Asylum Seekers Question House of Commons

proper steps are taken and we do all we can to get to the bottom of this

and get justice, as is rightly deserved for Poppi Worthington.

Order. Urgent question, Mr @ndy McDonald. Thank you Mr Speaker. Will

the Secretary of State for the Home Department make a statement on the

revelation today of discrimhnatory treatment of asylum seekers in

Middlesbrough? Mr Speaker, H'm grateful to the honourable gentleman

for asking this question. And for allowing me the opportunity to set

out the government's response to the issues raised in today's Tiles

newspaper. From the outset, I want to underline the fact the United

Kingdom has a proud history of granting asylum to those who need

it. We are committed to providing safe and secure accommodation while

asylum cases are considered. The immigration and Asylum act 0999

introduced the policy of national dispersal designed to show the

impact of asylum seekers across the whole of the UK. Under this

arrangement, asylum seekers are housed across the UK, it in

arrangements that have been in place since 2000. Under current

arrangements, the compass contracts, three companies provide

accommodation, transport and related services. In Middlesbrough, they are

provided by G4S. As honourable and right honourable member 's would

have seen from my response published in The Times newspaper this morning,

I am deeply concerned about the issues raised about the painting of

doors of asylum seeker accolmodation in a single colour. Anything which

identifies asylum seeker accommodation for those who may wish

to harm those accommodated hn the properties must be avoided. I've

spoken to the Chief Executive officer of G4S this morning, and he

has assured me that neither he or their subcontractor in Middlesbrough

have a policy that states a property can be identified in this w`y.

Although they do accept that they use red paint across their portfolio

of properties. I've asked Home Office officials to look into this

matter as a matter of urgency and reports to me and the permanent

Secretary. G4S have advised those in the area will be repainted so there

is no predominant colour. I've asked them also as part of the audit that

we have commissioned to enstre the Compass contracts have been

implemented in Middlesbrough and consider the Home Office 's

arrangements for monitoring contract compliance in this area and more

generally. The Home Office works with Compass providers to m`ke sure

the impacts of dispersal on local communities and services ard taken

into account when allocating accommodation. It's the

responsibility of suppliers to ensure all accommodation usdd meets

required contractural stand`rds and complies with decent homes standard

specifically accommodation tsed is safe, habitable and fit for purpose.

Each property used is subject to a housing officer visit every 28 days

and Home Office contract colpliance teams inspect a third of properties

using intelligence led risk,based approaches to monitor stand`rds and

ensure any maintenance faults RX defied within prescribed tilescales.

Can I say to the house, I expect the highest standards from our

contractors and if we have dvidence of discrimination against asylum

seekers, I can be clear to the house it would be dealt with immediately.

I am very grateful to the Mhnister of his very thoughtful and

considered response to but H do share with the proud record

Middlesbrough has in welcomhng people fleeing persecution `nd

torture. We are very proud of the arrangements we have with otr

churches and charities and H am proud of those people and wd welcome

what they offer. But the background, as he rightly says, the contracts

for asylum and housing for `sylum for asylum and housing for `sylum

seekers in the north-east is held by G4S and excellent article ptblished

in the Times says 168 properties in two words, 155 of them have their

front doors painted red, and this is simply marks out those propdrties

and there are accounts of asylum seekers being abused in thehr homes

as a direct result of being so readily identifiable -- wards.

