 has sent a 'pre-action protocol letter' to Ms Braverman describing its concerns about the safety of the vessel, after previously describing it as a 'potential death trap'. Among the points flagged in the FBU's letter are access to fire exits and the possibility of overcrowding on the Bibby Stockholm. General Secretary Matt Wrack said: 'We have been sounding the alarm about the Bibby Stockholm for weeks. 'It is disgraceful that the Home Secretary is not even willing to meet us to discuss these concerns.' Police look out over the Bibby Stockholm barge in Portland, Dorset (Picture: Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images) He added: 'Fires do not discriminate based on immigration status, and neither can fire safety regulations.' Ms Braverman told BBC Breakfast: 'Let me be clear that I'm confident barges are safe.' Accusing the union of launching a 'political attack', she continued: 'This barge has accommodated people in the past – asylum seekers, oil rig workers and barges of this kind have been used to accommodate asylum seekers, for example in Scotland, so I'm very confident that this barge is safe for human habitation. 'We followed all of the advice and pr){kind=link}
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web
browser that
supports HTML5
video
Suella Braverman has said she is ‘confident’ the Bibby Stockholm barge is safe to house people after concerns were raised by firefighters in a letter raising the possibility of legal action.
The Home Secretary also did not dismiss reports that asylum seekers who enter the country via unauthorised means could be fitted with electronic GPS tags.
There is currently nobody living on the vessel moored in Portland Port, Dorset, as test results released just days after the arrival of the first migrants revealed the presence of Legionella bacteria.