ABSTRACT
Sections 115-123 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 are grouped together within Part VI of that Act under 'Exclusions'. The government's White Paper 'Fairer Faster Firmer', and its 'Asylum Support: an information document' placed emphasis on the 'significant disincentive effect' National Asylum Support Service (NASS) support was designed to have. NASS contracts with others, including local authorities, private providers and certain voluntary agencies, to provide this support. Similarly with the definition of what needs of the asylum seeker NASS is to meet and with the definition of the standard of accommodation to be provided: the word 'adequate is used, rather than the term 'suitable', familiar from housing legislation. There is every sign that the NASS scheme is perfectly capable of self-destructing, and the efforts of local authorities and certain voluntary organisations that entered into contractual relationships with NASS to deliver some of its services, are holding it together.
