Written questions by Lowe.

How many asylum seekers there are by (a) day and (b) month of birth.

The Home Office does not currently publish data on the dates of birth of asylum seekers.The Home Office publishes data on asylum by age group in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. The latest data relates to the year ending September 2025.Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, the resources required to compile the statistics, as well as quality and availability of data. These reviews allow us to balance the production of our regular statistics whilst developing new statistics for future release.

What proportion of asylum seeker dates of birth are recorded as 1 January.

The Home Office does not currently publish data on the dates of birth of asylum seekers.The Home Office publishes data on asylum by age group in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. The latest data relates to the year ending September 2025.Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, the resources required to compile the statistics, as well as quality and availability of data. These reviews allow us to balance the production of our regular statistics whilst developing new statistics for future release.

What the cost was of providing accommodation in hotels and other contingency accommodation to illegal migrants in 2025.

We do not report and hold data at this granularity, including by method of arrival, and would only be obtainable at disproportionate cost.The Asylum Accommodation and Support Contract (AASC) Requirements below gives a detailed breakdown of all the services to be undertaken by our accommodation providers and to the standards we expect. Full details of this can be found here: http://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2018-1112/AASC_-_Schedule_2_-_Statement_of_Requirements.pdf.The Home Office publishes information on asylum expenditure in the: Home Office annual report and accounts: 2024 to 2025 - GOV.UK.

Whether her Department plans to publish in full the service specifications, unit prices, and key performance indicators attached to asylum accommodation contracts that operated in 2025.

The Home Office’s asylum contracts are publicly available on Contracts Finder. Copies of the contracts, including redactions, are available at the below links.Commercially sensitive information (including pricing details) and information related to performance management of services (including service credits) are redacted to allow the Home Office to obtain maximum value during the lifetime of its contracts.The Home Office has no current plans to publish any further information related to its asylum contracts, other than the information already publicly available.Information on the requested contracts is available below:Serco - AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NW - Contracts Finder, AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract MEE - Contracts Finder Mears - AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NEYH - Contracts Finder, AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Scotland - Contracts Finder, AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NI - Contracts Finder CRH - AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Wales - Contracts Finder, AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract South - Contracts Finder CTM -CCTM22A01 Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services Contract - Contracts Finder, Contract for the Provision of Asylum Accommodation and Travel Services - Contracts Finder PFS - Support Payment Card - Contracts Finder Migrant Help - AIRE - Advice Issue Reporting and Elligibility - Contracts Finder Mitie Limited - Provision of Security Services at Home Office Contingency Accommodation - Contracts Finder British Refugee Council - Independent Unaccompanied Asylum-seeking Children (UASCs) Support Service - Contracts Finder thebigword Group Limited - Language Services - Translation & Interpretation - Contracts Finder VF Services (UK) Limited - Contract for the provision of Home Office and Asylum Interviews - Contracts Finder

How many and what proportion of her Department's asylum accommodation contract terms and schedules relating to services and unit costs were redacted; and on what grounds those redactions were made.

The Home Office’s asylum contracts are publicly available on Contracts Finder. Copies of the contracts, including redactions, are available at the below links.Commercially sensitive information (including pricing details) and information related to performance management of services (including service credits) are redacted to allow the Home Office to obtain maximum value during the lifetime of its contracts.The Home Office has no current plans to publish any further information related to its asylum contracts, other than the information already publicly available.Information on the requested contracts is available below:Serco - AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NW - Contracts Finder, AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract MEE - Contracts Finder Mears - AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NEYH - Contracts Finder, AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Scotland - Contracts Finder, AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NI - Contracts Finder CRH - AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Wales - Contracts Finder, AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract South - Contracts Finder CTM -CCTM22A01 Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services Contract - Contracts Finder, Contract for the Provision of Asylum Accommodation and Travel Services - Contracts Finder PFS - Support Payment Card - Contracts Finder Migrant Help - AIRE - Advice Issue Reporting and Elligibility - Contracts Finder Mitie Limited - Provision of Security Services at Home Office Contingency Accommodation - Contracts Finder British Refugee Council - Independent Unaccompanied Asylum-seeking Children (UASCs) Support Service - Contracts Finder thebigword Group Limited - Language Services - Translation & Interpretation - Contracts Finder VF Services (UK) Limited - Contract for the provision of Home Office and Asylum Interviews - Contracts Finder

How much her Department spent on (a) recreational activities, (b) leisure provision and (c) community engagement activities for migrants who arrived in the UK illegally by (i) provider and (ii) type of activity in 2025.

