Committee publication · Correspondence · 15 July 2026
260707 Minister for Border Security and Asylum in response to the Chair’s letter on 26 June on Asylum Accommodation - follow up inquiry
From: Home Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Asylum Accommodation: Follow Up
Summary
Minister for Border Security & Asylum Alex Norris responds to Home Affairs Committee Chair Karen Bradley's 26 June letter on asylum accommodation plans. The letter addresses 12 questions covering the media-first announcement approach, local stakeholder engagement, police notification timelines, reuse of RAF Linton-on-Ouse after previous cancellation, contract extension negotiations, Cameron Barracks site withdrawal, procurement strategy for new sites, and political balance considerations in site selection.
Key findings
- Government announced asylum accommodation plans via press before parliamentary statement; Written Ministerial Statement and Oral Statement followed on 29 June 2026.
- Police received notice of announcement on 18 June; MPs and local authorities informed 24–25 June, ahead of public disclosure.
- Crowborough site contract under investigation for potential extension until 2030; no final decision made pending assessments.
- Cameron Barracks abandoned due to HMO licensing timescales exceeding MoD availability window (until October 2026); value-for-money concerns cited.
- No contractual obligation to use existing AASC providers for new sites; route-to-market assessment underway; Accounting Officer tests (regularity, propriety, value for money, feasibility) apply to all approvals.
- Political control of constituencies or local authorities not a determining factor in site selection; sites selected on feasibility grounds only.
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Alex Norris MP, Karen Bradley MP, Home Office, Ministry of Defence, National Police Coordination Centre, AASC providers
Notable line
“No final decisions have been taken on any of these proposals and engagement with stakeholders will form part of that process.”
Key Quotes
“In this instance, timing was driven by operational and planning considerations, including factors which create unavoidable points of public disclosure.”
“When re-considering the renewed offer of use of the site by the MoD, we will draw on lessons learned from previous assessment work and our other more recently successful large site stand ups to ensure a more robust, transparent, and informed approach.”
“The timelines associated with satisfying the HMO licence requirement to use the site would have exceeded the length of time the site was offered to us by the MOD.”
“There is no contractual obligation to do so, but we are following the plan as outlined above to operationalise sites appropriately to contribute to hotel exit whilst complying with procurement law.”
“Sites are considered against feasibility assessments, with only the most deliverable progressed.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