The next item is a statement by the Minister for Social Justice, which is an update on Ukraine. The Minister to make the statement—Jane Hutt.

Diolch, Llywydd. I'm pleased to provide an update to Members about our ongoing work to support people from Ukraine seeking sanctuary in Wales. When I last updated Senedd Members on arrivals in November, Wales had welcomed just over 6,100 Ukrainians under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, including our supersponsor route. Arrivals have slowed in the recent months, with just over 6,300 Ukrainians, sponsored by the Welsh Government and Welsh households, arriving in Wales by 17 January. There have been additional arrivals under the Ukraine Family Scheme, but we're not given that data by the UK Government.

Each of those 6,300 Ukrainians spent Christmas 2022 away from loved ones and away from their homeland. They may have lost homes, friends or even relatives, and, for some, they will have celebrated Christmas in an entirely different way, even celebrating on 25 December, as well as the more traditional 7 January, for the first time. We can't begin to imagine how it felt to mark Christmas in this way. However, those 6,300 people are safe here in Wales. They've found sanctuary, and I thank all those who've worked with us as a nation of sanctuary during 2022 to ensure this was the case. Around 8,700 visas have now been granted in total to people from Ukraine who have sponsors in Wales, so we can expect the number of arrivals to continue to grow steadily.

We are mindful that events in Ukraine can have a direct impact on the number of Ukrainians who may arrive in Wales. Although we have seen a small number of individuals seeking to return to Wales after a period back in Ukraine, we are still not seeing a significant change at present.

In December, I updated Members via a written statement about UK Government’s financial announcements in relation to the Homes for Ukraine scheme. We are very disappointed with the decision to almost halve the integration tariff to £5,900 for new arrivals from 1 January, as well as the decision not to provide a year 2 integration tariff. These decisions are out of step with other resettlement schemes and reduce vital funding to local authorities at a time of immense budgetary pressure. Under other resettlement schemes, local authorities have generally received around £20,000 per person over a three- to five-year period. For Ukrainian arrivals from 1 January 2023, this will be just under £6,000 instead. We have repeatedly called for funding parity between the Homes for Ukraine scheme and the Ukraine Family Scheme and Ukraine Extension Scheme. Unfortunately, again, the UK Government has decided not to implement this parity, which compounds the pressure on local authorities.

We were pleased to see confirmation that host 'thank you' payments will be extended for a second year. This is very important because, when hosting placements work well, this can relieve housing demand and create a support network. The decision to uplift the 'thank you' payments to £500 per month is also welcome, though we regret that this will not happen until after 12 months of arrival for the hosted person.

Due to the wider housing pressures across Wales, we're working more intensively to find more hosts who can support Ukrainians who need accommodation. We continue to urge potential hosts to come forward and register an interest at www.gov.wales/offer-home-wales-refugees-ukraine, and to attend one of the 'introduction to hosting' sessions facilitated by Housing Justice Cymru. Hosting provides flexible and cost-effective accommodation that enables people to regain some independence and to integrate with local communities. Hosts are not alone and can receive excellent support from Housing Justice Cymru’s host support service, which offers everything from practical advice or a listening ear, to support robust and happy hosting placements for both the host and the guest, as well as refer to our Welsh Government sanctuary website. We are particularly keen to hear from those who could host families or those with pets.

The UK Government has announced that there will be a new UK £150 million fund for Ukrainian housing support during 2023-24, but details are currently scant. We are keen to work closely with UK Government and Welsh local authorities to ensure we can draw down maximum funding for Wales and use it effectively to relieve some of the pressures I have already mentioned. We will be working with local government to understand the full on-the-ground impact of the UK Government funding announcements. Our draft Welsh Government budget includes £40 million to support the Ukraine response in 2023-24, with the majority of that intended to support the supersponsor route. We will explore viable options in terms of reduced funding in the coming weeks from the UK Government.

