If the reason for housing asylum seekers on a barge is to combat the cost of hotels, then surely a similar barge should be moored next to parliament (Dorset asylum seeker barge will not be like a prison, says minister, 6 April). That way, we could drastically cut back on the hotel and residence expenses of MPs by having them reside on such a resplendent riverboat.
At the same time, we could perhaps have Serco provide one of its marvellous prison catering services, rather than the oversubsidised jolly that we, the British public, are paying for now.
Douglas Moffat
London
