7 Highlights

• The Home Office bought a £15M derelict prison contaminated with asbestos.
• The purchase aimed to house asylum seekers but lacked proper due diligence.
• • The National Audit Office criticized poor decisions in the high-pressure buy.
  • The prison was bought for twice what the seller paid, viewed as high risk.
  • Remediation costs for contamination are estimated at £1.1M to £3.6M.
  • Rishi Sunak's 2022 pledge increased pressure to find asylum housing solutions.
  • MPs expressed regret and raised concerns over flawed fiscal management.