The Lord Bishop of Durham received the following written answers on 2nd November 2022:
The Lord Bishop of Durham asked His Majesty’s Government what is the estimated cost of reopening (1) the Campsfield House immigration removal centre in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, and (2) the Haslar immigration removal centre in Gosport, Hampshire.
Lord Murray of Blidworth (Con): As set out in the Prior Information Notice published on 21 September, the current estimated operating costs for Campsfield and Haslar immigration removal centres (IRC) for the lifetime of the 8 year contract will be £170 million and £229 million respectively. In addition to the operating costs, there are also costs associated with the refurbishment and new build of the sites.
The early cost estimates for Campsfield House IRC range between £90 and £100 million. The early cost estimates for Haslar IRC range between £150 and £160 million. These estimates exclude any potential inflation, optimism bias and contingency estimates.
The actual costs will only be known once the contractors have been appointed, and more detailed designs are established, but the approach being taken will ensure that value for money is prioritised.
The Lord Bishop of Durham asked His Majesty’s Government whether they intend to appoint a Minister for Refugees.
Lord Murray of Blidworth: Ministerial appointments are a matter for Cabinet Office. The Immigration Minister is responsible for safe and legal routes to the UK.
The Lord Bishop of Durham asked His Majesty’s Government how many individuals on 3C leave have been wrongly suspended from or denied employment due to delays in Home Office employment verification checks in (1) 2020, (2) 2021, and (3) 2022.
Lord Murray of Blidworth: The information is not available publicly and could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.
The Lord Bishop of Durham asked His Majesty’s Government whether the ‘exhaust all options’ approach, as outlined in the Rough Sleeping Strategy, includes supporting individuals to have their No Recourse to Public Funds conditions lifted through a ‘change of condition’ application.
Baroness Scott of Bybrook: We recognise that rough sleepers with restricted eligibility for homelessness assistance, including individuals with a No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) condition, face particular challenges moving away from the streets. The Rough Sleeping Strategy committed to building on our expectation that local authorities exhaust all options to support this group.
This may include supporting individuals with leave under the family and human rights routes who are destitute, at risk of destitution, the welfare of their child is at risk due to their low income or there are other exceptional financial circumstances, to apply, for free, to have their NRPF condition lifted by making a ‘change of conditions’ application to the Home Office.
The Church of England in Parliament 
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