Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many asylum seekers are currently housed on the Bibby Stockholm; and for how long they intend for asylum seekers to be housed there.

The capacity of the Bibby Stockholm is around 500 people. The number of asylum seekers onboard the vessel at any one time is likely to vary due to a number of factors.

Numbers will increase in a phased approach as part of a carefully structured plan. We are conscious of the need to manage arrivals in a way that local services can support.

We are assessing how long asylum seekers will be accommodated. The maximum expected length of stay on the vessel is likely to be up to 9 months. This will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.