Press Release - National Asylum Support Service: The Provision
of Accommodation for Asylum Seekers
7 July 2005
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, reported
today that contracts agreed by the Home Office in 2000-01 to
provide accommodation for asylum seekers have not always proved
value for money. The Home Office’s National Asylum Support Service
provides accommodation for asylum seekers who are destitute, or
likely to become destitute, while their application is considered.
A large increase in the number of asylum applicants requiring
support (from 27,800 in March 2001 to nearly 67,200 in March 2003)
put significant pressures on NASS to find appropriate
accommodation. As a consequence, NASS paid out £439 million for
accommodation in 2003-04. Numbers have since declined and NASS has
recruited additional staff to improve how it conducts business.
This report outlines progress made by the Service in re-shaping
the way it provides accommodation and what further improvements are
required. The main findings of the report are:
The NAO recognises the difficulties NASS faced during the first
few years since its establishment as a result of an unprecedented
increase in its workload. The report identifies improvements that
are already being made by NASS such as transferring more of the
risks and responsibilities onto other organisations, reducing the
prices it pays for accommodation and putting in place more
effective performance monitoring arrangements so that action can be
taken when performance is unsatisfactory.
Sir John said today:
"Providing suitable accommodation for asylum seekers is
one of the most complex and difficult tasks facing the government.
The National Asylum Support Service was stretched to the limit when
the number of asylum seekers in accommodation reached over 67,000
in March 2003. Although the Service managed to deal with this
workload, its contracts did not always provide value for
money.
"In order to avoid such difficulties in future, it is
important that NASS be able to respond more readily to fluctuations
in demand. By transferring more of the risks and responsibilities
onto its contractors, the Service will be in a better position to
monitor performance and take corrective action when there are
changes in the number of asylum seekers requiring
accommodation."
Notes for Editors
- The National Asylum Support Service was established in April
2000 to provide a centrally funded service so that destitute asylum
seekers were provided with accommodation and basic benefits outside
the mainstream social security system.
- The Ministerial review of NASS, ‘A Review of the Operation of
the National Asylum Support Service,’ is available on the internet
at
http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/ind/en/home/
applying/national_asylum_support/nass_news/
nass_review/independent_review.html
- The Home Office immigration and asylum strategy, ‘Controlling
our borders: Making migration work for Britain,’ is available on
the internet at http://www.official-documents.co.uk/document/cm64/6472/6472.pdf
- The National Audit Office has previously examined the accuracy
of asylum and migration statistics and measures to speed up the
processing of applications. Copies of the reports are available
from the NAO website at www.nao.org.uk.
- Press notices and reports are available from the date of
publication on the NAO website at www.nao.org.uk.
Hard copies can be obtained from The Stationery Office
on 0845 702 3474.
- The Comptroller and Auditor General, Sir John Bourn, is the
head of the National Audit Office which employs some 800 staff. He
and the NAO are totally independent of Government. He certifies the
accounts of all Government departments and a wide range of other
public sector bodies; and he has statutory authority to report to
Parliament on the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which
departments and other bodies have used their resources.
Press Notice 45/05
All enquiries to Bill Schaper, NAO Press Office: Tel:
020 7798 7335
Mobile: 07795 120838