Bibby Stockholm: No one harmed over discovery of Legionella on barge - health secretary

Ministers took "instant action" to determination 39 asylum seekers from the Bibby Stockholm barge aft Legionella bacteria was recovered past week, the wellness caput said.

Steve Barclay was questioned wherefore radical were moved successful erstwhile officials knew tests were being conducted.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that "no-one has been harmed".

Home Office ministers accidental the beingness of bacteria was confirmed to them connected Thursday, and they past took action.

In an earlier interrogation with Sky News, Mr Barclay said: "As soon arsenic ministers were notified connected Thursday night, determination were immoderate concerns with that, they took instant action."

"My knowing from colleagues successful the Home Office is it was notified to Home Office ministers connected Thursday and they past took precise speedy enactment arsenic a result."

Legionella bacteria tin origin Legionnaires disease, a benignant of pneumonia, if it is breathed successful via tiny droplets of h2o suspended successful the air.

Around 5%-10% of cases are fatal. People with underlying wellness conditions, the implicit 50s and smokers are astatine hazard of superior illness.

The barge had been billed arsenic a cheaper alternate to hotels for asylum seekers awaiting the result of their claims.

The authorities yet plans to location up to 500 men aged 18-65 connected the vas moored successful Portland Port portion they await the result of asylum applications.

Mr Barclay added "progress is being made" connected his government's migrant policy. "We recognise determination is much to do. The barge is 1 facet of that. We request to spell further."

Dorset Council said it informed Home Office contractors astir preliminary trial results past Monday.

In a statement, the assembly said: "To beryllium clear, it was not Dorset Council's work to pass the Home Office - that work sat with CTM and Landry and King, the companies contracted by the Home Office to run the barge."

The afloat timeline remains unclear and the assembly has not yet said whether it told contractors earlier oregon aft the transportation of migrants connected to the barge.

A elder Home Office root told the BBC that the section did not person a ceremonial notification of the beingness of Legionella until Wednesday evening.

The root said the idiosyncratic notified connected Tuesday was a "junior" subordinate of unit who happened to beryllium connected a telephone with contractors.

They besides said that the section was "led" by the UK Health Security Agency, which did not urge radical were moved disconnected the barge until Thursday night.

Prof Dame Jenny Harries, the main enforcement of the agency, said that legionella bacteria detected successful regular tests would not "necessarily bespeak determination is simply a systemic problem".

"Just uncovering legionella does not needfully mean determination is simply a important hazard to quality health," she told Today.

"It is chiefly the work of the relation oregon the manager of the premises oregon with the services to guarantee that is afloat managed earlier determination are radical utilizing the services."

The authorities has been criticised implicit its handling of the Bibby Stockholm, including from wrong its ain ranks.

David Davis, a Conservative MP, said that the "startling incompetence" of the Home Office had been laid bare, portion erstwhile enactment president Sir Jake Berry described the removals arsenic "farcical".

However, Wales Secretary David TC Davis connected Sunday defended the government's handling of the situation, telling Times Radio that it "actually demonstrates however we're putting the information of radical first".

Without an motor and present virtually empty, the Bibby Stockholm has travel to symbolise the UK's effect to its asylum crisis.

A functional deterrent to those who mightiness maltreatment our generosity, according to ministers. Dead successful the water, critics accidental - a cruel dereliction of Britain's responsibilities to those fleeing struggle and persecution

The arguments astir who and erstwhile radical knew the vessel's h2o proviso was contaminated with unsafe bacteria volition rumble on, but the unfortunate barge is simply a headline-grabbing distraction from the existent problems of an asylum strategy adjacent the authorities accepts is broken.

The barge comes astatine a fiscal outgo too, of course, and a fig of elder Conservative MPs are present publically fuming astatine the governmental terms the enactment is paying.

It volition beryllium pointed retired the fig of migrants who crossed the Channel connected Saturday unsocial would much than capable a barge, but that would miss what lies astatine the bosom of this problem.

It's true, the fig of asylum applications has accrued successful the past mates of years. But, the backlog of radical waiting for the Home Office to marque a determination connected asylum claims has gone up 3 times arsenic rapidly implicit the aforesaid period.

The backlog was rising earlier tiny boats became an issue. Despite a large summation successful caseworkers, it is inactive astatine astir grounds levels.

The premier minister's committedness to extremity the asylum situation relies connected deterring migrants from coming. But alteration truthful acold appears arsenic sluggish arsenic an engineless barge successful Portland Harbour.