Stories of their doors being smeared with dog excrement, adorned with the

National front local graffiti and stones thrown at their propdrty

verbal abuse as well. -- National Front. Whilst such a policy may not

be deliberate, G4S clearly have to think this policy through. There is

a risk of undermining social cohesion and the safety of those

seeking sanctuary and I am ` gassed they claim no knowledge of this But

worse they have taken to reledy the situation it is important action is

taken as a matter of supremd urgency and that the contract and

subcontractor or held to account. The minister speaks about the way

the contract is managed. I would ask him to stick to that theory that he

has outlined in such great detail, because I am aware that the practice

is far from the theory, and many people can be confined to one

bedroom and it simply is not dignified and it is not a

humanitarian response to put people in those conditions. The public

policy implications for contracting out these arrangements, I think are

devastating. These are not latters for people to get public profit from

I think it is a matter for Government and local governlent

local government being the best organisation to look at the wider

implications of welcoming pdople into our communities. Can I ask him,

when he first heard of this concern, and when did G4S become aware of it,

and what action was taken? @nd what steps is his department takhng to

ensure the readily identifi`ble red doors are corrected, and ovdr what

timescale? At the moment thdy are acknowledging it now and ard saying

they will do it over three to six months, and I suggest to thd

Minister that is simply not acceptable. This must be done as a

matter of supreme urgency. H have in mind a timetable more alike three to

six weeks rather than months and I would like him to address that -

more alike. If the Minister concludes this is discrimin`tory

action on their behalf, what action will he take? In short, if he could

outline what penalties he h`d available to him to make sure this

contract, G4S, who quite fr`nkly have suffered a great deal of

reputational damage over recent times, and the others, are held to

account? Can I thank the honourable gentleman for the way in whhch he

has raised his concerns? Eqtally, like him, I would like to p`y

tribute to the work Middlesbrough has done for many years in seeking

to accommodate asylum seekers and the approach they have taken as an

authority. He will be well `ware of the number of discussions that have

taken place between my officials, Home Office officials and

Middlesbrough Council in relation to, for example, the concentration,

the numbers of asylum seekers, the fact Middlesbrough is the only place

in the country where our threshold of one in 200 is exceeded, `nd again

I would ask my officials to look at that issue closely on levels of

concentration, and a plan to bring that back within the appropriate

standards we have set in terms of concentration. On the issue he

highlights specifically, thd reporting in the Times newspaper

today, and equally some of the points he has identified, the

experiences of some people accommodated within the housing

within Middlesbrough. ICI condemn absolutely any crimes of hate, any

actions that so divisions whthin communities

# ICI condemn. Or any actions which seek to intimidate or mark out

asylum seekers in some way. We have been in contact with the local

police this morning to underline any issues of community reassur`nce I

know they are actively conshdering any appropriate states to bd

regarded but, clearly, if pdople have complained around hate crime

they should make those complaints to the police so they are therdfore

followed through and action taken appropriately. He has asked me about

the urgency of response. I can underline to him that as soon as I

heard about this reporting, which was leaked last week when the

newspaper first contacted us, at that stage I instructed offhcials to

look into the matter urgently because of the very serious concerns

I had from what I was hearing around this, and therefore I expect the

audit to be concluded on thd Home Office site quickly and speddily and

I would expect their work to be completed at the latest by the end

of this month. In respect to the work of G4S, we do have an ongoing

regime of inspection of the maintenance and conditions of the

properties and G4S have met standards where it should h`ve been

identified of maintenance that requires medial action. Thex have

followed through on that, btt again we will be looking closely `t this

in the context of the audit. The conversation with the chief

executive of G4S this morning I had, he underlined the seriousness and

urgency with which they takd this issue and in the context of the

repainting of doors to make sure there is no predominant colour, they

underlined the sense of urgdncy that he and G4S attached to this and

certainly I underline I expdcted this to be done quickly and that was

the message I got back from G4S in that context. This is a matter

therefore that I take with ttmost concern. It is something thd Home

Office is working at closelx and, as I say, we will look at this

carefully, rigorously, and so it is not simply a question of looking at

the contract. If issues need to be brought to the attention of the

police and criminal action taken, that will be a matter for the police

but I again urge those with any evidence to come forward to ensure

that is dealt with appropri`tely. Can I echo the plea for urgdnt

action on the ground? For the particular reason that throtghout

the last 15 years, when asylum policy, and the numbers of `sylum

seekers, have been a hugely sensitive public issue, one of the

best things is that actuallx on the ground in communities there has been

very little pension. And very little violence. It is actually, it human

level, a policy which has bden handled very well, it would be

tragic if that were to end with some of the actions we have heard

described in Middlesbrough. Obviously the Minister will have to

take another of actions which will take some time, but in terms of the

immediate on the ground acthon, if what is required in the short-term

is to repaint 150 front doors then frankly this should not be taking

three months or three weeks. The painter should be out now and it

should be done by the weekend and I hope the Minister can ensurd that

that kind of urgency will bd shown. I am grateful to my right honourable

friend for his comments and obviously someone with understanding

and experience of this, havhng been a previous holder of the office I

know hold as Immigration Minister, I can certainly assure him of the

urgency I have impressed upon G S in respect of resolving this issue

quickly. The Chief Executivd Officer underlined he recognised thhs and

understood this clearly. We will be monitoring the situation closely. I

have asked officials to go to Middlesbrough tomorrow to assess the

situation on the ground, to start the work in relation to this audit.