The Home Office holds a contract with Changing Lives Ltd, now operating as Simply Active Group CIC, for the provision of a structured programme of recreational activity at Wethersfield. The contract commenced on 26 August 2024 and is scheduled to end on 19 February 2026.The original contract can be viewed on Contracts Finder: Recreational Activity Provision - Contracts Finder.The Home Office does not pay its Accommodation Providers to deliver recreational activities across the estate.

What steps her Department took in 2025 to help support scrutiny by (a) the Public Accounts Committee and (b) other hon. Members of the (i) costs and (ii) service content of asylum accommodation contracts; and whether any data was withheld.

The Home Office has published details of the AASC contracts, including the Statement of Requirements which gives a detailed breakdown of all the services to be undertaken by our accommodation providers and to the standards we expect. Full details of this can be found here: http://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2018-1112/AASC_-_Schedule_2_-_Statement_of_Requirements.pdfInformation on asylum expenditure is published in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts.In addition, the Home Office and Ministers have provided written and oral evidence about asylum support and accommodation to the Home Affairs Select Committee and to the Public Accounts Committee - copies and transcripts are available from the Committees’ websites.Data and information related to commercially sensitive information, performance management and other confidential aspects of the contracts and services are withheld to protect the commercial and legal position of the Home Office and its contracted Providers.

How much her Department spent on (a) food provision, by dietary requirement and (b) catering by (i) supplier and (ii) cost per person per day for migrants who arrived in the UK illegally who are housed in (A) hotels and (B) other accommodation sites in 2025.

We do not report and hold data at this granularity and would only be obtainable at disproportionate cost.The Home Office publishes information on asylum expenditure in the Home Office annual report and accounts: 2024 to 2025 - GOV.UK.

What the cost was of services provided (a) within and (b) alongside hotel accommodation in 2025 by provider and contract.

We do not report and hold data at this granularity, including by method of arrival, and would only be obtainable at disproportionate cost.The Asylum Accommodation and Support Contract (AASC) Requirements below gives a detailed breakdown of all the services to be undertaken by our accommodation providers and to the standards we expect. Full details of this can be found here: http://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2018-1112/AASC_-_Schedule_2_-_Statement_of_Requirements.pdf.The Home Office publishes information on asylum expenditure in the: Home Office annual report and accounts: 2024 to 2025 - GOV.UK.

How much her Department spent on cleaning, maintenance and repair services at hotel and contingency accommodation sites by supplier and cost per (a) room and (b) site in 2025.

We do not report and hold data at this granularity and would only be obtainable at disproportionate cost.The Home Office publishes information on asylum expenditure in the Home Office annual report and accounts: 2024 to 2025 - GOV.UK.

What services were contracted and delivered on-site within hotels housing illegal migrants in 2025, including medical services, transport, catering, security, and welfare support.

The Home Office holds nine contracts for the provision of asylum accommodation and support services across the UK. Information related to these contracts, including the services delivered under them, is publicly available at the links below.Hotel accommodation is managed directly by the contracted providers. Services delivered on-site typically include food and catering, laundry, security, and basic welfare support. These services are provided to ensure safe and suitable living conditions for asylum seekers and to help manage pressures on local authorities and public services while individuals await a decision on their claim. SercoAASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NW - Contracts FinderAASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract MEE - Contracts Finder MearsAASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NEYH - Contracts FinderAASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Scotland - Contracts FinderAASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NI - Contracts Finder CRHAASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Wales - Contracts FinderAASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract South - Contracts Finder CTMCCTM22A01 Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services Contract - Contracts FinderContract for the Provision of Asylum Accommodation and Travel Services - Contracts Finder

How much her Department spent on security provision at hotels and other accommodation sites housing migrants who arrived in the UK illegally by contractor, region, and cost per site in 2025.

