Speeches by Reid.

“I just wanted to turn briefly, if I may, to the transition from asylum accommodation to dispersal accommodation, if they are granted asylum. Does the Home Office provide enough support for that transition? What does good look like? Where would you like to see more support from the Home Office?”

“I have one final question. What is the top priority? If we want to reduce homelessness among the refugee community, how best would you go about that? What could the Home Office do? Should they take on more responsibility for integration when they are given that status?”

“You have done quite a few inspections, I would imagine, in your time. What is your greatest systemic concern or challenge that you have seen across all those inspections on the quality of the asylum accommodation and the contracts?”

“What is the impact of that on the residents within the asylum accommodation?”

“Turning to safeguarding specifically, this is something that you have already raised. Do you think that there are adequate systems in place to ensure the safeguarding of these individuals?”

“What do you think are the practical implications, then, of the lack of robust process within safeguarding?”

“How would we improve those systems?”

“Who should do that?”

“I want to pick up on a couple of things you said, particularly around safeguarding. Could I explore that a little further with you? In your view, how effective are the current contracts, if at all, in ensuring the safeguarding of the residents in this accommodation?”

“Is there anything that can be done within the current system, as it is just now, to improve safeguarding? What changes in process could happen to improve the welfare of asylum seekers?”

“Can I just pick that up? Are there any KPIs relating to the welfare or safeguarding of residents?”

“There are none at all.”

“There are no minimum standards. We are talking about a very vulnerable group of people. It is not just about their safeguarding; it is about safeguarding the community as a whole. Any considerations of safeguarding are completely absent, as far as you are concerned.”

“I just want your feedback on something that I came across last week. In my constituency, there is an accommodation hotel. I was there. It houses about 100 single men from across the usual countries that we are seeing at the moment. There is one welfare officer who is in charge of safeguarding the welfare for these 100 …”

“Do you have anything to add on welfare or safeguarding?”

“I mean when they move on from asylum accommodation after they have been granted refugee status.”

“Will my hon. Friend join me in congratulating Anas Sarwar, the leader of the Scottish Labour party, on announcing two weeks ago that he would ban mobile phones in schools across Scotland?”

“Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. As I said, East Kilbride is not Glasgow. Closing the development office and shifting the jobs to Glasgow is not just tinkering with the administration of the FCDO; it is a blow to our community, which has built itself around the development opportunities that the office provides. It is …”

“Does the Secretary of State agree that the SNP’s reckless pledge to scrap our nuclear deterrent at Faslane threatens our national security at a time of significant international volatility? The First Minister has said that Trident is of “no tangible or realistic benefit” to our current security challenges. Does the Sec…”

“East Kilbride in my constituency has a long and proud history as a key part of the UK’s international development efforts. Generations of dedicated civil servants have worked there to tackle global poverty, strengthen partnerships, and uphold Britain’s reputation as a force for good in the world. However, I must expres…”