Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the projected cost of plans to house asylum seekers on a boat on the River Mersey at Wirral Waters.

The United Kingdom has a legal obligation to provide asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute with accommodation and other support whilst their claim for asylum is being considered.

Ongoing work across government is being undertaken to identify and secure more appropriate, cost-effective accommodation options. In exploring potential alternative large sites, we continue to consider all available options to source appropriate and cost-effective temporary accommodation, including the option of the usage of vessels. Considerations regarding design, usage and cost are ongoing.