3. Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Afghanistan

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:30 pm on 14 September 2021.

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Photo of Jane Hutt Jane Hutt Labour 3:30, 14 September 2021

Thank you, Altaf Hussain, and thank you for attending the technical briefing last week with the very relevant questions, as all Members raised with me last week, which has helped us with our planning. The majority of families who've arrived in Wales so far, as I've said, have direct links to those Wales-based and Wales-facing armed forces units. There's actually been, I understand, over the past weekend, some emotional reunions that perhaps I could just comment on between Afghan arrivals and armed forces personnel here in south Wales. And I've mentioned the fact that the Ministry of Defence have been supporting us with planners, and very much reflecting what they helped us with through the COVID-19 pandemic in our vaccination centres, as you will all recall.

We've had a great many offers of support from communities across Wales—obviously, local authorities are at the forefront, but the third sector as well, and I think very much people are motivated by the situation in Afghanistan, but we need to harness that support, and I know many Members are asking me how can they harness the support. In terms of offers of accommodation, that must go to the local authority. I have commented on the fact that local authorities are assessing their needs in terms of school places. You've mentioned higher education as well. That will all be part of the work that they're undertaking at the moment, but I then will be able to, as we assess the needs, make representations as necessary to the UK Government and account for the impact—you know, assess the impact that it's having on local authorities and our public services, and the good response that has already come forward. 

So, again, I think there's much more that will come out over the next few weeks, and, hopefully, I can come back and report to the Senedd here and to the committees as well.