And so you'll see some of the front
pages today. Nigel Farage has the
answer. Labour doesn't.
>> Well, I don't accept that. The reform
plan, at least the details, such as they
are that I've seen so far, suggest it's
not a serious plan. See, strikes me as
something put together on the back of a
packet. And let me just talk you
packet. And let me just talk you
through one of the core elements of that
strategy as I can far as I can uh tell
is to secure returns agreements uh with
a variety of regimes across the world
including Afghanistan, Iran and Eratraa
and this government has secured returns
agreements including groundbreaking
pilot agreement with France. We're
seeking to secure others but frankly the
idea that Nigel Farage and the circus
that is reformed can come in and secure
those agreements I think is for the
birds. And what happens if returns
agreements are not secured with Eratraa
or Sudan? Where do the planes go? What
does what does reform think is going to
happen in the case of Iran, a country
that we're currently sanctioning?
They're just going to agree a returns
agreement. So, we will get on with the
practical, hard-headed, unglamorous uh
step-by-step actions we're taking to
bear down on this problem rather than
the gimmicks uh being put forward by
reform and other parties.
>> So, tell me about the one in oneout
policy that's uh going to start when?
>> Well, we already have seen asylum
seekers under that pilot uh scheme
detained. We expect to see removals to
France in the coming weeks.
>> Can you give us a date on that? Because
people will be
>> speculate on the precise date that
removals will take place
>> by the end of the year.
>> In the coming weeks. In the coming
weeks. I've been very clear on um when
that will take place and as I say,
individuals have already been detained
and that is just one part of a
comprehensive strategy uh to bear down
on this problem. Lots of which it must
be said.
>> Minister, I think you know this is a
space now with our viewers where you can
give them a real sense that you've got a
grip on this. Lord, by the way, says you
don't have a grip on it. And you can use
this space to say the onein, one out
policy will be taking place next week,
the next 12 weeks. Just to give viewers
a sense because even Labor royalty
doesn't believe that this current Labor
government
>> well, you've have a grip on the board,
have a grip on very directly to give
your viewers a sense. I think any
fair-minded viewer watching this program
when I say that under that uh
groundbreaking pilot agreement with
France, asylum seekers have already been
detained and we will see their removal
to France in the coming weeks will think
that is a fair and direct answer and it
is just one part of the plan we're
taking forward. Lots of which is not all
in force. It must be said our borders
bill which will give uh enforcement
agencies counterterror style powers
that's still going through parliament.
Takes time but it is going through
parliament. Uh the French are still
reviewing their laws to get uh uh more
proactive and positive about enforcement
in shallow waters. So the plan is coming
together. It was never going to be an
overnight fix, but we're making tangible
progress. Evidenced by that pilot
agreement, evidenced by the fact that
we've returned over 35,000 people with
no right to be here. A 12% increase on
>> people want to know when it's happening.
>> And I've been very clear. In the coming
weeks, I couldn't have been clearer. In
the coming weeks, we will see people
that are currently
>> You could have given us a date.
>> Well, I'm not gonna It's an operational
decision about when the precise date is
that the removals. I'm not going to
>> We'll try a different t. We'll try a
different t
>> in the coming weeks. I think any
fair-minded viewer would would accept as
a reason.
>> We'll try a different uh way of going
around this then. So, the small boats
keep on coming. Um 212 people arriving
just yesterday. The total number now
over 28,000 in the last year. um are you
really going to sort this out? Because
it doesn't feel like this onein, one out
policy is a deterrent. First of all, you
can't give me a date when this is people
will be sent back. And now we don't know
if it's even really a deterrent. We're
hearing stories that people are trying
to to get onto this scheme. They can't
and they're just using the small boats
instead. Lord Blunket,
>> you know, Labour royalty is saying you
haven't got a grip on it. Well, I huge
amount of respect for for David. Labour
ministers will always listen to what he
has to say, but I disagree with him on
this issue. The government has gripped
it. It does have a comprehensive plan.
Uh the pilot scheme with France is just
one aspect of that plan. I've been very
clear. Clearly, you want a gotcha
moment, but I think for your viewers to
understand that
>> it's our viewers who come here every day
and we give them the facts of the story.
We give them dates. We give them numbers
and it gives them a security to know
what's happening when. But if they feel
like there's an alternative that Nigel
Farage can give these big speeches and
they feel like they're being listened
to,
>> what are you offering this morning
that's new?
>> We're offering practical measures that
are having a tangible impact and that
will work. As I said, I think any
listening to me say that people have
been already detained under that pilot
agreement and will be removed to France
in the coming weeks will think that's a
direct and fair answer. And it's one
part of the the scheme. I've mentioned
others coming through
>> and as I say there is evidence that it's
signed to work. I accept small boat
crossings evidence. What's that evidence
that you've seen?
