36. > :12:39.have asked officials to go to Middlesbrough tomorrow to assess the
:12:40. > :12:43.situation on the ground, to start the work in relation to this audit.
:12:44. > :12:47.And therefore I hope that rdassures my right honourable friend of the
:12:48. > :12:56.urgency with which I do and my officials do, and from what we are
:12:57. > :13:00.hearing, G4S attached to thhs matter. To reports in the Thmes
:13:01. > :13:03.today are obviously deeply concerning and I recognise the
:13:04. > :13:07.concern expressed by the Minister and the steps he has alreadx taken
:13:08. > :13:11.to try to get to the bottom of this. The report is concerning because
:13:12. > :13:21.obviously the context, the fact this has happened, and I know it is early
:13:22. > :13:24.days, but it is right there doing these doors were painted red, there
:13:25. > :13:27.seems to be no disputing thd facts. But because of the underpinning
:13:28. > :13:32.arrangements, how did this come about? How did no one think this was
:13:33. > :13:35.inappropriate for these doors to be painted in the way they werd
:13:36. > :13:40.painted? Particularly when the Minister has outlined that there is
:13:41. > :13:46.a Home Office inspection regime and there is a local authority `ssurance
:13:47. > :13:49.scheme, how did nobody throtgh those arrangements think there was
:13:50. > :13:58.anything wrong with this arrangement? There is obviotsly also
:13:59. > :14:02.concern about the consequences. Hate crime is increasing, I think by 18%
:14:03. > :14:08.last year, and the consequence of this has been hate crime in
:14:09. > :14:11.Middlesbrough, a concern in its own right. I echo the concern that the
:14:12. > :14:15.sooner something is done to rectify this, the better. There is `lso the
:14:16. > :14:19.concern that this is only bdfore the House today, Mr Speaker, because of
:14:20. > :14:24.the careful work of Andrew Norfolk at the Times and not through some
:14:25. > :14:28.internalised inspection or `uditing scheme which has flagged up as a
:14:29. > :14:31.matter of concern for now. H have a number of questions. The Minister
:14:32. > :14:36.has said when he first knew and I appreciate he has put in pl`ce steps
:14:37. > :14:40.already to make further inqtiries, and they are welcome. But I do ask
:14:41. > :14:47.how did this escape whatever regime is in place of inspection or
:14:48. > :14:52.assurance? And, indeed, werd these properties inspected or asstred by
:14:53. > :14:58.the Home Office or anybody dlse If not, what can be done to improve
:14:59. > :15:04.that regime? What conversathons has the Minister had with the p`rticular
:15:05. > :15:09.contractors, in Middlesbrough? And also is this an isolated ex`mple? Is
:15:10. > :15:11.this just something that has happened in Middlesbrough, or are
:15:12. > :15:16.there are other examples of it in other parts of the country? Have
:15:17. > :15:22.inquiries been made about that? If so, what have they shown so far If
:15:23. > :15:27.not, can they be inquiries? And what further conversations can bd had
:15:28. > :15:31.with all private providers of accommodation to ensure this
:15:32. > :15:37.situation simply does not occur again anywhere, and if it h`s
:15:38. > :15:44.occurred anywhere else, that it is rectified as soon as possible? Thank
:15:45. > :15:48.you, Mr Speaker. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I have highlighted
:15:49. > :15:54.obviously I have spoken to the Chief Executive of G4S this morning, and I
:15:55. > :15:58.have asked work to be carridd out to assess whether this is an isolated
:15:59. > :16:04.issue or not, and how we can speak to all of the providers who are
:16:05. > :16:09.under the contract and inquhries made with their subcontractors as
:16:10. > :16:17.well. From initial investig`tions, it does seem that some provhders of
:16:18. > :16:22.social housing May for maintenance purposes simply paint any p`rticular
:16:23. > :16:28.colour, so that is something we are investigating further and the point
:16:29. > :16:34.has been made that around 40% of their overall portfolio is for
:16:35. > :16:38.asylum accommodation, but this is precisely the issue, I can see, we
:16:39. > :16:44.will be focusing on is part of the audit work I have commissioned and
:16:45. > :16:50.indeed, if there are lessons to be learned from this in terms of the
:16:51. > :16:54.ongoing maintenance inspecthon and they are doing is work going on to
:16:55. > :16:59.find out whether there are steps that should be taken by a
:17:00. > :17:04.contractors. It is that work I have tasked as part of this examhnation.
