Asked by: Richard Drax (Conservative - South Dorset)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who has been contracted to provide the barge for Portland Port; and whether the same provider will be responsible for all facilities, services and staff on the barge and shore side.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The vessel will be managed by our supplier, under contractual terms agreed with the Home Office. The same supplier has safely and successfully managed two vessels for Ukrainian refugees for the Scottish Government over the past year.
Asked by: Richard Drax (Conservative - South Dorset)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she plans to take to refurbish the asylum accommodation vessel she plans to use in Portland Port; what facilities she plans to provide on that vessel; and what provisions she plans to make for (a) water, (b) sewage, (c) electricity, (d) gas, (e) rubbish collection and (f) mobile phone and wifi connectivity on that vessel.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The vessel to be berthed in Portland Port will undergo statutory inspection along with any necessary refurbishment and general maintenance, in a UK port, ahead of its berthing in Portland.
It will be managed by a specialist and experienced provider, which has a strong track record of providing this kind of accommodation, having managed the two vessels in Scottish ports for the past year, and successfully with local authorities and other public organisations in Scotland.
Using Portland Port’s existing infrastructure to service vessels, appropriate utilities will be provided to support the accommodation barge, including water, power, and WiFi connectivity.
Portland Port has a Waste Management Plan that ensures that all ships using the Harbour dispose of all waste in an efficient and environmentally correct manner.
We will continue to work closely with the councils, communities, and key local partners to manage any impact in Dorset.
Asked by: Richard Drax (Conservative - South Dorset)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what consultation her Department conducted with (a) Dorset Council, (b) local NHS, police and fire services, (c) other statutory local agencies and (d) the hon. Member for South Dorset before signing the contract with Portland Port for asylum accommodation.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Home Office met with the Dorset council and other key stakeholders before signing the contract. We continue to work closely with the NHS, police, fire service and other statutory agencies to develop bespoke plans that take account of local environmental issues, heritage and any risks associated with the site in order to address local concerns and to ensure that we minimise any potential impact on the local area.
Asked by: Richard Drax (Conservative - South Dorset)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the planned staff to resident ratio is for the Biddy Stockholm barge in Portland Port (a) in the day and (b) at night; and what assessment she has made of the capacity of local (i) police and (ii) other emergency services to provide relevant support to staff and residents at that site.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The vessel will be managed by an experienced accommodation supplier, under contractual terms agreed with the Home Office. The same supplier has safely and successfully managed two vessels for Ukrainian refugees for the Scottish Government over the past year.
Whilst we do not comment on exact staffing ratios, the Home Office will ensure sufficient staffing is on site for the orderly running of the vessel as asylum accommodation.
Sufficient staffing is on site so the vessel is run as asylum accommodation in an orderly way with minimal impact on the local community.
Asked by: Richard Drax (Conservative - South Dorset)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Biddy Stockholm barge which will house asylum seekers in Portland Port, Dorset is as advertised designed to accommodate 222 people; and how that vessel will accommodate more people than that figure.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The provision of an accommodation barge at Portland Port will provide the capacity for a maximum of 506 asylum seekers. The vessel will contain multiple occupancy rooms that are an appropriate size for the number of occupants in the appropriate space standard. The vessel will always remain in line with marine industry safety regulations and meet all statutory requirements.
Asked by: Richard Drax (Conservative - South Dorset)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has carried out a risk assessment of asylum seekers' welfare (a) on board and (b) off the proposed barge accommodation centres.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Every resident at Manston undergoes security checks and screening for health issues. Treatment is given where appropriate. We will assess an individual’s suitability to reside at Portland prior to placement there and continue to assess each person’s suitability at regular intervals whilst on the vessel. We will only accommodate single adult males who are considered suitable to reside there. There are plans for basic medical services to be provided onsite at Portland. All asylum seekers in the UK may contact Migrant Help 24 hours a day 365 days a year if they need help, advice, or guidance raising issues relating to safeguarding.