Question
If small boat crossings were down by enough, the Government would not have to stand up asylum camps at places such as Ministry of Defence Bicester site A, which is just over the Oxfordshire border from my constituency. With 85,000 small boat crossings since the general election, the situation is at crisis point. MOD Bicester site A does not even offer value to the taxpayer; new modelling shows that over three years, the cost would come in at £385 per person per night—nearly double that of the equivalent asylum hotels. Will the Home Secretary actually get on and deport those who have come to our country illegally, rather than using sites like MOD Bicester site A?
Answer
Under this Government, small boat returns have increased. This is a crisis that began on the Conservative Government’s watch and got worse under the Conservative party; this Government are fixing the mess that they left behind.67% point-scoring
Verdict: RED (18/100)
The reply addresses only a small part of the question. Its one relevant statement says small boat returns have increased, but it never states whether the Government will remove people rather than accommodate them, and it does not mention MOD Bicester or the accommodation sites. The rest of the reply is political criticism of the previous government, which does not answer the question. A member of the public would likely need to ask again for a specific commitment.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will the Home Secretary deport those who have arrived in the UK illegally, rather than accommodating them at sites such as MOD Bicester site A? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply's only statement on returns ("small boat returns have increased") touches the deportation side of the question, but it never says whether the Government will remove people rather than accommodate them, and it does not mention MOD Bicester or accommodation sites. Statements 2 and 3 are political attacks on the previous government and do not bear on the item. |