Speeches by Mullane.

“Thank you, Minister. How long will you be using Crowborough as asylum accommodation?”

“Has the Home Office spoken to destitute asylum seekers? What you are basically saying is you do not want to put the pressure on local authorities—what would you do and for how long?”

“When Shabana Mahmood came to the Committee, she was very strong on asylum seekers, the right to work, highly skilled roles, how important it is. If somebody has that and cannot gain employment, will you withdraw their support?”

“Is that a concrete year and then you will go, and so it is definite?”

“I was pleased to hear you say that the hotels are central in communities and you have your weddings and you have your community events. That is positive. Going back to social cohesion, when you look at those figures for Crowborough on the police and the health costs, you are speaking to Members of Parliament and counci…”

“I have one final question. If you were the public watching this now, would you be sceptical that it will be a year for this site at Crowborough?”

“What if they cannot get work, if they are highly skilled?”

“You are saying it is tight already, aren’t you?”

“That is in regard to your evidence gathering, and you added four years to the scope of the inquiry so that you can go back as far as you need. With those terms expanding, you said earlier that three years is not long enough, and that it is already challenging.”

“For me, this is one of the biggest things in this country in regard to trust—that is true of the public, as well as the victims, with everything that has happened. That aside, is the budget of £65 million enough for what you are trying to do? I hear very loudly and clearly from you that it is a victims/survivor approac…”

“I want to come back on Eleanor’s point with regard to what Robbie said. You said that you would be very disappointed if local authorities did not provide the information. If something goes wrong with something like this, people tend not to blame local authorities; they tend to blame the politicians. You are hoping that…”

“There would not be disappointment then, would there? If we follow what you are now saying.”

“My questions are about the framework. What was the rationale for adding four years to the scope of the inquiry?”

“Yes, you do. If I were a resident there and the council did not provide evidence, I would think, “I’m not really happy with that.” If the council has not got it about itself to provide that evidence, I would be really concerned that that would be the response at the other end.”

“How confident are the three of you that when the final report is written, it will be implemented by the Home Office?”

“Yes.”

“If that behaviour comes out, the £65 million will not be enough, will it? And you will need more time.”

“You say that a resident might be disappointed. Where will that disappointment come in? If they have a statutory duty, and you do not—”

“If some local authorities—I am not saying whether for or against—do not do what you would expect and hope, you are going to need more money and more powers, legal and everything, are you not? You are going to need more time.”

“Do you agree that part of that success will be when people can see progress in your interim report? When do you think that will be? When will you get the interim reports out?”