DISARRAY OVER BID TO HOUSE MIGRANTS ON BARGES

MINISTER CAN’T ANSWER KEY QUESTIONS AS NEW MEASURE IS CONDEMNED AS GIMMICK’

- Nicholas Cecil and Rachael Burford

A NEW bid to tackle illegal immigration was plunged into confusion today after a Cabinet minister failed to say whether the Government had any barges to house migrants.

Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said “nothing is off the table” in seeking to deal with the small boats Channel crisis, with proposals to use giant barges being publicly ramped up. But he failed five times on LBC Radio to say if the Government had any barges available.

At first he dodged the question, stressing the need to “crush the criminal gangs preying on human misery and lining their pockets on illegal immigration” and to “end the perception and the reality of people thinking that at the end of that journey they can be housed in hotels at the cost to the taxpayer of £6 million per day”. But pressed by presenter Nick Ferrari how many boats were available, Mr Raab responded: “I don’t have that figure.”

Questioned whether there were some standing by, the Justice Secretary added: “Those details will be set out by the immigration minister. Of course using vessels to do it is not uncommon in other parts of Europe.”

Asked whether any ministers at Cabinet yesterday had asked how many boats were ready to house migrants, Mr Raab said: “I never comment on the private discussions of Cabinet.” Finally, when grilled on whether some vessels had been "secured", with contracts signed for some of them, Mr Raab said: "I don't know about the detailed contractual position."