The Asylum Transformation Programme

Public Accounts Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 24 May 2023 Closed: 14 Feb 2024 Parliament page
In 2021-22 the UK asylum system cost £2.1 billion and spending has increased rapidly in the last few years. The effectiveness of the asylum system depends on well-functioning case-working at the Home Office to support timely and accurate decisions. Making decisions quickly, fairly and accurately is important for the wellbeing … Read more
8 Recommendations
15 Conclusions
1 Report
1 Oral session
2 Letters
1 Event
Activity timeline 6 events
14 Feb
2024
Report published
15 Jan
2024
Correspondence
27 Oct
2023
Report published
19 Sep
2023
Correspondence
10 Jul
2023
Oral evidence
10 Jul
2023
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Oral evidence sessions 1 session
10 Jul 2023
View on parliament.uk
The Asylum Transformation Programme
Abi Tierney · HM Passport Office and UK Visas and Immigration Simon Ridley · Home Office Sir Matthew Rycroft KCMG CBE · Home Office
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Seventy-Sixth Report - The Asylum Transformation Programme HC 1334 27 Oct 2023 23 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
2 results
Clear
13 Conclusion Not Addressed
Seventy-Sixth Report - The Asylum …
Home Office business case lacks broad assessment of economic and departmental impacts of increased decisions.
While the Programme aims to increase the number of asylum decisions that the Home Office makes, the Home Office acknowledged that it has not looked broadly enough at benefits and costs beyond the asylum and protection team of increasing decisions.33 … Read more
Government Response
The government states it will not publish the Programme’s Business Case, as it is not standard practice, but offers a private meeting to explain how impacts were modelled once HM Treasury approval is received.
HM Treasury
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19 Conclusion Not Addressed
Seventy-Sixth Report - The Asylum …
Home Office fails to provide clarity on financial savings from asylum hotel room-sharing.
The Home Office explained that, as a way to limit the number of hotels it is using, it will accommodate more people in each hotel by increasing the amount of room-sharing.55 It told us that it had so far increased … Read more
Government Response
The government disagrees with the committee's observation, reiterating its plan to reduce reliance on hotels by optimising existing use, increasing room sharing, and delivering alternative accommodation, stating it has begun closing over 50 hotels. It does not provide the specific savings figures requested by the committee.
HM Treasury
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Government Response AI assessment · 23 of 8 classified
Accepted 14
Not Addressed 2
Rejected 7
Total 8 recs + 15 conclusions
Correspondence 2 letters
15 Jan 2024 Correspondence from Sir Matthew Rycroft KCMG CBE, Permanent Secretary, Home Office, re following the publication of the Seventy-Sixth Report of Session 2022-23 on the Asylum Transformation Programme, dated 9 January 2024
Parliament page
19 Sep 2023 Correspondence from Sir Matthew Rycroft KCMG CBE, Permanent Secretary, Home Office, re Asylum Transformation Programme, dated 18 August 2023
Parliament page