§ The Minister for Citizenship and Immigration (Beverley Hughes)Following a careful and detailed assessment of HMS Daedalus in Gosport as a potential accommodation centre for asylum seekers, we have concluded that the difficulties associated with the conversion of historic buildings and the creation of a suitable access point into the site mean that we will no longer be pursuing this site for the purposes of the trial. I can confirm that we will not be proceeding with a planning notification for this site.
It remains our intention to include within the trial of accommodation centres at least one centre which is smaller than the 750 bed model, and is located in, or near, an urban area. We are still in discussions with the Refugee Council about the core and cluster model proposed by them. We will not be putting details of potential sites into the public domain unless and until they appear to be a good prospect for the siting of an accommodation centre.