In terms of the support we are currently providing, our revised approach to initial accommodation support was implemented from 9 January, with guests informed of impending changes on 1 December. Thus far, we have received positive feedback about the changes we have made, with guests actively engaging with the 'move on' processes we have in place. Indeed, we have now had more than 1,200 supersponsor arrivals move on, over 800 of whom have settled into longer term accommodation in Wales, such as host arrangements or the private rented sector. I’m grateful for the work of local authorities and third sector partners in supporting our Ukrainian guests to move on and put down roots within our local communities.

Since my last statement on Ukraine, we also held our first Holodomor commemoration event in Cardiff on 26 November. I wanted to mark the importance of that event and the gratitude we received from the 60 or so Ukrainians who joined us, in heavy rain, to commemorate it with us. We had participation from the deputy ambassador of Ukraine to the UK, Ukrainian support organisations, the Ukrainian orthodox church, the Archbishop of Cardiff, the Deputy Lord Lieutenant, the Welsh Local Government Authority leader Andrew Morgan, and Welsh Ministers, including the First Minister and the Counsel General. The event was led by the honorary chaplain to Cardiff Council, Reverend Canon Stewart Lisk. The commemoration fulfilled a commitment made in this Siambr in May 2022 to commemorate Holodomor, and we intend to continue that work in 2023.

Clearly, the horrific ongoing events in Ukraine, following Putin's illegal invasion, have a direct impact on the number of Ukrainians arriving in Wales, and will continue to do so in the future, with January's UK Government figures showing that 8,700 visas have been issued to those with a sponsor in Wales, and with 6,300 people with sponsors in Wales having arrived in Wales, of which almost half have the Welsh Government as a supersponsor.

However, only last week, we saw media coverage of the mum and daughter who fled fighting in Ukraine, but now face homelessness as their Welsh sponsor pulls out, who now have until 20 February to find a new sponsor, but can't afford private rent and fear they could end up on the streets. It was also reported that many sponsors had not anticipated housing people from Ukraine for months and years with no end in sight, and are pulling out of the scheme, where currently any refugee asked to leave by their sponsor must present as homeless to their local authority. What specific and proactive action are you therefore taking to meet this need, Minister?

Of course, this is separate to the Welsh Government's supersponsor scheme, which is acting as the host in place of a family or household sponsor, putting refugees directly into welcome centres like hotels. How is the Welsh Government, therefore, accommodating the greater numbers of people arriving under the supersponsor scheme than originally planned for, and addressing the impact this has on local services and communities?

The Irish Government has announced that it will be delivering 700 modular homes for Ukrainian refugees this year, including 200 accommodating 800 Ukrainian guests to be built by Easter, as it scrambles to find housing. Given that Wales has a long-standing affordable-housing supply crisis, what work, if any, has the Welsh Government done on this option, both stand-alone and with the UK Government?

During my visit to Mold job centre last summer, I was impressed by the work they're doing to support Ukrainian refugees, and was not surprised to learn that the refugees don't want to be dependent and are keen to work and contribute. What, if any, work is the Welsh Government, therefore, undertaking with the Department for Work and Pensions to ensure that Ukrainian guests can also access relevant devolved services via a single point of access, including the transferability of qualifications and English as a second language or ESOL courses, or Welsh if they live in the areas where that's the predominant language of use?

The report on the north Wales Ukraine response, issued by charity Link International earlier this month, reflected on their journey together with the their Ukrainian guests over the previous 10 months. This includes reference to the various meetings they've taken part in with the Welsh Government and to the regular updates they've provided to the Welsh Government and local leaders about their work. This also refers, for example, to their having been made aware of various safeguarding issues that have caused concern, and to their work with the charity Haven of Light, highlighting the risks around exploitation, modern slavery and human trafficking. Minister, have you read and responded to this report, which you may or may not have received? And if not, will you do so now that I've made you aware of it?

Responding to your statement on Ukraine here last month, I again referred to discussions you're having with the UK Government regarding a possible uplift to the monthly £350 payment to people hosting Ukrainians in their own homes. I therefore welcomed confirmation the following day that the UK Government had been actively working on this when a new support package for Ukrainians of over £650 million was announced, including an increase in payments to £500 month to Homes for Ukraine hosts. Your written statement a week later acknowledged this, but also called for clarity about funding tariffs for Homes for Ukraine visa holders, or alternative funds to continue to support people from Ukraine while they're in the UK. What further engagement are you therefore having with the UK about this?

