Company that manages Bibby Stockholm given £100m Defra contract

Defra says contract with Australian company CTM is for staff travel and accommodation, but declines to give further detail

The company that manages the Bibby Stockholm barge used to house asylum seekers has been granted an £100m contract with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

This is the latest lucrative government contract given to the Australian company Corporate Travel Management (CTM). The government was heavily criticised by the National Audit Office for its £385m contract with CTM to manage quarantine hotels during the pandemic, which cost the taxpayer £400m including £100m in unpaid room bills and fraud.