Contrary to what prisons minister Rory Stewart told the House of Commons Justice Committee last week, a buyer for the Holloway prison site will be announced this summer. Stewart had told MPs that a bidder would be in place by the end of the year, but the Ministry of Justice has now said an announcement will be made this summer.

Will McMahon of the Community Plan for Holloway responded to the announcement:

In November last year, the government seemed confident that a preferred bidder would be announced in the spring. Then we are told it will be the end of 2018. Later in the week the Ministry of Justice says it is ‘in the summer’. It sounds like the right hand of government does not know what the left hand is doing.