This month's briefing on its response to the invasion of Ukraine by the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales asked that Members continue to raise the Ukrainian humanitarian crisis in the Senedd, do not allow it to be forgotten, and support the Welsh and UK Governments to work towards an end to the conflict through peaceful means. How is the Welsh Government therefore engaging with faith groups regarding their response to the humanitarian, and potential global food crisis, caused by the invasion of Ukraine, as highlighted by the Catholic Bishops Conference for England and Wales?

And, finally, just a comment, I look forward to seeing you at the Polish integration support centre on Friday, when their help for Ukrainian refugees can also be discussed. Diolch yn fawr. 

Diolch yn fawr, Mark Isherwood, and I look forward as well to my visit on Friday to the Polish integration centre. Also, just in terms of links to the third sector and faith groups, I'm also very much looking forward to meeting Link International in north Wales during my visit later this week. Also, I will be holding a meeting next week with the third sector, which includes the faith groups. 

I think it is important to recognise that we are pleased to be providing sanctuary for so many people. There's been a huge team Wales response to a terrible ongoing conflict, as you said. And it's this partnership approach that will continue as we support people to move on into longer term accommodation, either to hosts or into private or social housing across Wales. I've already identified the very good news that 1,200 have moved on, 800 into other hosts or, indeed, to private rented accommodation.

You ask about the ways in which we are supporting working with local authorities to provide interim and longer term accommodation. This is about all those in housing need in Wales, making sure that we use the transitional accommodation capital programme. We're investing £89 million through that programme to deliver more good-quality longer term accommodation, and it will help everyone in housing need. We're also investing over £197 million in homelessness and housing support. But we've taken the decision, as I've said, to include that £40 million in our draft budget, to continue our support for the people of Ukraine in this coming financial year. And these allocations underpin and highlight our commitment to supporting Ukrainian guests as they come to Wales. And I think it's important, in terms of that £89 million, that this is enabling local authorities to develop innovative ways in which they can accommodate those in housing need. 

I think it's important to say in terms of the UK Government that we're very disappointed with the funding announcements they've made; I've made that clear in my statement. We believe the decisions to cut integration tariff funding for new arrivals, to scrap year 2 funding altogether, is short-sighted and counter-productive, because local authorities are working tirelessly to support Ukrainians and their hosts, but these funding cuts withdraw vital funding at a time of immense pressure on public services. I met the UK Minister, Felicity Buchan, before Christmas, with the Minister for refugees from Scotland, Neil Gray, and, indeed, we've got a meeting next week with Felicity Buchan. So, I'm glad that, again, Mark, we are moving forward on a trilateral basis to raise these issues. But there's no clarity, as I said in my statement, about the £150 million housing support that was announced before Christmas.

Just in terms of the breakdown or ending of placements, if, for any reason, sponsorship arrangements need to be ended early, the local authority is the one that should be notified. The authority needs to be notified as soon as possible. They'll help Ukrainians. They're all working flat out across Wales to help Ukrainians in these situations. But, also, we're funding the Welsh Refugee Council to provide support for those who need support directly, and they can in fact contact the Welsh Refugee Council. If we look at the nation of sanctuary website, the numbers are given, and they can contact and they will get bespoke advice and support on an individual family household basis. But this is about a partnership that we have with Housing Justice Cymru and Asylum Justice Cymru, who are also helping Ukrainian guests with immigration problems and questions as well.

So, as you know, this is about the team Wales approach, working together, supporting all of those who come to stay and live with us here in Wales, and giving them the support that we feel that they are entitled to. And, of course, many now are moving into jobs, into further and higher education, and we are addressing, and indeed the education Minister is clearly addressing, many of the issues that you've raised in terms of access to education. But also, we are addressing the issues relating to qualifications as well. This is something where, I think, in terms of the powers that we've got—. We've updated eligibility guidance for post-16 funding for those arriving under the Home Office Ukraine visa schemes, and all universities are keen to offer refuge for academics and students, and also working on the issues regarding the transferability of qualifications.

