Better support and more cash resources for dealing with asylum seekers needs to be provided or councils will struggle to cope an influential committee of MPs has warned.

The Home Affairs Committee at Westminster has concluded the Home Office needs to listen to what local Authorities are telling them and also ensure accommodation for asylum seekers is up to acceptable standards.

Glasgow is home to the most asylum seekers in Scotland and one of the biggest in the UK

Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council, gave evidence to the committee last month and said councillors “went Tonto” when they found out that the private firm contracted by the Home Office to house asylum seekers was planing to change locks and throw hundreds on to streets.

The committee has told the Government to take note that councils fund social work, health, education and other support for asylum seekers putting pressure on budgets and services.

Its report concluded: “The Government must act now to reset its relationship with local authorities on asylum accommodation: it must realise its recent commitment to understand those authorities’ concerns better and provide clear evidence of improved funding support for the full range of impacts they are required to address.”

It also warned that there is “overwhelming evidence” in some cases that accommodation is “unacceptably poor”.

It stated: “The Department has a duty of care and must show a greater urgency about the degrading conditions in which very vulnerable people are being housed under its contracts, including torture survivors, individuals suffering PTSD, pregnant women and mothers with small children.”

When she gave evidence to the committee, Ms Aitken told how council services are affected by the 4000 or so Asylum Seekers in the city.

She said “We use our resources to respond. When people are given leave to remain they are out of their Serco flat and they come on to our homeless register. The more there are the more difficult it is. We step into the breach.”

Ms Aitken said there are more than 4000 asylum seekers in Glasgow. She also said there are 372 unaccompanied child refugees in the city but only 230 get Home Office funding, leaving the council to pick up the cost.

Glasgow City Council wanted to bid to take over the accommodation contract when it is renewed but said that the process excluded local authorities from making a competent application.