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Asylum: Health Services

Asked by Steve BarclayConservativeMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled Answered 12 March 2025UIN 35253

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2025 to Question 30616 on Asylum: Health Services, if she will make it her policy to collect information on the amount spent by local authorities on services to support (a) refugees and (b) people seeking asylum to access healthcare services.

Answered by Jim McMahon

As set out in my answer to Question 30616, the department does not hold this information to the level requested. At this time, line 49 in the local authority expenditure and financing statistics accounts for services or interventions for asylum seekers, including:

  • Supported access to health, housing or education services
  • Language/interpreter support
  • Providing advice and information
  • Access to legal advice

MHCLG engages with local authorities and other government departments to understand what data is a priority to capture within the local authority expenditure and financing statistics, and considers making changes on a case by case basis. At present, we do not have plans to collect additional information on local authority spend on refugees.

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