Thank you for your statement, Minister. Although the UK Government has unveiled a new package of British military aid for Ukraine, the help, as you've mentioned, that they have provided for those who have had to flee the war—mainly women and children—looking for sanctuary here, is woefully inadequate, and the levels for next year are also concerning, and the Welsh Government has been trying to fill those funding gaps for local authorities, for language lessons, free transport and so on and so forth. So, during the ministerial scrutiny session at the Equality and Social Justice Committee last week, you mentioned, Minister, how you hoped to have a meeting with the Westminster Government regarding this aid, and you've just mentioned in your response to Mark Isherwood that that will happen next week. So, may I ask what exactly you hope to raise in this meeting, and what gaps are there in the support that undermine our desire in Wales to be a nation of sanctuary?

Minister, you were also questioned in committee on your funding ability to provide support if everyone from Ukraine who got a visa under the auspices of the Welsh Government came over. As I understand it, the budget has been allocated for the number of Ukrainian refugees that are expected to turn up, and not for the number with visas, and of course this is subject, as we've heard, to any further deterioration or major change in the progress or nature of the war. So, can you provide us with more clarity as to how you will deal with that funding pressure if the Welsh Government finds that its calculations were wrong? What exactly is this figure? Will funding be available if more people than expected arrive?

And finally, before Christmas, you made a statement expressing your intention to encourage refugees from Ukraine to move on from their initial temporary accommodation—the welcome centres, of course, sponsored by Welsh Government. And in your statement today you mentioned that 1,200 had moved on; 800 are now in private accommodation or with sponsors in Wales. So, what is the situation of the other 400? Are we monitoring where they have gone? And also, what progress is being made in terms of the other refugees who are still in the welcome centres and who haven't been able to move on? What are the barriers to them from moving on? Thank you.

Diolch yn fawr, Sioned Williams, and thank you again for recognising the challenges that we face but also the responsibilities that we are taking as a nation of sanctuary, and as a supersponsor. This has been an important responsibility, and that's why, indeed, we provide that wraparound support, which is what was always a key objective of the supersponsor route, and we do provide that wraparound support from the moment a guest arrives from Ukraine, and it has been in our welcome centres. But also, in more recent times, we have had some refugees arriving from Ukraine, some guests, who we have also managed to find a host for, because as I said in my statement, the hosting route has proved to be very beneficial to many Ukrainian guests who've come to Wales, fleeing the Putin invasion and atrocities, which, of course, continue. We do have that responsibility.

As I laid out in my statement, we know that there are more visas that have been approved—8,700 visas have been granted, as I said, in total, to people from Ukraine who have sponsors in Wales, and we have 6,300 Ukrainians through the Homes for Ukraine scheme with us now. So, I think we are very mindful, and that's why, indeed, in terms of the draft budget for next year, the £40 million, that is based on our commitment. This is not something we had in our budget before; the funding that we've put into the supersponsor scheme and the funding that we've put in to provide all of those services, those wraparound services, has been what we as a Welsh Government have seen as a priority. We have costed and estimated the cost in terms of those additional arrivals that we anticipate. It has been very slow, the number arriving. We actually also are working with the UK Government to check the data about the numbers coming, because some may not come as a result of the supersponsor route. But our doors are open. We are here to support those who will arrive. 

We do get an integration tariff from the UK Government to help with that wraparound support, and of course this is about the time that is spent in our welcome centres. But the vast majority of that tariff is passed on to local authorities to provide support. As I said, also, in response to Mark Isherwood, after people move on to longer term accommodation, the remainder of the tariff will move with them to the onward local authority. I think the reduction of the tariff from £10,500, which was when they arrived in 2022, to £5,900, as I said, is short-sighted, it is counter-productive, it will reduce vital funding whilst public services are under strain. The £350 per month 'thank you' payment for hosts will be made available to the Welsh Government for every Ukrainian household accommodated under the supersponsor route, but I have to say that these issues in terms of the cutbacks, the fact that the £500 isn't paid until 12 months into the hosting arrangement, these are the items that are going to be on the agenda for our meeting next week with the UK Government Minister, Felicity Buchan. 

I thank the Minister.