Margaret Hodge confirms review of private sector delivery of public services

Along with other campaigners and commentators, Kazuri has spent much time of late calling on Government to hold G4S to account for the disastrous experiences of many women under the COMPASS contract for housing asylum seekers.

We have also become increasingly concerned about the growing involvement of large private sector companies in the delivery of public services to vulnerable people, including the recent awarding to G4S of a contract to run Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs).

We are delighted to have received a letter from Margaret Hodge, Chair of the Committee of Public Accounts confirming an examination of the delivery of the COMPASS contract and a broader review of the delivery of public services by private sector contractors.

The letter reads as follows:

As you will know, the former UK Border Agency (now part of the Home Office) recently tendered for new asylum housing contracts, which began operating in May 2012, each covering a region of the UK. You raised a concern that asylum seekers have been evicted from properties because of rent arrears that had arisen because G4S's subcontractors were not paying landlords.

I have forwarded your letter to the National Audit Office (NAO), as the issues you raise regarding asylum accommodation are of interest in the context of the NAO's work in this area. The NAO plans to look at COMPASS and the arrangements for asylum accommodation. This work will feed into a wider review which the NAO is undertaking looking at the delivery of public services by private sector contractors (including G4S) to support a Public Accounts Committee hearing with the contractors in the Autumn.

 I understand that the Home Office is aware of general concerns around the contracts in operation, although it was not aware of the specific details around G4S and rent arrears and will look into this further.

We strongly welcome this news and look forward to supporting the Government in its examination of the delivery of public services by private contractors.

Kazuri has recently opened a Call for Submissions to support our own campaign for a public inquiry to look into the letting of large public service contracts by government departments, the waste of public funds as these contracts are not managed efficiently, and the impossible situation of women who are forced to use these services to seek redress or improvement.