§ Mr. ViggersTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the criteria were upon which sites selected for consideration as possible locations for accommodation centres for immigrants seeking political asylum were rejected. [124082]
§ Beverley HughesAll prospective sites for accommodation centres are evaluated against a set of criteria including size, configuration, location, technical characteristics and planning considerations. A large number of sites have been rejected following evaluation against these criteria. A smaller number of sites were included on the shortlist, having met these criteria, but were subsequently rejected for site-specific reasons.
§ Mr. ViggersTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the criteria were upon which the Daedalus site at Lee-on-the-Solent was selected for consideration as a location for a possible accommodation centre for young male immigrants seeking political asylum. [124083]
§ Beverley HughesThe site at HMS Daedalus was selected for further assessment because it met both the general criteria for site selection and the requirements of the alternative model. Our detailed assessment of the site continues.
§ Mr. ViggersTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the expected costs of creating accommodation centres for immigrants seeking political asylum, distinguishing between(a) capital costs of construction and (b) annual total running costs. [124084]
§ Beverley HughesWe are in the process of running a competitive tender for the delivery of accommodation centres. Information about costs is commercially confidential.
§ Mr. ViggersTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the impact on local facilities at Lee-on-the-Solent resulting from the possible introduction of young male immigrants at an accommodation centre. [124085]
§ Beverley HughesWe are talking to local authorities and service providers in the area as part of our assessment of the site. Our aim is to minimise the impact on local services by providing as many as possible of the necessary services on-site.
§ Mr. ViggersTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what basis the Department made the statement that the introduction of an accommodation centre for immigrants in a locality would have no impact on house prices. [124086]
§ Beverley HughesThe Home Office position is that there are many factors that may impact on property prices, both short and long term. We do not accept that the presence of an accommodation centre in a locality would necessarily depress house prices.