Jane Hutt: Of course, as we've said, and as we know—and the Minister for Climate Change is with us this afternoon and engaged with all of these discussions—it's a cross-government responsibility in terms of tackling the cost-of-living crisis, with housing providers, social housing providers, but also the private rented sector being engaged as well. Just in terms of cuts to the local housing...
Jane Hutt: Diolch yn fawr. That's a really important point. I'm sure the Minister for Climate Change is already aware of that, concerns again coming from Citizens Advice, our single advice providers, and unless it's absolutely clear and mandated that it goes to the tenant, we can't trust it. So, we will take that point up. Thank you very much, Huw Irranca-Davies.
Jane Hutt: Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd, for giving us another opportunity to provide an update to Members about our ongoing work to support people from Ukraine seeking sanctuary in Wales. When I last updated you almost a month ago, Wales had welcomed just over 1,120 Ukrainians under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, including under our supersponsor route, and I'm pleased to say this number has nearly...
Jane Hutt: Diolch yn fawr, Mark Isherwood. Thank you very much for all your very helpful questions. Obviously, every time we meet, there are new figures—new figures to update from last week, when I issued my written statement. But, just to update you, as of 14 June, in terms of submitted applications to Wales, 4,017; confirmed applications, 3,293; visas issued, 2,699; estimated arrivals, 1,717. Now,...
Jane Hutt: So, if we turn to our supersponsor route, which is the route that we are pausing just for these few weeks, we actually had 6,016 submitted applications. They transferred into 4,808 confirmed applications, and 3,435 visas have been issued under our supersponsor scheme. I've said already that the welcome centres are at capacity. The estimated arrivals, as of 14 June, under our supersponsor...
Jane Hutt: Diolch yn fawr, Sioned Williams. Thank you for acknowledging the huge challenge, but also the responsibilities that we have to get this right in terms of the way in which we provide our support. As I said in my statement on the supersponsor scheme, we developed it as the safest route for our refugees from Ukraine, but, as you will appreciate, even from the latest figures, we now have, in...
Jane Hutt: I just want to particularly look at the issues for local authorities that you've raised, because this has been a real challenge for them in terms of housing and how we can support them. In terms of homelessness, the use of temporary accommodation at the moment is quite considerable, and so meeting with the local authority leaders on Thursday was very important. That's why we also met with...
Jane Hutt: Thank you very much, Jayne Bryant. I think we'll all be profoundly moved by the report of that experience from a sponsor family and how desperate they must feel, and the distance, the loss, the fear and isolation of not being able to be there for their family. This is what the war is about; it's not in the headlines all the time, but this is happening now, as we speak here today. When we...
Jane Hutt: Thank you very much, Altaf Hussain. Well, we have published dedicated safeguarding and modern slavery guidance. It's on the website, but it's also provided in packs like the ones I've just shown you. And also, guidance to our Welsh public bodies. We've referred to the Ukraine visa schemes, and we've got advice, also, in terms of violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence and...
Jane Hutt: Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. I'd like to thank members of the Equality and Social Justice Committee for their report on the annual scrutiny of the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales and for your contributions today. I very much welcome the continuation of the conversation we've been having in the Senedd about how we can use the well-being of future generations legislation to put...
Jane Hutt: Thank you. This week we mark Refugee Week. This is an opportunity to celebrate the wonderful contributions sanctuary seekers bring to Wales. The celebrations will bring together people from all backgrounds to help create better understanding between communities and promote integration.
Jane Hutt: Since we celebrated Refugee Week last year, the plight of those who are forced to leave their country to flee war or persecution has been highlighted more than ever, with the evacuation of Afghanistan and war in Ukraine to name just two of many world events affecting so many people. I've delivered several statements in relation to our support for people from Ukraine recently, and will...
Jane Hutt: Diolch yn fawr, Joel James. And thank you for your support, in principle, for the statement, and for us being a nation of sanctuary. Thank you for acknowledging Refugee Week, and also, I'm sure, implicit in many of your comments, about the fact that for Refugee Week the theme is healing, and that is particularly important in terms of the trauma that so many refugees and asylum seekers are...
Jane Hutt: Diolch yn fawr, Sioned Williams. Swansea is a remarkable city of sanctuary. I remember visiting both universities and Gower College and the work that they've done. I think Julie James was involved as well, probably in her constituency capacity. It's absolutely thriving, and I'm sure that exhibition will be vivid and powerful. In fact, Joel James mentioned the ways in which during Refugee Week...
Jane Hutt: There has to be access to mental health support. In the welcome centres, in both the ones I visited, I met with nurses from the community mental health teams, and also in terms of other needs—health checks for those who are attending the welcome centres. There's no waiting when you go to a welcome centre, you see the teams. And, of course, they're registering with GPs. But the nurses were...
Jane Hutt: Thank you very much. I don't think I need to answer. They weren't questions; it was a very, very important statement. I think it just shows that the fact that I'm doing a statement here today on Welsh Refugee Week is important, and that, actually, we've had strong cross-party recognition of what it means to be a nation of sanctuary. There's just one point that I would say. It's great that you...
Jane Hutt: Diolch yn fawr, acting Presiding Officer, and can I thank Members for tabling this important debate? Just also to say, in following on from many Members who’ve spoken today, that I’m also pleased to have the opportunity to recognise the thousands of community groups across Wales, and thank them for making such a difference to the life of their communities, which they support. And of...
Jane Hutt: Yes, of course.
Jane Hutt: This is a complex area in terms of developing community policy, and I want to go on to that, in terms of what this will mean in terms of delivering those services at the sharp end, and also, recognising that there are barriers, and also that this is about working relationships. I'm very interested, for example, just in terms of the role that Flintshire County Council has played in working...
Jane Hutt: Thank you very much, Huw Irranca-Davies. I'm really pleased you've made that intervention and recognised the principles not just of the Co-operative Party, which are very much hardwired into Welsh Government values and principles as well, because my third point is about being connected. And what do we mean by that? That communities can work effectively in partnership to co-produce the...
