To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to (a) ensure that Afghan families are not living in hotels by August 2023 and (b) help integrated those families into their local communities.

Whilst hotels do not provide a long-term solution, they do offer safe, secure and clean accommodation. We are working intensively across government, and in partnership with c.350 local authorities across the country to both bring down the number of people in bridging hotels and move families into more sustainable accommodation as quickly as possible so they can put down permanent roots.

The UK is currently experiencing a shortage of local housing accommodation for all, and we acknowledge that sourcing appropriate accommodation for Afghan families can be a complex process due to the diverse needs of those we are supporting. However, this government remains committed to helping each and every Afghan family resettling in the UK into permanent accommodation as soon as possible.

All those resettling under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) or Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP), have recourse to public funds and the right to work and study. Local authorities currently receive integration tariff funding of £20,520 per person, over three years, for each Afghan family they resettle and provide full integration support to for this duration.

Local authorities and health partners who resettle families currently receive up to £4,500 per child for education, £850 for English language provision for adults requiring this support and £2,600 for healthcare.