Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what consideration her Department has given to withdrawing the Urgent Crown Development application for Site A at MoD Bicester and pursuing the proposal through the Crown Development procedure instead.

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.

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.