Alex Cunningham highlighted the inadequacies in the asylum accommodation system run by private contractors, causing prolonged delays and poor conditions for vulnerable women and children seeking sanctuary. He cited a record-high backlog of 67,547 people waiting for initial decisions on their claims and over 125,000 facing removal or further decision-making processes. The MP emphasised the lack of oversight from the Home Office leading to reliance on contingency accommodation such as hotels and hostels, which are unsuitable and detrimental to residents' health and well-being.

Cunningham detailed specific instances in Stockton where pregnant women and children were accommodated in substandard conditions without proper facilities, adequate food, or opportunities for social interaction. He criticised the Home Office's criteria for approving such accommodations and called for improved checks on providers, transparency, and accountability. The MP also addressed concerns over funding allocated to dispersal areas and advocated for direct support to local authorities taking in new arrivals.

Cunningham further discussed the need for significant investment in improvements to the current stock of dispersal housing and urged a review of criteria approving accommodations to prevent such poor conditions from being replicated.