Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has reviewed whether the proposed use of Site A at MoD Bicester continues to meet the criteria for an Urgent Crown Development following the submission of the application on 2 September 2026.

No final decision has been made as to whether to use MOD Bicester for asylum accommodation.

The Home Office has submitted an Urgent Crown Development application to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in relation to the proposed use of MOD Bicester for asylum accommodation.  Planning forms part of the wider feasibility and due diligence work for MOD Bicester. The Urgent Crown Development route does not predetermine the outcome, nor does it lessen the scrutiny applied to the proposal.

The proposal remains subject to the planning process, wider due diligence, and all relevant assessments and approvals. Decisions on the planning application are being made independently by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.