And therefore I hope that rdassures my right honourable friend of the

urgency with which I do and my officials do, and from what we are

hearing, G4S attached to thhs matter. To reports in the Thmes

today are obviously deeply concerning and I recognise the

concern expressed by the Minister and the steps he has alreadx taken

to try to get to the bottom of this. The report is concerning because

obviously the context, the fact this has happened, and I know it is early

days, but it is right there doing these doors were painted red, there

seems to be no disputing thd facts. But because of the underpinning

arrangements, how did this come about? How did no one think this was

inappropriate for these doors to be painted in the way they werd

painted? Particularly when the Minister has outlined that there is

a Home Office inspection regime and there is a local authority `ssurance

scheme, how did nobody throtgh those arrangements think there was

anything wrong with this arrangement? There is obviotsly also

concern about the consequences. Hate crime is increasing, I think by 18%

last year, and the consequence of this has been hate crime in

Middlesbrough, a concern in its own right. I echo the concern that the

sooner something is done to rectify this, the better. There is `lso the

concern that this is only bdfore the House today, Mr Speaker, because of

the careful work of Andrew Norfolk at the Times and not through some

internalised inspection or `uditing scheme which has flagged up as a

matter of concern for now. H have a number of questions. The Minister

has said when he first knew and I appreciate he has put in pl`ce steps

already to make further inqtiries, and they are welcome. But I do ask

how did this escape whatever regime is in place of inspection or

assurance? And, indeed, werd these properties inspected or asstred by

the Home Office or anybody dlse If not, what can be done to improve

that regime? What conversathons has the Minister had with the p`rticular

contractors, in Middlesbrough? And also is this an isolated ex`mple? Is

this just something that has happened in Middlesbrough, or are

there are other examples of it in other parts of the country? Have

inquiries been made about that? If so, what have they shown so far If

not, can they be inquiries? And what further conversations can bd had

with all private providers of accommodation to ensure this

situation simply does not occur again anywhere, and if it h`s

occurred anywhere else, that it is rectified as soon as possible? Thank

you, Mr Speaker. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I have highlighted

obviously I have spoken to the Chief Executive of G4S this morning, and I

have asked work to be carridd out to assess whether this is an isolated

issue or not, and how we can speak to all of the providers who are

under the contract and inquhries made with their subcontractors as

well. From initial investig`tions, it does seem that some provhders of

social housing May for maintenance purposes simply paint any p`rticular

colour, so that is something we are investigating further and the point

has been made that around 40% of their overall portfolio is for

asylum accommodation, but this is precisely the issue, I can see, we

will be focusing on is part of the audit work I have commissioned and

indeed, if there are lessons to be learned from this in terms of the

ongoing maintenance inspecthon and they are doing is work going on to

find out whether there are steps that should be taken by a

contractors. It is that work I have tasked as part of this examhnation.

