Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the nature of the contract the Home Office has agreed for the barges that will be used to house asylum seekers; what period of time this will be for; and at what cost.

Vessels will be managed by an experienced accommodation provider under contractual terms agreed with the Home Office. The same supplier has safely and successfully managed two vessels for Ukrainian refugees for the Scottish Government over the past year.

The Bibby Stockholm vessel will be managed by our supplier, under contractual terms agreed with the Home Office.

The Bibby Stockholm barge and berth have been contracted for 18 months.