Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which Minister signed off the appointment of an Army General to the Manston immigration short-term holding facility; and to which Department the General will report.

The agreement to loan Lieutenant General Skeates to the Home Office until the end of the 2022-23 financial year was made between the Permanent Secretaries of MOD and the Home Office. The loan was expedited through the standard interdepartmental loan process and Defence will be recovering from the Home Office the full costs associated with the appointment. The General works directly to the Home Office, coordinating and advising on migration issues, including relating to the Manston facility.