£291 million spent on Rwanda could fund almost 7 million GP appointments instead

EMBARGO: Immediate Release

Following the news that the Rwanda Bill has received Royal assent, the Liberal Democrats have branded the Conservative Government as “out of touch”, as new revelations reveal the total spend on the Rwanda policy will imminently reach £290 million before any flights take off. Latest analysis shows this money could have funded nearly 7 million GP appointments instead. 

At a Public Accounts Committee meeting last week, Home Office officials admitted that further £50 million will be paid to the Rwanda Government as soon as the Conservative’s Rwanda Bill is passed into law.

This will bring the total cost already spent on the Rwanda policy, despite no flights taking off, to nearly £291.5 million. This includes lump sum payments to the Rwandan government, the UK government’s own legal fees and the cost of ministerial trips.

New analysis from the Liberal Democrats have shown that this could have paid for 6,939,761 GP appointments instead, at an average cost of £42 per appointment.

Commenting, the Liberal Democrats Home Affairs Spokesperson Alistair Carmichael MP said: 

“How out of touch can this Conservative Government be as they throw even more money at a policy that is destined to fail? 

“These figures will put salt in the wound for millions of people across the country who are struggling with a cost of living crisis and facing sky-high GP waiting times.

“Rishi Sunak needs to get a grip and stop wasting taxpayer money on his farcical obsession with this disastrous policy.”

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

The calculated cost of the Rwanda Bill so far is £291,470,000.

This consists of £240 million in payment to the Rwandan Government, £1.43 million on legal fees, and £40,000 on then-Home Secretary Suella Braverman’s March 2023 trip to Rwanda, and the new additional £50 million payment to the Rwandan Government which is expected to be sent imminently.

According to the King’s Fund, the average cost of a 9-minute GP appointment is £42. More information on these figures can be found here.

Reports on the Rwanda Bill receiving Royal assent can be found here.