4. Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: EU Settled Status

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:48 pm on 8 June 2021.

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Photo of Jane Hutt Jane Hutt Labour 3:48, 8 June 2021

Well, thank you very much, Mark Isherwood, and I very much welcome you back into the Senedd, alongside myself, and obviously covering these key issues of social justice. And I thank you for not only your questions and points but also for urging people to apply, obviously across your region and across Wales. And I know that will be, I'm sure, echoed by all Senedd Members today.

Indeed, we also welcome the progress that has been made in Wales, and I would say that that's progress that's been made as a result of partnership—not just partnership with the UK Government but also with our EU citizens support co-ordination group. I think that's a very important group to comment on, because it's about co-ordinating the delivery of EUSS advice and support services in Wales. The EU settlement scheme Wales co-ordination group brings together successful Home Office grant recipients, delivering in Wales with other key delivery partners and agencies, and it does actually co-ordinate successful delivery, which is of course the question you're asking me in terms of the outcomes. It does co-ordinate that delivery of EUSS advice and support, sharing reports on the work of supporting organisations. And you've mentioned Mind, Flintshire Mind, and we obviously welcome—. Sorry, Flintshire citizens advice. Mind is also another organisation that has been very engaged as well, and there may be Mind organisations in your region playing a part, but certainly Citizens Advice has been crucial. We've funded Citizens Advice since 2019; they're providing general and specialist advice covering a range of issues, and that includes settled status applications, social welfare, benefits, and also employment and workplace matters. Now the crucial point for us is that we have extended that funding to these organisations, not just Citizens Advice, but also to Mind, TGP Cymru, Settled, Newport Mind—which actually covers a lot of Mind organisations, as I said—Newfields Law, as well as the Royal Association for Deaf people, which is important in recognising there are vulnerable people, as you've mentioned, older people, particularly in terms of making sure that we reach out to them, but also the older people's commissioner and the children's commissioner extensively engaged as well in our communications strategy. So, working to deliver, but these are crucial days, aren't they, crucial times, crucial days and weeks as we move forward and we need to get that assurance from the UK Government that they will be flexible, they will recognise the needs and the issues around vulnerable people.

Now I have mentioned my letter to Kevin Foster MP, the Minister for Future Borders and Immigration, and I'm very happy to share that letter to Members following my statement today. And I have asked to ensure that the Home Office's caseworker guidance should offer that level of flexibility and reassurance for those who have complex cases—for whatever reason, they are unable to submit an application by the deadline—and I have urged the UK Government to monitor the application of this guidance and ensure it remains fit for purpose. And I also did say—. Again, I restated my position that we feel that the deadline, the EUSS application deadline itself, should be extended to ensure that, come 30 June, we're not left with EU citizens who haven't been able to make that application, and to recognise that they are in very challenging times. So, I hope, Mark Isherwood, you and your colleagues will also pass that message to the UK Government.