North Wales MS and Shadow Social Justice Minister, Mark Isherwood, has questioned the Social Justice Minister over support for people hosting Ukrainians in their own homes.
Responding to the Statement ‘Update on Ukraine’ by the Minister in yesterday’s meeting of the Welsh Parliament, Mr Isherwood emphasised the pressures cost of living rises are placing on hosts and made a fresh call for further support for them.
He also referred to the humanitarian efforts to help Ukrainian refugees by the Polish Integration Support Centre in Wrexham, and their proposal for consolidated and sustainable support for Ukrainian people including construction of temporary housing, and questioned the Minister over actions being taken to avoid people arriving from Ukraine being placed in emergency accommodation.
He said:
“Following my introduction of ‘Link International’ to you, I'm pleased that the charity and its Ukrainian Link Programme is working well with North Wales local authorities, in collaboration with other statutory agencies and Welsh Government, in bringing together community and faith groups and third sector organisations to support Ukrainians arriving in North Wales.
“When I attended a Link International barbecue for Ukrainian refugees in Conwy in July, I was told that in order to keep people as hosts under the Homes for Ukraine scheme and to stop people being moved on, additional support for the hosts would be needed, including support with winter fuel bills. When I wrote to you about this you replied that you were aware of the risk of sponsorships not continuing beyond six months because the hosts are unable to afford the rise in fuel costs. What discussions have you therefore had directly or are you planning to have with the UK Government, beyond correspondence, regarding a possible uplift to the monthly £350 payment to people hosting Ukrainians in their own homes?”
He added:
“During my visit to Conwy in July, the need for English for Speakers of Other Languages, or ESOL, lessons, in person and online, and for action to support skill and qualification transferability—where refugees at the event included a doctor, a Dentist, a Dentist, a Paramedic, Engineers, IT Consultants, people with media and digital expertise and many others—were also emphasised to me. Further to your 9th August reply to me regarding these, I'd therefore be grateful for an update on these issues in the context of the devolved services for which the Welsh Government is responsible.
“At the event in July, new arrivals were arriving in buses and I learned of people being placed in increasing numbers in emergency accommodation, hotels, schools, et cetera. At the St David's Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast for Wales on 3rd March, I sat next to someone working with the Ministry of Defence on sustainable modular housing solutions for Ukrainian refugees. What, if any, discussions are you having with the MOD about this for Wales, further to my raising this with you before the summer recess?
“Following the Polish Heritage Day event in the Senedd on 13th July, I sent you a document produced by the Polish Integration Support Centre, or PISC, in Wrexham, detailing their humanitarian efforts to help Ukrainian refugees and a proposal for consolidated and sustainable support for Ukrainian people, including construction of temporary housing. Further to our meeting last week—and I thank you for that—how will you therefore engage with them regarding this?”
In her response, the Minister said she is discussing with the UK Government a possible uplift for hosts and that she “met throughout the whole summer with local government leaders, and we have work streams that run at official level on everything to do with the initial welcome, the move-on services, but we're meeting fortnightly at meetings chaired by the Minister for Finance and Local Government on Ukraine, because the local leadership is crucially important in terms of the provision of those devolved services. So, they are linked, of course, to the health service, to the third sector, English as a second language, et cetera”.