7. Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Update on Ukraine

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:33 pm on 14 June 2022.

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Photo of Mark Isherwood Mark Isherwood Conservative 4:33, 14 June 2022

In your written statement update on the Homes for Ukraine scheme last Wednesday, you referred to the latest UK Government figures then, which stated that as of 30 May, 4,909 visas had been issued to people from Ukraine with a sponsor in Wales, which was up 1,609 in three weeks, of which 2,453 were sponsored by the Welsh Government, up 1,453 in just three weeks. You stated then that 1,961 people with sponsors had now arrived in Wales, in addition to those arriving under the Ukraine family scheme. If I repeat the question I always put to you in these statements: what therefore is your understanding of how many have arrived in Wales in total so far, under both schemes, or is that data still unavailable? And what further specific discussions have you had with the UK Minister for Refugees about the reasons for the narrowing but continuing gap between numbers of visas issued and the total arrivals, and action being taken to further address this?

As you know, I've spoken in this Chamber on several occasions of Haven of Light's work with Link International on the Ukrainian response in north Wales. I first highlighted this to you in the Chamber on 15 March, when I stated,

'They're being established by a team of local professionals and partnering third sector organisations and churches across north Wales, working from a central hub in Llandudno, to prepare for the arrival of Ukrainian nationals and others affected by the war who will come to north Wales in the weeks and months ahead.'

I asked you:

'How will the Welsh Government support these vital initiatives and facilitate local authority engagement with them?'

I was therefore pleased to receive an e-mail earlier this month from Ali Ussery, Haven of Light, stating that both she and Reverend Tim Hall, from the charity Link International, sit on the external stakeholder group with you. And Ali added,

'As you know, I always focus my work at grass-roots level, meeting with the people and letting them lead.'

She invited me to a barbecue with a focus on Ukrainian families now living in Conwy county, which I'll be attending. Will you therefore provide us with an update on the work of the external stakeholder group, particularly with people at grass-roots level across Wales? Ali told me that 100 Ukrainians came and spent the day together, informally meeting, sharing experiences, weeping, laughing and playing at their last event, adding that it was an amazing time to see so many children having fun and talking with others in their own language.

Responding to your update on Ukraine statement six weeks ago, I asked how you were working with ministerial colleagues to ensure that school places and local GP and NHS services are available to Ukrainian refugees when they arrive in Wales. You responded stating,

'It's crucial in terms of education that children can obtain admission to schools, and, indeed, also, I have to say, to the health service, to their GPs, to the health checks that are under way. This is monitored on a daily basis.'

Responding to you four weeks ago, I referred to the constituent who had contacted me stating that a Ukrainian refugee family was arriving the following morning under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, who had been told by the local authority's school admissions that the family's primary school-age child could not start education until she had a medical from the GP, and by the GP they had registered the family with that they refused to do a medical, knew nothing of this requirement and did not have the capacity. I thanked you for your prompt response, in which you stated that officials were following up with the admissions officer in the local authority to confirm that, providing the child is well, they do not need to wait for a health assessment to attend the school and that, regarding the position relayed to the family from the GP practice, you had asked health officials to follow up on that with the health board as a matter of urgency. I therefore concluded by asking how you therefore are working with colleagues to ensure that this capacity issue is addressed and, finally, how you would now ensure that local authorities and health services across Wales understand your expectations of them. To what extent, therefore, is your temporary pause of the Welsh Government's supersponsor scheme dictated by a shortage of accommodation, and to what extent by restrictions to the limited availability of services, including school placements and health provision? Can this realistically be addressed and, if so, when by and how?

And my final question, given your reference to accommodation: at the St David's parliamentary prayer breakfast for Wales on 3 March, I sat next to a person who is working with the Ministry of Defence to develop temporary quality accommodation for Ukrainian refugees arriving in the UK. In the circumstances you describe, what discussions have you had or could you have with the MOD regarding Wales accessing that potential source of quality, albeit temporary, housing?