:17:05. > :17:08.I underline again this whold issue of hate crime. We take this with
:17:09. > :17:13.great seriousness and significance and indeed in terms of forthcoming
:17:14. > :17:20.work on hate crime it is solething this Government remains foctsed on
:17:21. > :17:24.and will continue to do so. He asks about inspection is undertaken. As I
:17:25. > :17:32.say, it is a matter for us to look at the processes and procedtres as
:17:33. > :17:35.to why this issue was not identified earlier, or its significancd, and I
:17:36. > :17:39.have noted reports in the press and elsewhere of this being highlighted
:17:40. > :17:46.to G4S and potentially further, and it is precisely that we are seeking
:17:47. > :17:49.to get to the bottom of. Th`nk you, Mr Speaker. I congratulate `nd would
:17:50. > :17:51.like to thank the honourabld member for Middlesbrough for bringhng this
:17:52. > :17:57.to the floor of the House bdcause the provision of accommodathon to
:17:58. > :18:00.asylum seekers is a subject deserving serious scrutiny, and in
:18:01. > :18:06.that regard I welcome the commission of an urgent audit of asylul in the
:18:07. > :18:10.north-east announced by members and I and members on this bench sure
:18:11. > :18:17.this and will have been app`lled by the revolution which seems to have
:18:18. > :18:20.been at best an eye-watering league -- eye-watering level of neglect of
:18:21. > :18:25.policy. But the story of thd red doors is very troubling and the
:18:26. > :18:28.delivery of asylum accommod`tion across the country is a bro`der
:18:29. > :18:31.issue and also raises all sorts of similar concerns. Will the
:18:32. > :18:35.Government listen to those concerns? When I speak to the Scottish refugee
:18:36. > :18:41.Council, I hear about probldms of poor quality accommodation, poor
:18:42. > :18:45.treatment of asylum seekers by staff, sometimes due to a l`ck of
:18:46. > :18:48.training or because of inexcusable abuse and mistreatment. I hdar
:18:49. > :18:51.complaint about inappropriate sharing of accommodation, and not
:18:52. > :18:55.much a lack of integration of the services referred to by the
:18:56. > :18:58.Minister, but the complete `nd utter fragmentation of those servhces
:18:59. > :19:02.Will the Minister Brogden inquiry into the provision of accomlodation
:19:03. > :19:06.to asylum seekers to reflect those concerns? And inquiry that speaks to
:19:07. > :19:09.asylum seekers living in accommodation provided by Government
:19:10. > :19:14.contract is and speaks to organisations such as the Scottish
:19:15. > :19:17.refugee Council who could h`ve so much input into such an inqtiry
:19:18. > :19:19.Finally, can the Minister also confirmed when a decision rdquires
:19:20. > :19:24.to be made into the extension of these contracts, and what
:19:25. > :19:24.opportunities will there be for parliamentarians to scrutinhse and
:19:25. > :19:34.have input into that decision? I can say to the honourable
:19:35. > :19:37.gentleman that in respect to property standards, they ard
:19:38. > :19:43.monitored under the Compass arrangements by three key pdrforming
:19:44. > :19:47.indicators. To ensure that accommodation is safe, habitable and
:19:48. > :19:52.fit for purpose. Accommodathon is inspected frequently by G4S, the
:19:53. > :19:55.local authority and the Homd Office. As I've already indicated there are
:19:56. > :20:04.processes in place where hotsing officers visit every 28 days with
:20:05. > :20:08.our overall compliance approach in inspecting on an intelligence led
:20:09. > :20:12.basis. The gentleman makes ` point about complaints, provisions are in
:20:13. > :20:16.the contract to make sure that complaints should be escalated,
:20:17. > :20:20.taken seriously, and that is something that I want the atdit to
:20:21. > :20:25.understand in terms of what we see in respect to the north-east and
:20:26. > :20:34.that will be pursued in that way. He asks for a broadening of thd
:20:35. > :20:37.arrangements. I don't judge that it is appropriate, the audit whll
:20:38. > :20:43.consider whether any further action is needed at that stage. It is
:20:44. > :20:48.extraordinary that with all of these inspections, that have occurred it
:20:49. > :20:52.took a journalist as distinguished as Andrew Norfolk to expose the
:20:53. > :20:57.problems that are occurring. Though I accept of course what the Minister
:20:58. > :21:00.has said, he's acted with great speed in putting measures in place
:21:01. > :21:05.but the fact remains that the home affairs committee has writtdn to
:21:06. > :21:10.ministers in the past worryhng and being concerned about the Compass
:21:11. > :21:14.contract. What ministers have done over the years is given these
:21:15. > :21:24.contracts to big companies like G4S and psycho who are once removed from
:21:25. > :21:29.the real providers. G4S, as this house knows, are serial offdnders in
:21:30. > :21:32.respect to these breaches. With the greatest will in the world `nd his
:21:33. > :21:36.commitment to making sure something will be done, I don't believe an
:21:37. > :21:42.audit will be sufficient. If there is an acceptance these doors were
:21:43. > :21:46.painted in a certain colour, that is appalling and should have bden
:21:47. > :21:50.discussed and discovered earlier. Will the Minister undertakes that
:21:51. > :21:54.when the audit is complete, he will either give a statement to the house
:21:55. > :22:03.or come to the select committee with its findings. The right honourable
:22:04. > :22:07.gentleman will no that I am a frequent a parent before his
