Baroness Goudie
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(3 years, 10 months ago)
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Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)
I refer the noble Lord back to the answer that I have just gave to my noble friend Lord Balfe, and the answer is yes.
Baroness Goudie (Lab) [V]
On 28 January I asked the Minister what conditions in the barracks were like, and she assured me that they were fit for purpose. In the last few days and weeks we have seen articles in the newspapers and on the news—these barracks are not fit for purpose and we should do our utmost to find other accommodation, remembering that at some point these asylum seekers will become citizens of Great Britain, or they will go elsewhere. What will they think of us as a nation and the way we have treated them?
Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)
I think I have probably answered the noble Baroness’s question but, absolutely, there has been additional demand on the system, and we have accommodated it. However, to go back to what the noble Lord, Lord Kerr, said, we need to process those claims as and when it is safe to do so and either grant people asylum or return them to their country of origin.