Every parliamentary written question tabled by Rupert Lowe this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
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How many nights were spent in hotels by Departmental staff in financial year 2024-25 by the star rating of the hotel.
The Home Office Hotel booking operator is currently unable to provide star‑rating information for the hotels displayed within their booking tool.This is because several external content providers do not supply star ratings consistently, which means the operator cannot offer accurate or reliable star‑rating data to its customers.
How many nights were spent in hotels by Departmental staff in financial year 2024-25 by the star rating of the hotel.
The Cabinet Office does not record individual hotel star ratings. This is because the Cabinet Office’s travel policy prioritises specific amenities, like a workspace, and safety requirements within fixed nightly rate ceilings rather than subjective commercial gradings.
Media and Sport, how many nights were spent in hotels by Departmental staff in financial year 2024-25 by the star rating of the hotel.
The Department uses a travel management company to book hotel accommodation for staff. The star rating of the hotel is not recorded. The department’s travel and expenses policy ensures value for money by setting clear limits for hotel costs.
Food and Rural Affairs, how many nights were spent in hotels by Departmental staff in financial year 2024-25 by the star rating of the hotel.
The total number of nights spent by Departmental staff in all hotels in 2024-25 was 28,905. The information requested on hotel star ratings is not held and to obtain it would incur disproportionate costs.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many nights were spent in hotels by Departmental staff in financial year 2024-25 by the star rating of the hotel.
The requested information is not centrally collated by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
How many nights were spent in hotels by Departmental staff in financial year 2024-25 by the star rating of the hotel.
DWP policy is clear that a hotel may only be booked for clear business reasons and with approval from the staff member’s manager. The policy also puts limits on the cost of hotels, which naturally excludes premium hotels. The total number nights spent in hotels in 2024/25 was 73,893. Information on hotel star rating is not routinely recorded in our system, but any stays must comply with the relevant departmental cost limit.
How many nights were spent in hotels by Departmental staff in financial year 2024-25 by the star rating of the hotel.
In financial year 2024/25 there were 6,269 nights spent in hotels by Department staff. We are unable to provide the star ratings of the hotels associated with these stays, as this information is not captured by our service provider.
Pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2026 to Question 107846 on GP Practice lists, how many and what proportion of patients registered on 1 January 2026 were foreign nationals.
The Department does not hold data regarding the number and proportion of National Health Service general practice registrations that were for people not born in the United Kingdom.
What Key Performance Indicators are commonly applied across asylum contracts.
KPI schedules and performance measures are set out in the contracts which are available on Contracts Finder and can be found in the links below:Wales - AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Wales - Contracts FinderSouth - AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract South - Contracts FinderNW - AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NW - Contracts FinderMEE - AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract MEE - Contracts FinderNEYH - AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NEYH - Contracts FinderScotland - AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Scotland - Contracts FinderNI - AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NI - Contracts FinderCTM - CCTM22A01 Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services Contract - Contracts Finder
With reference to contract “Support Payment Card”, procurement reference 429018/1483183, why parts of the documentation relating to the contract are marked official sensitive; and what criteria are used to determine redactions.
Information considered commercially sensitive, containing personal information or other sensitive topics or information is not routinely published and is therefore redacted by the Home Office.
With reference to contract “Support Payment Card”, procurement reference 429018/1483183, which officials and Ministers approved the final award decision, and on what dates.
The final award followed all internal approval processes, including appropriate governance committees. Ministerial approval was not required due to the value of the contract award.
With reference to the contract Support Payment Card, procurement reference 429018/148318, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of commercial confidentiality under that contract on provision of information to Parliament that helps facilitate scrutiny of value for money.
The Support Payment Card contract was awarded to Prepaid Financial Services Limited (PFS) on 24 May 2020 as a Call-Off to Lot 2 (Prepaid Cards) of the RM 3828 Crown Commercial Services Framework Contract for the provision of the Support Payment Card Service.PFS successfully secured a place on Lot 2 of the Framework Agreement along with four other suppliers. The Home Office determined which supplier could deliver the best value for money solution to the Home Office’s requirement. The evaluation considered both quality and price. Therefore, at the time of contract award, PFS’ solution offered the best value for money.As these services were compliantly procured, and we undertake regular reviews of Supplier performance and assessments of financial and commercial data via established governance forums, value for money is scrutinised on an ongoing basis.The risks of disclosing information that is considered confidential and commercially sensitive outweigh the benefits of disclosure. Release would impact on the Home Office’s ability to obtain maximum value for money for taxpayers. Disclosure of PFS’ commercially sensitive information could also impact upon their ability to compete for future services of this nature.