:22:08. > :22:12.committee to provide updates to his committee and, by extension to the
:22:13. > :22:17.house, on matters relating to the immigration system, I may bd
:22:18. > :22:22.appearing before his committee in the near term which could provide an
:22:23. > :22:27.opportunity for me to updatd an opportunity for his committde and by
:22:28. > :22:34.extension other honourable lembers in respect to the work. I c`n give
:22:35. > :22:37.him that assurance. Whether there was any acceptance or knowlddge of
:22:38. > :22:41.the doors being painted in ` particular colour, as I've `lready
:22:42. > :22:46.said to the house, I think there is a practice among some social housing
:22:47. > :22:49.providers to paint in a particular colour for maintenance issuds but it
:22:50. > :22:53.is precisely those factors that I will want to understand as part of
:22:54. > :22:59.the audit in not any what h`s happened in the north-east but on
:23:00. > :23:07.the inspection regimes that we have to make sure standards and
:23:08. > :23:14.complaints are being dealt with We have journalists like Andrew Norfolk
:23:15. > :23:21.who help, of course, to expose the Rotherham abuse scandal. Isn't it a
:23:22. > :23:24.matter of concern that whendver some abuse is known, or comes into the
:23:25. > :23:31.public arena, the minister lakes a statement. Some way or another, G4S
:23:32. > :23:37.is involved and it is a matter that I would have thought would cause
:23:38. > :23:42.concern to the Home Secretary and her ministers. I don't, for one
:23:43. > :23:47.moment, question the Ministdr 's total objections like the rdst of us
:23:48. > :23:52.to any form of discrimination. But, should those responsible for what
:23:53. > :23:56.has occurred, the painting of red on doors, where asylum seekers are
:23:57. > :24:06.concerned, be told in the clearest possible language that cert`in
:24:07. > :24:13.aspects of 1936 Berlin will not be repeated in 2016 Britain? I think we
:24:14. > :24:16.need to look at this issue very closely and carefully, that is
:24:17. > :24:24.precisely what we have commhtted to do. I do say, in relation to G4S and
:24:25. > :24:31.the properties they are providing in the north-east, that we did examine
:24:32. > :24:34.around 84 properties which were successfully completed in tdrms of
:24:35. > :24:40.those inspections and where there were defects that were identified,
:24:41. > :24:43.action has been taken. From our assessment, there are no kex
:24:44. > :24:52.performance indicator failures in respect to Middlesbrough. The world
:24:53. > :24:57.will examine this further. This house has telegraphed its mdssage
:24:58. > :25:00.clearly today in standing against hate crime and discrimination and
:25:01. > :25:07.ensuring those here today h`ve sought -- and have sought asylum are
:25:08. > :25:11.given a fair welcome to the country, as we would expect. It is mx
:25:12. > :25:16.understanding that concerns about this practice of painting doors read
:25:17. > :25:23.was first raised in 2012 by my Liberal Democrat colleague Suzanne
:25:24. > :25:28.Fletcher. She pursued the issue doggedly ever since, and it is
:25:29. > :25:33.largely due to her efforts that the issue has come to light tod`y. She
:25:34. > :25:38.was told by G4S that they rdceived no complaints. So there was no need
:25:39. > :25:43.to take any action. That cannot be the case. Does that not raise, in
:25:44. > :25:51.the Minister's mind, perhaps some suspicion, at least, that an audit
:25:52. > :25:54.is going to be required. Yet again, G4S have come to public attdntion
:25:55. > :25:59.for the wrong reasons and ydt again they have been found wanting. I can
:26:00. > :26:02.say to the right honourable gentleman that the issue of
:26:03. > :26:06.complaints and when this was first known to G4S was something that I
:26:07. > :26:10.did discuss with the Chief Dxecutive earlier this morning. It is a matter
:26:11. > :26:14.that he's committed to examhne further and get to the bottom for
:26:15. > :26:19.their satisfaction as to how they've handled this matter. It is `
:26:20. > :26:23.question, I think, of doing the audit I have commissioned urgently
:26:24. > :26:27.to see what the situation on the ground is and to understand how the
:26:28. > :26:30.inspection and audit regime has been conducted thus far. Obviously I
:26:31. > :26:37.would want to reflect on wh`t that tells me. Jomast has a major base in
:26:38. > :26:41.my constituency. This is not the first time they've come unddr
:26:42. > :26:45.national media scrutiny for the wrong reasons. I've visited some of
:26:46. > :26:53.the hovels that have apparently passed the test of decent homes
:26:54. > :27:00.while the Minister in choirs further into this latest scandal, -,
:27:01. > :27:05.enquires. The standards of Teesside accommodation, including hotses of
:27:06. > :27:08.multiple occupation in my constituency, and get a better deal
:27:09. > :27:15.and value for money for both tenants and the government? As I've already
:27:16. > :27:21.indicated to the house, a kdy part of the work that we undertake is to
:27:22. > :27:28.see that accommodation is s`fe, habitable and fit for purpose. That
:27:29. > :27:32.is what the inspection regile looks act and, to date, the advicd I have
:27:33. > :27:37.seen shows that the standards have been met. As part of the audit, we
:27:38. > :27:44.will focus on that element `nd see what that information tells us.
:27:45. > :27:54.Order. Presentation of Bill. Mr Christopher Chope.
:27:55. > :27:55.House of Commons members fund bill. Second reading. What