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The discovery of Legionella on board the Bibby Stockholm is the latest embarrassing setback in a plan beset with controversy and delay from the very start.

Thankfully, no one on board has developed any symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease, a potentially serious form of pneumonia spread by infected water droplets.

The Home Office insist the 39 people currently on board are being disembarked as a mere “precautionary measure” while further tests are undertaken.

But the timeline of this apparently routine water-testing process – and who in government knew what when – is far from clear.

Sky News understands the initial tests were carried out on Tuesday 25 July. The results came back nearly a fortnight later – on Monday 7 August, the very day the first 15 asylum seekers moved in at the start of this week.

But the Home Office say it was only yesterday – Thursday 10 August – that they were advised by the UK Health Security Agency to remove those on board, and then only the six individuals who boarded the barge yesterday. As a “further temporary precaution”, the decision was taken to remove all 39 individuals on board, which is happening today.

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‘Not right to expect four star hotels’

A Home Office source insists the “final tests” only came back to them yesterday, but that they have been working closely with the UKHSA and following its advice. The reasons for the delay in responding to the initial test results however are as yet unclear.

More on Bibby Stockholm

Shadow immigration minister Stephen Kinnock has described the Bibby Stockholm as a “floating symbol of the government’s incompetence” and a “complete and utter shambles”.

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Headline grabbing announcements unlikely to distract from boats failure

Certainly the delivery of the plan to house 500 people on barge accommodation has been riven with problems from the beginning.

Local people have always objected to the location. Dorset MP Chris Loder has repeatedly raised concerns over overcrowding, with the Bibby Stockholm set to house double the number of people it was initially designed to accommodate.

The Mayor of Portland, Carralyn Parkes, who was previously a Labour parliamentary candidate, is bringing legal action over claims the Home Office didn’t get the necessary planning permission for the barge.

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Barge reminds migrant of Islamic State

The initial arrival of migrants on board was delayed by health and safety checks – with the Fire Brigades Union describing the vessel as a “potential death trap”.

Then out of the 50 finally set to board this Monday, only 15 initially did so, with 20 being removed from the list amid legal challenges.

While a handful more have clearly been arriving throughout the week, it’s clearly going to take time for the vessel to reach the full 500 target – clearly delayed even longer now all those already on board have been evacuated.

The Home Office insists the use of barges to house asylum seekers is a “tried and tested approach” which offers “better value for the British taxpayers” than the £6m daily cost of housing some 50,000 asylum seekers stuck on the backlog in hotels.

The use of more basic accommodation – from barges to disused military barracks – is a key plank of the government’s attempt to deter migrants from crossing the Channel in small boats in the first place. The ultimate deterrent – deporting people to Rwanda – is currently on hold, pending a final decision from the Supreme Court.

This week was meant to be the government’s “small boats week” – showcasing a series of announcements to highlight its tough policies on immigration.

But the latest fiasco on board the Bibby Stockholm is yet another indication of how far the prime minister has to go to deliver on his promise to stop the small boats.

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UK health officials push back on US president’s claim paracetamol is linked to autism

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UK health officials push back on US president's claim paracetamol is linked to autism

UK health experts and officials have pushed back on Donald Trump’s claim that paracetamol is linked to autism, saying there is “no evidence” for it.

The US president said on Monday that there had been a “meteoric rise” in cases of autism and suggested that the use of Tylenol – an American-branded version of paracetamol – during pregnancy is a potential cause.

His claims have been widely corrected by officials, including Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who said that “I trust doctors over President Trump, frankly, on this”.

Read more: What is autism?

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Trump links autism with paracetamol

Speaking on ITV’s Lorraine, Mr Streeting said: “I’ve just got to be really clear about this: there is no evidence to link the use of paracetamol by pregnant women to autism in their children. None.”

The health secretary then referenced a major study in Sweden last year that involved 2.4 million children, adding it “did not uphold those claims”.

He added: “I would just say to people watching, don’t pay any attention whatsoever to what Donald Trump says about medicine.

“In fact, don’t take even take my word for it, as a politician – listen to British doctors, British scientists, the NHS.”

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Trump’s ‘not so careful’ autism claims

WHO says links ‘inconsistent’

Patient safety minister Dr Zubir Ahmed MP echoed this on social media, saying: “For the avoidance of any doubt, Paracetamol remains the safest painkiller to take during pregnancy.”

Dr Alison Cave, chief safety officer at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, also said that “there is no evidence that taking paracetamol during pregnancy causes autism in children”.

She added that paracetamol “remains the recommended pain relief option for pregnant women when used as directed,” and that the MHRA’s advice “is based on rigorous assessment of the best available scientific evidence”.

The British officials were supported by the European Medicines Agency, which said there was no new evidence that would mean its recommendations for the use of paracetamol during pregnancy would change.

Tarik Jasarevic, a World Health Organisation spokesperson, added at a press briefing that the links between the use of the drug and autism “remains inconsistent”.

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Paracetamol & autism: Evidence examined

Trump: Tylenol ‘not good’ for pregnant women

During a press conference with US health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, Mr Trump urged pregnant women to stop taking Tylenol.

After saying that Mr Kennedy Jr “wants to be very careful with what he says,” the US president added: “Taking Tylenol is not good. All right. I’ll say it. It’s not good.

“For this reason, they are strongly recommending that women limit Tylenol use during pregnancy unless medically necessary. That’s, for instance, in cases of extremely high fever, that you feel you can’t tough it out. You can’t do it. I guess there’s that.”

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Mr Trump then said key vaccinations for newborn babies should be delayed, that combined measles, mumps and rubella jabs should be given separately, and suggested that they are linked to autism.

“They pump so much stuff into those beautiful little babies, it’s a disgrace,” he added. “I don’t see it. I think it’s very bad.”

Mr Jasarevic pushed strongly back on that claim, saying: “We know that vaccines do not cause autism. Vaccines, as I
said, save countless lives.

“So this is something that science has proven, and these things should not be really questioned.”

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Kazakhstan launches Evo stablecoin with Solana and Mastercard

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Kazakhstan launches Evo stablecoin with Solana and Mastercard

Kazakhstan launches Evo stablecoin with Solana and Mastercard

The new Solana-based Evo stablecoin pegged to Kazakhstan’s national currency, the tenge, aims to bridge the crypto market with traditional finance.

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JPMorgan CEO: Fed cuts not assured, stablecoins no threat to banks

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JPMorgan CEO: Fed cuts not assured, stablecoins no threat to banks

JPMorgan CEO: Fed cuts not assured, stablecoins no threat to banks

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon says the Federal Reserve won’t cut rates until inflation cools, and adds he is “not particularly worried” about stablecoins.

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