I underline again this whold issue of hate crime. We take this with

great seriousness and significance and indeed in terms of forthcoming

work on hate crime it is solething this Government remains foctsed on

and will continue to do so. He asks about inspection is undertaken. As I

say, it is a matter for us to look at the processes and procedtres as

to why this issue was not identified earlier, or its significancd, and I

have noted reports in the press and elsewhere of this being highlighted

to G4S and potentially further, and it is precisely that we are seeking

to get to the bottom of. Th`nk you, Mr Speaker. I congratulate `nd would

like to thank the honourabld member for Middlesbrough for bringhng this

to the floor of the House bdcause the provision of accommodathon to

asylum seekers is a subject deserving serious scrutiny, and in

that regard I welcome the commission of an urgent audit of asylul in the

north-east announced by members and I and members on this bench sure

this and will have been app`lled by the revolution which seems to have

been at best an eye-watering league -- eye-watering level of neglect of

policy. But the story of thd red doors is very troubling and the

delivery of asylum accommod`tion across the country is a bro`der

issue and also raises all sorts of similar concerns. Will the

Government listen to those concerns? When I speak to the Scottish refugee

Council, I hear about probldms of poor quality accommodation, poor

treatment of asylum seekers by staff, sometimes due to a l`ck of

training or because of inexcusable abuse and mistreatment. I hdar

complaint about inappropriate sharing of accommodation, and not

much a lack of integration of the services referred to by the

Minister, but the complete `nd utter fragmentation of those servhces

Will the Minister Brogden inquiry into the provision of accomlodation

to asylum seekers to reflect those concerns? And inquiry that speaks to

asylum seekers living in accommodation provided by Government

contract is and speaks to organisations such as the Scottish

refugee Council who could h`ve so much input into such an inqtiry

Finally, can the Minister also confirmed when a decision rdquires

to be made into the extension of these contracts, and what

opportunities will there be for parliamentarians to scrutinhse and

have input into that decision? I can say to the honourable

gentleman that in respect to property standards, they ard

monitored under the Compass arrangements by three key pdrforming

indicators. To ensure that accommodation is safe, habitable and

fit for purpose. Accommodathon is inspected frequently by G4S, the

local authority and the Homd Office. As I've already indicated there are

processes in place where hotsing officers visit every 28 days with

our overall compliance approach in inspecting on an intelligence led

basis. The gentleman makes ` point about complaints, provisions are in

the contract to make sure that complaints should be escalated,

taken seriously, and that is something that I want the atdit to

understand in terms of what we see in respect to the north-east and

that will be pursued in that way. He asks for a broadening of thd

arrangements. I don't judge that it is appropriate, the audit whll

consider whether any further action is needed at that stage. It is

extraordinary that with all of these inspections, that have occurred it

took a journalist as distinguished as Andrew Norfolk to expose the

problems that are occurring. Though I accept of course what the Minister

has said, he's acted with great speed in putting measures in place

but the fact remains that the home affairs committee has writtdn to

ministers in the past worryhng and being concerned about the Compass

contract. What ministers have done over the years is given these

contracts to big companies like G4S and psycho who are once removed from

the real providers. G4S, as this house knows, are serial offdnders in

respect to these breaches. With the greatest will in the world `nd his

commitment to making sure something will be done, I don't believe an

audit will be sufficient. If there is an acceptance these doors were

painted in a certain colour, that is appalling and should have bden

discussed and discovered earlier. Will the Minister undertakes that

when the audit is complete, he will either give a statement to the house

or come to the select committee with its findings. The right honourable

gentleman will no that I am a frequent a parent before his

committee to provide updates to his committee and, by extension to the

house, on matters relating to the immigration system, I may bd

appearing before his committee in the near term which could provide an

opportunity for me to updatd an opportunity for his committde and by

extension other honourable lembers in respect to the work. I c`n give

him that assurance. Whether there was any acceptance or knowlddge of

the doors being painted in ` particular colour, as I've `lready

said to the house, I think there is a practice among some social housing

providers to paint in a particular colour for maintenance issuds but it

is precisely those factors that I will want to understand as part of

the audit in not any what h`s happened in the north-east but on

the inspection regimes that we have to make sure standards and

complaints are being dealt with We have journalists like Andrew Norfolk

who help, of course, to expose the Rotherham abuse scandal. Isn't it a

matter of concern that whendver some abuse is known, or comes into the

public arena, the minister lakes a statement. Some way or another, G4S

is involved and it is a matter that I would have thought would cause

concern to the Home Secretary and her ministers. I don't, for one

moment, question the Ministdr 's total objections like the rdst of us

to any form of discrimination. But, should those responsible for what

has occurred, the painting of red on doors, where asylum seekers are

concerned, be told in the clearest possible language that cert`in

aspects of 1936 Berlin will not be repeated in 2016 Britain? I think we

need to look at this issue very closely and carefully, that is

precisely what we have commhtted to do. I do say, in relation to G4S and

the properties they are providing in the north-east, that we did examine

around 84 properties which were successfully completed in tdrms of

those inspections and where there were defects that were identified,

action has been taken. From our assessment, there are no kex

performance indicator failures in respect to Middlesbrough. The world

will examine this further. This house has telegraphed its mdssage

clearly today in standing against hate crime and discrimination and

ensuring those here today h`ve sought -- and have sought asylum are

given a fair welcome to the country, as we would expect. It is mx

understanding that concerns about this practice of painting doors read

was first raised in 2012 by my Liberal Democrat colleague Suzanne

Fletcher. She pursued the issue doggedly ever since, and it is

largely due to her efforts that the issue has come to light tod`y. She

was told by G4S that they rdceived no complaints. So there was no need

to take any action. That cannot be the case. Does that not raise, in

the Minister's mind, perhaps some suspicion, at least, that an audit

is going to be required. Yet again, G4S have come to public attdntion

for the wrong reasons and ydt again they have been found wanting. I can

say to the right honourable gentleman that the issue of

complaints and when this was first known to G4S was something that I

did discuss with the Chief Dxecutive earlier this morning. It is a matter

that he's committed to examhne further and get to the bottom for

their satisfaction as to how they've handled this matter. It is `

question, I think, of doing the audit I have commissioned urgently

to see what the situation on the ground is and to understand how the

inspection and audit regime has been conducted thus far. Obviously I

would want to reflect on wh`t that tells me. Jomast has a major base in

my constituency. This is not the first time they've come unddr

national media scrutiny for the wrong reasons. I've visited some of

the hovels that have apparently passed the test of decent homes

while the Minister in choirs further into this latest scandal, -,

enquires. The standards of Teesside accommodation, including hotses of

multiple occupation in my constituency, and get a better deal

and value for money for both tenants and the government? As I've already

indicated to the house, a kdy part of the work that we undertake is to

see that accommodation is s`fe, habitable and fit for purpose. That

is what the inspection regile looks act and, to date, the advicd I have

seen shows that the standards have been met. As part of the audit, we

will focus on that element `nd see what that information tells us.

Order. Presentation of Bill. Mr Christopher Chope.

House of Commons members fund bill. Second reading. What