“Soft-touch Britain” could be paying for migrants living in hotels to have their laundry picked up, washed and returned for free. Home Office contracter Clearsprings is advertising for a sub-contractor to operate a washing service for clothing and sheets. It is understood that they are already in talks with the French laundry company Elis, which currently has a contract with the NHS.
If a deal is reached, the scheme would trial at taxpayer-funded migrant hotels in Bristol, The Sun reports. Asylum seeker’s dirty washing would then be done at Elis’s commercial facility in Bridgewater, Somerset. While no figure has been put on the potential deal, it has been slammed by industry insiders who claim there is a “cheaper” method to doing their laundry.
“Most migrant hotels have a washing machine, why can’t migrants use those?” an inside source fumed
“The government has to provide for them, but every cog in the system knows it can be done cheaper.”
Speaking to the newspaper, former Conservative minister Sir Alec Shelbrooke said: “It’s one thing to provide a basic standard of hygiene — like using existing facilities — but another to supply migrant hotels with a silver service.
“This is once again an example of soft-touch Britain burning taxpayer money.”
In response, the Home Office defended the contract, explaining that it was required by law to provide a laundry service “in supported accommodation”. It added that deals were being reviewed with the aim of saving taxpayers’ money, and that no contract has been officially signed.
This comes after a £260million contract was revealed for removal centres at Gatwick Airport to offer free English lessons, arts and crafts classes and IT tutorials.
The eight-year contract provided by Serco will offer IT and English classes by qualified instructors, also specifying that the ability to make a hot beverage must be available at all times.
A Serco spokesman said: “We provide options such as art classes and IT provision as stipulated in our contract with the Home Office.”
The Home Office told The Sun: “This contract was procured and awarded under a previous Government.
“We are reviewing contracts for the provision of resident activities in immigration removal centres to ensure they deliver value for taxpayers.”
