Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with the Scottish Government on community safety and child welfare in connection with the proposed use of Cameron Barracks to accommodate asylum seekers.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Initial engagement with Police Scotland and Highland Council on the proposed use of Cameron Barracks to accommodate asylum seekers took place in early October 2025. Engagement with Police Scotland, Highland Council and other statutory partners continues regularly via an Operational Working Group and through bi-lateral conversations.
As we have previously confirmed to all partners, the safety and security of local communities around the site, the staff who work there and those accommodated on the site are of the utmost importance, and a specialist and experienced provider of security services would be permanently on site 24/7 if the site were to be used as asylum accommodation.
If the site were to be used as asylum accommodation, we would work closely and routinely with Police Scotland Highlands Division to ensure appropriate security arrangements were in place for the safety and security of the asylum seekers and the wider community.
If the Home Office decides to proceed with using Cameron Barracks as asylum accommodation, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) would not be involved in the day to day running or security of the site. Any decisions regarding military police or other MOD activity in the surrounding area are solely for the MOD, and it would not be appropriate for the Home Office to comment on their operational posture.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Defence on the deployment of military police around Cameron Barracks.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Initial engagement with Police Scotland and Highland Council on the proposed use of Cameron Barracks to accommodate asylum seekers took place in early October 2025. Engagement with Police Scotland, Highland Council and other statutory partners continues regularly via an Operational Working Group and through bi-lateral conversations.
As we have previously confirmed to all partners, the safety and security of local communities around the site, the staff who work there and those accommodated on the site are of the utmost importance, and a specialist and experienced provider of security services would be permanently on site 24/7 if the site were to be used as asylum accommodation.
If the site were to be used as asylum accommodation, we would work closely and routinely with Police Scotland Highlands Division to ensure appropriate security arrangements were in place for the safety and security of the asylum seekers and the wider community.
If the Home Office decides to proceed with using Cameron Barracks as asylum accommodation, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) would not be involved in the day to day running or security of the site. Any decisions regarding military police or other MOD activity in the surrounding area are solely for the MOD, and it would not be appropriate for the Home Office to comment on their operational posture.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with Police Scotland on the proposed use of Cameron Barracks to accommodate asylum seekers.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Initial engagement with Police Scotland and Highland Council on the proposed use of Cameron Barracks to accommodate asylum seekers took place in early October 2025. Engagement with Police Scotland, Highland Council and other statutory partners continues regularly via an Operational Working Group and through bi-lateral conversations.
As we have previously confirmed to all partners, the safety and security of local communities around the site, the staff who work there and those accommodated on the site are of the utmost importance, and a specialist and experienced provider of security services would be permanently on site 24/7 if the site were to be used as asylum accommodation.
If the site were to be used as asylum accommodation, we would work closely and routinely with Police Scotland Highlands Division to ensure appropriate security arrangements were in place for the safety and security of the asylum seekers and the wider community.
If the Home Office decides to proceed with using Cameron Barracks as asylum accommodation, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) would not be involved in the day to day running or security of the site. Any decisions regarding military police or other MOD activity in the surrounding area are solely for the MOD, and it would not be appropriate for the Home Office to comment on their operational posture.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with Highland Council on the proposed use of Cameron Barracks to accommodate asylum seekers.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Initial engagement with Police Scotland and Highland Council on the proposed use of Cameron Barracks to accommodate asylum seekers took place in early October 2025. Engagement with Police Scotland, Highland Council and other statutory partners continues regularly via an Operational Working Group and through bi-lateral conversations.
As we have previously confirmed to all partners, the safety and security of local communities around the site, the staff who work there and those accommodated on the site are of the utmost importance, and a specialist and experienced provider of security services would be permanently on site 24/7 if the site were to be used as asylum accommodation.
If the site were to be used as asylum accommodation, we would work closely and routinely with Police Scotland Highlands Division to ensure appropriate security arrangements were in place for the safety and security of the asylum seekers and the wider community.
If the Home Office decides to proceed with using Cameron Barracks as asylum accommodation, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) would not be involved in the day to day running or security of the site. Any decisions regarding military police or other MOD activity in the surrounding area are solely for the MOD, and it would not be appropriate for the Home Office to comment on their operational posture.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many small boats crossing the English Channel have been towed by French authorities into UK waters in each month from January 2022 to June 2025.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
None.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much of the funding allocated to support (a) joint working arrangements and (b) enforcement plans agreed with French Government on 27 February 2025 to tackle people smuggling gangs has been used.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As part of the UK-FR Joint Leaders’ Declaration, published on 23 March 2023, the United Kingdom has agreed to contribute €209m to reduce instances of irregular migration to the UK in the Financial Year 2025-26.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her press release entitled New UK-French action to go after smuggler gangs, published 28 February 2025, how many of the 12 planned specialist intelligence officers to be part of the judicial police unit, the Groupe d’Appui Operationnel, are in post.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Twelve.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the (a) joint working arrangements and (b) enforcement plans to help tackle people smuggling gangs that were agreed with France on 27 February 2025.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the Hon Member to the oral statement made to the House by the Home Secretary on 14 July.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions with the devolved Administrations on extending the remit for the commission into grooming gangs and child exploitation to include (a) Scotland, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Whilst child protection is fully devolved in the UK and policing devolved except for Wales, all parts of the UK must work together to protect children and bring perpetrators to justice.
The Independent Commission into group-based child sexual exploitation will have statutory powers, and the chair will determine the Commission's procedure and conduct. We expect any relevant findings to be shared with devolved administrations to support a comprehensive approach across the UK. We will announce further details on the Commission, including the appointment of an independent chair, in due course.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the remit for the commission into grooming gangs and child exploitation to (a) Scotland, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Whilst child protection is fully devolved in the UK and policing devolved except for Wales, all parts of the UK must work together to protect children and bring perpetrators to justice.
The Independent Commission into group-based child sexual exploitation will have statutory powers, and the chair will determine the Commission's procedure and conduct. We expect any relevant findings to be shared with devolved administrations to support a comprehensive approach across the UK. We will announce further details on the Commission, including the appointment of an independent chair, in due course.