Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions his Department has had with Highland Council and Police Scotland on the housing of asylum seekers at Cameron Barracks.

Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)

This Government has committed to ending the use of hotels for asylum seekers. Scotland Office officials have been engaging regularly with Home Office officials, who had direct and regular communication with the Scottish Government, Highland Council and Police Scotland in advance of this announcement.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the proposed use of Cameron Barracks to accommodate asylum seekers.

Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)

This Government has committed to ending the use of hotels for asylum seekers. The Scotland Office has been engaging with the Home Office regularly on the proposed use of Cameron Barracks. The Home Office continues to engage regularly with representatives from the Scottish Government, Highland Council, the NHS, Police, and local partners, including via Multi Agency Forums, to respond to the concerns of those most impacted by the site and to identify ways to keep them informed.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has deployed (a) military police and (b) other personnel to Cameron Barracks.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is supporting the Home Office in the generation of additional asylum accommodation to reduce the use of hotels. The MOD takes its duty of care to service families seriously and supporting the families of those who serve is of the utmost importance. A Royal Military Police presence has been temporarily introduced at Cameron Barracks to reassure military personnel and families onsite. No other additional personnel have been deployed alongside this presence.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the potential impact of the proposed use of Cameron Barracks to accommodate asylum seekers on army families.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Home Office and the Ministry of Defence are working closely together to identify appropriate military and non-military sites which can be utilised to meet the Government’s aim of closing all asylum hotels.

This includes ensuring that service personnel and their families near to sites considered for this purpose are properly consulted and supported.

Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, when Scotland Office ministers or officials last met with Peter Mandleson; and what was discussed at that meeting.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland

I refer you to the Government's response to the Urgent Question tabled on 12 February, the Written Ministerial Statement in the name of the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister that same day, and Oral Statement on 23 February which set out an update on the Government's process. We will set out further details in due course. The Government wishes to ensure that Parliament’s instruction is met with the urgency and transparency that it deserves.