5. What discussions has the Welsh Government had with the UK Government regarding the status of EU foreign nationals residing in Cardiff Central, in the event of the UK leaving the EU in the next couple of months? OAQ54795

We have regular communication at ministerial and official level with the UK Government about the EU settled status scheme and the status of EU nationals resident here. While the scheme is not the kind of arrangement we would ideally wish to see in place, we are doing everything we can to ensure that EU citizens in Cardiff and elsewhere are applying for settled status.

Thank you. This week, I spoke to a family—one of them is Welsh, the other is Polish—both of them are working in the national health service as well as looking after two small children. They're worried that they could be split up if Brexit happens, obviously bearing in mind what had happened with the Windrush residents. I understand why they are so anxious about this, and they're not the only constituents who have such concerns.

I appreciate that the Welsh Government has got some good information online about how people should be applying for settled status, including a video taking people through the process, which is obviously very useful. But how do we ensure that all EU citizens are able and are aware of ensuring that they know how to apply for the settled status and are supported to ensure that they get it? Because I have other constituents whose literacy levels are not very good. They are not necessarily working, but they may have lived here for a very, very long time, and to send them back to some country that they might have been born in seems unbelievably inappropriate. So, I just wondered what conversations you've had, or what assurances you've had, from this outgoing Conservative Government that we won't see happening to European citizens what happened to Windrush victims, who were turfed out of this country and sent abroad, never to see their children or grandchildren again because they were too poor to come back?

Well, I thank the Member for highlighting that particular situation for us, and I think that she describes circumstances that—. I'm sure most of us will have had constituents coming to us with this level of anxiety and concern in their own different personal circumstances. She will know that we have, as a Government, although this is a reserved matter, and a matter for the Home Office to promote, been putting Welsh Government resources into seeking to make sure that people understand, and are supported in applying for, the EU settled status scheme.

She mentions the video that I've retweeted through my Government Twitter feed today, which explains on a very basic basis to people how they can apply online. I would also refer her and other Members to the eusswales.com website, which brings together all of the resources and sources of support and advice that EU citizens living in Wales can seek in order to support them in applying for settled status.

But I think that, implicit in her question, is a concern that says, 'Well, not everyone lives their life online, perhaps, or will have identified the need to take this action.' And I think that that's absolutely a very real concern. In order to try and address that cohort of people, which could be quite significant, we have sought to distribute posters and leaflets through a range of channels. Some of the work that EYST, and Settled, which were previously called the3million, have been doing as part of that EUSS Wales co-ordination group has been seeking to identify informal networks of different EU citizens' communities. So, looking at where information can be made available in food shops, in cafes, in churches and other social groups, to try and use those fora to raise awareness.

I think you said that one of your constituents worked in the NHS, and there has been an effort to raise awareness among the NHS workforce—obviously, a material number of those are EU citizens—so that they understand what support is available to them from the Welsh Government.