Member

The point is this. When we add in all the other costs—the costs that we pay organisations to try to look after the interests of these people, the fact that our Border Force has been diverted from its primary role, and the fact that we have vast numbers of civil servants trying to manage this huge system, which is creaking under the pressure—the costs are colossal. This is only the tip of the iceberg: it may cost £6.7 million a day for hotels but I believe that the real cost is probably £20 million a day. We will see; no doubt further questioning of the Minister will winkle out an answer in due course.