Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how local residents will be formally consulted prior to a decision being taken on whether to use Crowborough Training Camp to accommodate asylum seekers.
It remains our intention to use Crowborough Training Camp to accommodateasylum seekers, subject to the outcome of feasibility assessments. We areconfident that the level of due diligence carried out on alternativeaccommodation sites has improved, and we ensure that the relevantapprovals and assessments take place at the appropriate stage.The Home Office has been engaging with statutory partners for Crowborough,including Health, Police and Fire Rescue, on this proposal and will work withlocal authority and cross-government media teams to ensure ongoingcoordination and alignment to deliver consistent messaging and rapidresponse to emerging issues. Multi- Agency Forums chaired by Home Officewith key delivery partners will take place at least fortnightly pre-delivery, aswell as post go-live and we are working closely with key stakeholdersincluding local health partners to minimise the impact on the local community.Regarding Community and Equality Impact Assessments, assessments willbe carried out as part of the standard process for alternative sites and will bepublished as appropriate