Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether consultation was undertaken with Cherwell District Council, Oxfordshire County Council, Thames Valley Police and local NHS bodies prior to the decision to proceed with the use of MoD Bicester for asylum accommodation.

No decision has been made in respect of the use of MoD Bicester for asylum accommodation.

The Home Office has engaged regularly with the Secretary of State for Defence regarding the proposed use of the site. Suitability assessments are ongoing and will consider a range of factors including safety, security, operational deliverability, and planning requirements and the impact on local services and communities.

The department will continue to engage regularly with all statutory partners if plans are to be progressed.