Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seeks will be initially accommodated on the barge in Portland Port when it opens; and what her Department's planned timescale is to fill the total number of spaces.

The provision of an accommodation barge at Portland Port will provide capacity for a maximum of 506 asylum seekers. There will be a phased programme of embarkation to ensure the site is run effectively, with as minimal impact on the local community as possible.