Committee publication · Correspondence · 15 July 2026
260703 Minister for Border Security and Asylum relating to Asylum Accommodation - follow up after the evidence session on 9 June
From: Home Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Asylum Accommodation: Follow Up
Summary
Minister Alex Norris responds to Home Affairs Committee follow-up questions on asylum accommodation from a 9 June evidence session. The letter addresses pricing at Crowborough Training Camp, oversight mechanisms and KPI development, service credit recoveries of £74 million, concerns about Clearsprings Ready Homes' compliance rates, a potential overbilling issue with Corporate Travel Management, and a recent court judgment against room-sharing accommodation policy changes.
Key findings
- Crowborough Training Camp operates three occupancy bands (1–200, 201–400, 401–540) with decreasing unit costs; high occupancy essential for value for money due to fixed staffing requirements.
- Home Office recovered £74 million in profit share and service credits through enhanced audits; large sites KPI framework is in development but not yet implemented at Wethersfield or Crowborough.
- Clearsprings Ready Homes shows higher potential non-conformances (826 in dispersal accommodation, 787 in initial/contingency) compared to Mears and Serco; most defects are lower-level KPI 7 (Category 3) issues rather than safety risks.
- Corporate Travel Management overbilled public sector customers; Home Office engaged with CTM auditors to recover funds, details to be shared after resolution.
- Freedom from Torture and Helen Bamber Foundation successfully challenged March 2024 policy removing blanket exemptions for vulnerable groups from room sharing; court order expected early next month.
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Alex Norris MP, Dame Karen Bradley, Home Affairs Committee, Clearsprings Ready Homes, Mears, Serco, Corporate Travel Management, Freedom from Torture, Helen Bamber Foundation
Notable line
“The large site staffing model stipulates that there must be a certain number of security personnel, welfare and catering staff available, irrespective of the number of asylum seekers on site.”
Key Quotes
“Keeping occupation numbers high at Crowborough is the key to maintaining good value for money for these sites and reducing the pull factors that draw people to the UK irregularly.”
“Over the past year, the Home Office has significantly strengthened its approach to assuring KPI data and applying service credits where providers fail to meet contractual obligations.”
“Inspection findings identify potential non-conformances at a point in time; however, these are subject to further validation and should not be interpreted as confirmed contractual failings or a definitive measure of provider performance.”
“In relation to CRH, the higher volume of potential non-conformances is primarily attributable to KPI 7 (Category 3) defects. KPI 7 (Category 3) defects are generally lower-level issues, typically relating to matters such as missing or incomplete inventory, rather than more serious risks to safety or habitability.”
“I am aware of an issue that was raised by CTM and their auditors in relation to historic overbilling of public sector customers.”
“I recognise that the current situation remains challenging. However, the use of large sites as alternative accommodation is necessary to tackle the immediate pressure of hotel use and reduce the pull factors driving illegal migration to this country.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