Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when his Department plans to publish an updated human rights and democracy report, together with an updated list of human rights priority countries.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

This Government is firmly committed to the protection and promotion of human rights and democracy around the world, and to reporting publicly on its actions in support of that goal. The next report on human rights will be published later this year, covering the period since the current Government came to office.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Operational Management Plan for the proposed asylum accommodation at Site A at MoD Bicester will be completed and assessed before a final decision is made on the use of the site; and whether the plan will be published before any residents are accommodated there.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)

No final decision has been made as to whether to use Site A at MOD Bicester for asylum accommodation. Suitability assessments remain ongoing and will consider a range of factors including safety, security, operational deliverability, planning requirements, and the impact on local services and communities.

A detailed Operational Management Plan would be completed following the appointment of the service provider and approved before the site became operational.

Decisions on publication would be considered once the plan had been finalised. Appropriate information on how the site would operate would continue to be made publicly available through published factsheets.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the safety and welfare of staff working at the proposed asylum accommodation at Site A at MoD Bicester, including arrangements for lone working and night shifts.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)

If MOD Bicester is taken forward, an experienced, specialist provider of asylum accommodation would be appointed to manage the site on behalf of the Home Office. The safety and security of the local community, the staff who work there and those accommodated on the site would be of the utmost importance. The site would have a specialist and experienced provider of security services permanently, supported by CCTV monitoring and access control arrangements.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, (i) how many government employees are currently involved in processing asylum claims, and (ii) the average employment cost of each.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)

At the end of June 2026, there were 1,935 full-time equivalent (FTE) asylum caseworkers in the Home Office. This information is published in the Migration transparency data - GOV.UK (Immigration and Protection data), under table ASY_05(M). Migration transparency data - GOV.UK (Immigration and Protection data), under table ASY_05(M).

The Home Office does not routinely publish the average employment cost of individual asylum caseworkers. However, information on staff grades and pay is available in the published Home Office Structure and Salaries data. Broader asylum system expenditure, including staffing costs, is published in the Migration Transparency Data.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to publish the Security Management Plan prepared in relation to the proposed asylum accommodation at Site A at MoD Bicester, and if not, what information about the proposed security arrangements will be made publicly available.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)

Detailed security plans are not routinely published where disclosure could undermine the effectiveness of the arrangements or create riks to the site, staff, local communities or those accommodated there.

The safety and security of the local community, the staff who work there and those accommodated on the site will be of the utmost importance. There will be a specialist and experienced provider of security services permanently on site 24/7, as well as security systems including CCTV monitoring and recording, if the site is taken forward.

The Home Office would continue working closely with the police, local authorities and other partners to ensure that accommodation sites are successfully managed and the impact upon the local community is minimised.

Appropriate information about the security arrangements would continue to be made publicly available through the MOD Bicester factsheet, planning material and stakeholder engagement.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact on the safety and wellbeing of women, men and children living in communities surrounding the proposed asylum accommodation at Site A at MoD Bicester.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)

No final decision has been taken on the future use of MOD Bicester. Suitability assessments are ongoing and will consider a range of factors including safety, security, operational deliverability, planning requirements, and the impact on local services and communities. This work is informed by engagement with local police and other partners.

If the site is taken forward, it would have specialist security permanently on site supported by CCTV and appropriate access-control arrangements. The Home Office would continue working closely with local police and partners to assess risks and help protect the safety and wellbeing of local communities, staff and those accommodated on site.

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