With reference to the contract, Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services, procurement reference CCTM22A01, how many Quarterly Commercial Review Meetings have taken place.
The information requested is considered confidential and commercially sensitive and is therefore not publicly released.The Home Office operates a rigorous contract management regime, which includes monthly Contract Management Group meetings and Quarterly Commercial Review Meetings to discuss contract management issues and oversee performance. Two Quarterly Commercial Review Meetings have been held.The minutes of the monthly and quarterly performance meetings and other review meetings are treated as commercially sensitive and are not publicly released.The Home Office also conducts regular reviews of its contracts to ensure that they deliver maximum value for money, but the minutes, notes, and outcomes of this work are commercially sensitive and not made publicly available.
With reference to contract “Support Payment Card”, procurement reference 429018/1483183, what controls exist to prevent (a) unnecessary and (b) duplicate payments being issued.
The Home Office has robust controls in place to ensure Support Payment Card transactions are accurate and appropriate, including system led instructions that issue the correct support level, active monitoring of ongoing eligibility, and prompt discontinuation of payments when an asylum seeker is no longer entitled.
With reference to the contract, Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services, procurement reference CCTM22A01, if she will publish the minutes of the Benchmark Review.
The information requested is considered confidential and commercially sensitive and is therefore not publicly released.The Home Office operates a rigorous contract management regime, which includes monthly Contract Management Group meetings and Quarterly Commercial Review Meetings to discuss contract management issues and oversee performance. Two Quarterly Commercial Review Meetings have been held.The minutes of the monthly and quarterly performance meetings and other review meetings are treated as commercially sensitive and are not publicly released.The Home Office also conducts regular reviews of its contracts to ensure that they deliver maximum value for money, but the minutes, notes, and outcomes of this work are commercially sensitive and not made publicly available.
With reference to contract “Support Payment Card”, procurement reference 429018/1483183, how many replacement cards were received; and what was the total cost to the public purse of the replacement.
The requested information is commercially sensitive.
With reference to contract “Support Payment Card”, procurement reference 429018/1483183, what the administrative cost is for each card, excluding the value of payments loaded onto cards.
Information on the allowances provided to asylum seeking cohorts is publicly available: Asylum support: What you'll get - GOV.UKAdministrative costs related to the provision of payment cards are commercially sensitive and not for publication.
With reference to the contract, Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services, procurement reference CCTM22A01, if she will publish the minutes of all Monthly Operational Review meetings.
The information requested is considered confidential and commercially sensitive and is therefore not publicly released.The Home Office operates a rigorous contract management regime, which includes monthly Contract Management Group meetings and Quarterly Commercial Review Meetings to discuss contract management issues and oversee performance. Two Quarterly Commercial Review Meetings have been held.The minutes of the monthly and quarterly performance meetings and other review meetings are treated as commercially sensitive and are not publicly released.The Home Office also conducts regular reviews of its contracts to ensure that they deliver maximum value for money, but the minutes, notes, and outcomes of this work are commercially sensitive and not made publicly available.
With reference to contract “Support Payment Card”, procurement reference 429018/1483183, how many staff delivering services are subject to Security Clearance (SC); and what the average cost of clearance is per staff member.
The Home Office does not incur costs for Security Clearance (SC) under the Support Payment Card contract, as these are not charged through the contract, and we therefore do not hold data on the average cost per staff member.The number of staff subject to SC is also not held by the department, as staffing levels and clearance requirements sit with the provider, who is responsible for ensuring that the appropriate number of suitably cleared personnel are in place to deliver the services in accordance with contractual requirements.
With reference to the contract “Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services”, procurement reference CCTM22A01, if she will publish the minutes of the Quarterly Commercial Review meetings.
The information requested is considered confidential and commercially sensitive and is therefore not publicly released.The Home Office operates a rigorous contract management regime, which includes monthly Contract Management Group meetings and Quarterly Commercial Review Meetings to discuss contract management issues and oversee performance. Two Quarterly Commercial Review Meetings have been held.The minutes of the monthly and quarterly performance meetings and other review meetings are treated as commercially sensitive and are not publicly released.The Home Office also conducts regular reviews of its contracts to ensure that they deliver maximum value for money, but the minutes, notes, and outcomes of this work are commercially sensitive and not made publicly available.