A Cabinet minister has insisted a giant barge due to house asylum seekers is not a “deathtrap”.
Grant Shapps dismissed a warning from the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), which reportedly plans to write to the Home Office over concerns about overcrowding and access to fire exits on the Bibby Stockholm.
According to The Guardian, the union’s assistant general secretary Ben Selby said: “As the only professional voice, firefighters believe the Bibby Stockholm to be a potential deathtrap.”
But the Energy Secretary told ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Wednesday: “It certainly won’t be a deathtrap.
“This actual ship was previously used by Germany to house migrants, there’s no reason why it wouldn’t be absolutely safe. Ships are used to transport people all the time and there’s no inherent reason why that (not being safe) would be the case.
“That’s actually why these final safety checks are being carried out.”
It comes as the plans to move migrants on to the barge, docked in Portland on the Dorset coast, have been beset by delays, with Government sources now suggesting the first arrivals may not be on board until next week.
Staff were seen carrying provisions onto the vessel on Wednesday morning.
Pictures showed a food delivery being unloaded from a Bidfood wholesaler truck, suggesting final preparations ahead of the arrivals are underway.
Speaking later on Sky News, Mr Selby said the union’s main concern is the number of people due to live on the barge, which was initially designed to accommodate around 200 but could now house 500.
“That then raises significant fire safety concerns for us, and also concerns that, if a fire was to break out on the Bibby, could firefighters make the adequate rescues and access where necessary,” he said.
“By increasing that occupancy, then we would expect certain measures and assessments to be made to ensure that those that were being accommodated there were safe, and that firefighters – if and when they were needed to make access to the Bibby – they were also safe, or as safe as they could be in doing so when attempting to rescue people.”
Steve Smith, chief executive of refugee support charity Care4Calais, told the PA news agency he fears housing migrants on the barge is an “accident waiting to happen” amid fire safety concerns.
Meanwhile, asked if asylum seekers will be housed on the barge next week, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told LBC’s Nick Ferrari: “The Bibby Stockholm will be in operation as soon as it’s passed all the checks and regulations – as soon as possible – that’s the key thing.”
Highlighting the sweeping asylum reforms now made law under the Illegal Migration Act and claiming there are “lots of people who are lined up to try and stop me” in his bid to curb Channel crossings, he added: “We’re making a difference, I’m going to keep going on this… I’m going to throw everything at it.”