Committee publication · Correspondence · 2 March 2026

Letter from the Acting Permanent Secretary at the Home Office relating to the Committee’s evidence session on 19 January 2026 on Analysis of the Asylum System, 25 February 2026

Inquiry: An analysis of the asylum system

Summary

Acting Permanent Secretary Simon Ridley responds to the Public Accounts Committee's follow-up questions from its 19 January 2026 evidence session on the asylum system. The Home Office outlines governance mechanisms for cross-government coordination, progress on decision-maker staffing and attrition, plans for appeals reform and hotel exit, and financial support to local authorities.

Key findings

Asylum System Board will coordinate across departments and escalate unresolved trade-offs to ministers or Cabinet Committee; government priorities are to remove backlogs, exit hotels, reform appeals, and reduce costs.
Asylum decision-maker numbers increased from 623 (September 2021) to 2,547 (September 2024) before declining to 2,168 (September 2025); attrition rates improved to 22% in December 2025, the lowest since 2018/19.
Home Office made highest number of initial decisions since 2002 despite fewer decision-makers; phased transition planned for new independent appeals body to run in parallel with existing tribunal system.
Government will close all asylum hotels and scale up large/medium-sized accommodation sites over five years; local authorities receive £1,200 per accommodated bed space plus £100 monthly for additional occupancy in FY 25/26.
Northeoy Bexhill site disposal agreement with Homes England provides 70:30 profit split in Home Office's favour; recovery of full £15.4m not expected but delivers social value toward 1.5m house target.

Tone

Procedural

Topics

public-financemigration-asylumgovernment-efficiencyaccommodation-housingcross-government-coordination

Key actors

Simon Ridley CB, Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, Public Accounts Committee, Home Office, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Homes England, HMCTS

Notable line

“Over the last year, with fewer decision-makers, we made the highest number of initial decisions since comparable records began in”

Key Quotes

“The Board will discuss and resolve trade-offs between conflicting objectives and priorities in different parts of the system based on likely impact on outcomes.”
— Simon Ridley CB · Explaining how the Asylum System Board will manage coordination across government departments

“Over the last year, with fewer decision-makers, we made the highest number of initial decisions since comparable records began in”
— Simon Ridley CB · Demonstrating productivity gains in the asylum system

“This will ensure continuity for the appellants and the judiciary, and ensure backlogs are addressed as quickly as possible.”
— Simon Ridley CB · Describing the phased transition to the new independent appeals body

“We will close every asylum hotel. Moving asylum seekers into more suitable accommodation, such as military bases, will ease pressure on communities across the country.”
— Simon Ridley CB · Outlining the government's plan to exit hotel accommodation

“… attrition rates went from 26.1% to 39.09% between April 2018 – September 2022, before reducing to 30.3% in October 2023 and 26% in January”
— Simon Ridley CB · Providing attrition rate data tracking improvement over time

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Source · parliament.uk record ↗