>> I've given you a very clear figure. You
asked for people. We have deported. We
have deported more than 35,000 people.
Uh that is a much faster rate than the
previous government. Those are people
with no right to be here who've been
returned. I accept small boat numbers
are up. That's due to a variety of
factors, not least the fact that
smuggling gangs are putting more people
onto boats. We are, however, heading to
uh the quietest August since 2020, it
should be said. But this was never going
to be an overnight fix. We inherited an
immigration and asylum system that was
completely busted. uh and back of the
packet plans such as reform are
packet plans such as reform are
coming out with today which as I've said
rest on measures like negotiating
returns agreements with the Taliban
regime in Afghanistan with an Iranian
regime where we're sanctioning. I don't
think they sound feasible. So reform can
stoke anger. We will get on with the job
of putting in place the necessary
practical measures that will see net
migration come down over this parliament
and the gangs and the boat problem
tackled. Another big issue for viewers
watching this morning is your promise to
end the use of asylum hotels. How many
people are still in hotels currently?
>> There are significant numbers in in
hotels. I don't have the exact number as
of this morning.
>> So, this is becoming a theme. You can't
tell us when you're returning the one in
one out the people that you've detained.
You can't tell us when that will be
happening. You can't tell us how many
people are in asylum hotels currently.
>> Was there any point of you voting here
today? What are you going to tell us?
>> I think that's unfair and I think your
viewers would accept that's unfair. What
I what I can tell you I don't have the
precise uh figure the number of hotels.
>> Do you think you should have the figure?
Do you think you should have come here
today prepared with those figures?
>> Well, the figure the figure changes
dayto-day and that is because we are
reducing the use of uh hotels. We
brought it down from its peak of over
400 under the previous government. And
we're very clear. I share the
frustration of communities across the
country that want to see hotels in their
area being used for asylum accommodation
ended. But we've got to do that in a
planned and ordered way, not a haphazard
and chaotic way. Because when asylum
seekers in those hotels who are waiting
for their claims to be processed, if
they are moved out, they've got to moved
out to to different accommodation. What
can that accommodation be? It's either
alternative contingency accommodation.
Uh for example, large scale sites that
are repurposed and we're making use of
some of those. Napia Barracks and Kent
is a good example or dispersal
accommodation in local communities
across the country. Uh that puts further
pressure on local housing markets and
accommodation and we do that in
conjunction with local authorities. But
it's got to be planned reduction of
hotel use across the country, not a
haphazard chaotic exit. That's precisely
why we've intervened initially uh to
become a party to this case so that we
can appeal that injunction because we
want to see the use of hotels reduced as
quickly as possible. As I say, we got to
do it in a planned and managed chaotic
way.
>> I hear you. Uh the government says it's
turning a tide on housing. You're here
today to talk about the nearly 100,000
homes uh unblocked uh from the planning
system. Tell us more.
>> Well, we're announcing today um the
latest uh sites being added to what's
called our new homes accelerator. So one
of the quickest and easiest ways to
boost housing supply is to target those
large developments across the country
which already have planning permission
which for different reasons have stalled
or are simply not building out as fast
as they can be and ensure the support
they they they have the necessary
support to make uh progress. That's
precisely what the new homes accelerator
has been doing over the past year. We
estimate it's unlocked almost a 100,000
homes across the country which were
stalled, which were going slow, which
are now being expedited. And we're
adding six new sites uh to that new
homes accelerator to receive that
targeted support um in Guilford, in
Ellsbury, in Somerset, Wigan, two sites
in two London burs, which we estimate
can unlock another 12,000 homes. So this
is a significant contribution to housing
uh affordability and supply in those
areas but also a real contributor to our
stretching uh but we think realistic
target of building one and a half
million new homes in this parliament.
>> When will people be able to move into
those 100,000 homes?
>> Well, they're being unlocked on a
siteby-sight basis. So some of them some
of those homes I was uh for example in
Northto in Cambridge last week which is
uh a town which we're hoping to build
out much faster than it has done over
recent decades. And some of those homes
were coming online and were being
accessed um and have been over the past
year. So it would depend on the site in
question. Some homes for sale, some
homes for uh to rent for on affordable
rents. Um but a mixture of tenures, but
those homes are coming online. But this
is obviously the lowhanging fruit in the
sense that these sites have permission
already in most cases and additional
technical support, additional support
from the government with its expertise
and resources through our housing and
regeneration agency homes England can
ensure those heights uh sites are
unlocked, progress on them is
accelerated and we make a significant
contribution to housing supply as a
result.
>> Okay, thank you very much Matthew
Penning Labor MP for Green Village
housing minister. Thank you very much.