Dear Ed,

RE: Transparency of statistics related to small boat crossings

Thank you for your letter on 17 November 2021 where you raised an issue with regards to the Home Office approach to releasing data on small boat crossings.

We fully recognise the importance of publishing comprehensive statistics in an accessible form. This is particularly important in an area such as small boat crossings, which is a ministerial priority and of public interest.

My team are in the process of finalising plans to publish these statistics and we have recently pre announced plans to publish our first full statistical report in February. I recognise the ongoing interest in these statistics, and we will also publish some high-level aggregate statistics in January.

Yours sincerely,
Simon Palmer

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