We do not report and hold data at this granularity and would only be obtainable at disproportionate cost.The Home Office publishes information on asylum expenditure in the Home Office annual report and accounts: 2024 to 2025 - GOV.UK.

How much her Department spent on translation and interpretation services provided to migrants who arrived in the UK illegally who are in hotels and other accommodation by provider and language in 2025.

The information requested is not centrally held and could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

How many hotels and other accommodation sites were used for illegal migrant accommodation in 2025; and what the average occupancy was across those sites.

At its peak under the previous government, around 400 hotels were used to accommodate asylum seekers – costing £9 million per day. That figure is now under 200 - the government remains committed no longer using hotels to accommodate asylum seekers by the end of this Parliament.The Home Office does not publish data on the utilisation of asylum accommodation. We aim to utilise our estate as fully as possible, however, as with all types of accommodation properties may be temporarily vacant for a variety of operational reasons, including the need for maintenance or refurbishment work, or while awaiting allocation to new occupants following the departure of previous residents.Data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation, including hotels, and by local authority can be found within the Asy_D11 tab for our most recent statistics release: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK.

How much her Department spent on (a) laundry services, including contracted laundries, (b) on-site services and (c) reimbursements by (i) supplier and (ii) accommodation site type in 2025.

We do not report and hold data at this granularity and would only be obtainable at disproportionate cost.The Home Office publishes information on asylum expenditure in the Home Office annual report and accounts: 2024 to 2025 - GOV.UK.

What the spend was on private healthcare services provided to illegal migrants housed in hotels and other accommodation in 2025.

Healthcare for asylum seekers in Home Office accommodation including hotels and large, former military, sites is provided through the NHS in line with national guidance for newly arrived migrants.

What the per-person, per-night cost was for hotel accommodation used for illegal migrants in 2025 by region and supplier.

We do not report and hold data at this granularity and would only be obtainable at disproportionate cost.The Home Office publishes information on asylum expenditure in the Home Office annual report and accounts: 2024 to 2025 - GOV.UK

How much her Department spent on (a) legal advice and (b) other support services for migrants who arrived in the UK illegally who are in accommodation by contract in 2025.

The Home Office does not hold the requested data on the provision of legal advice. Asylum seekers may be eligible for legal aid, which is administered by the Legal Aid Agency in the Ministry of Justice.Regarding other services, the Asylum Accommodation and Support Contract (AASC) Statement of Requirements provides a detailed breakdown of all services that accommodation providers must deliver, along with the standards expected of them. The full document is available here:http://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2018-1112/AASC_-_Schedule_2_-_Statement_of_Requirements.pdfThe Home Office publishes information on asylum expenditure, including services such as AASC and AIRE, within its Annual Report and Accounts. These can be found on GOV.UK here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ho-annual-reports-and-accounts

What the spend was on taxis and private transport services provided to illegal migrants in 2025 by region and supplier.

The Home Secretary took immediate action to ensure public money is spent efficiently and fairly by ordering a review into the use of taxis for asylum seekers.Home Office officials are working to implement a new approach that assumes public transport as the default mode for all funded transport for medical and other defined ad hoc appointments, with taxi or private hire vehicles permitted only in exceptional, clearly defined circumstances.Contracted Accommodation Providers are yet to finalise the submission of invoices in respect of 2025 transport costs and these will require reconciliation and validation before payment is made and averages can be calculated.

What the average cost per trip was for taxi journeys commissioned under asylum accommodation contracts in 2025 by purpose of journey.

The Home Secretary took immediate action to ensure public money is spent efficiently and fairly by ordering a review into the use of taxis for asylum seekers.Home Office officials are working to implement a new approach that assumes public transport as the default mode for all funded transport for medical and other defined ad hoc appointments, with taxi or private hire vehicles permitted only in exceptional, clearly defined circumstances.Contracted Accommodation Providers are yet to finalise the submission of invoices in respect of 2025 transport costs and these will require reconciliation and validation before payment is made and averages can be calculated.