Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill (Twelfth sitting)

Martin Vickers Excerpts

Tuesday 18th March 2025 Public Bill Committees

[Dame Angela Eagle]

The new clause talks about accommodation centres, which do not exist. What does the hon. Gentleman mean by accommodation centres?

[Martin Vickers]

We have had provision for accommodation centres. We have had accommodation centres.

[Dame Angela Eagle]

But they do not exist.

[Martin Vickers]

I know there are 8,500 more in hotels now, but this was a measure that was put in place to reduce that hotel dependency, to stop us increasing the number of people in those hotels by 29%.

[Dame Angela Eagle]

I want to put something on the record before we vote. There is a specific meaning in law for the phrase “accommodation centres” under the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002. Since that law was passed, no Government have actually stood up accommodation centres under that specific meaning. Therefore, the shadow Minister in his new clause 36 is asking for powers to enter something that does not exist.