4. What assistance is the Welsh Government offering local authorities to support the implementation of the UK Government's EU Settlement Scheme? OAQ55135

Most recently, we have provided an additional £224,000 funding to local authorities to put support in place for EU citizens applying to the EU settlement scheme. The funding is flexible, to enable local authorities to be able to provide tailored support to their local communities. This is part of a range of support we have made available to support EU citizens in Wales to apply.

Thank you. As you stated on 13 February, you have put in more than £220,000 to support councils across Wales, and that is to step up local outreach to tackle barriers to help those who still are not aware of the need to apply or who are struggling to apply. Minister, specifically, what will the funding to Caerphilly County Borough Council be, and how can the Welsh Government aid and support the authority in facilitating the European Union citizens living in communities throughout Islwyn applying to settle in the United Kingdom?

Additionally, Minister, with all European Union citizens and their families living in Wales having to apply now to the Home Office scheme by 30 June 2021, in order to protect their rights and to continue to live and work here, what can the Welsh Government do to ensure that, whilst councils are free to choose the best way to support residents, we ensure consistent best practice across Wales?

I thank the Member for that question. I'm afraid I don't have the precise number for Caerphilly council, but I will happily write to her in relation to that. Part of the objective in providing the funding is to allow a degree of flexibility in how this works on the ground, recognising that local, different communities in parts of Wales will have different needs. But we are also providing a Wales-wide bespoke training package for all public-facing local authority staff regarding the rights of EU citizens in Wales, and that includes their eligibility for public services. We are doing that through the EU citizens' rights project, which is designed to increase awareness and to assist authorities in recognising the support needs of individual EU citizens across Wales. That's intended to be a best practice-driven training package, and it will be available, as I say, to authorities right across Wales.