.gif "Public Service Insights: Effectively Onboarding New Employees With An Intranet")
Parliamentary Committees and Public Enquiries
 Printable version
|
Support for Ukrainian refugees – Clive Betts, Levelling-Up Committee Chair writes to Refugees Minister
Clive Betts, Chair of the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (LUHC) Committee has written to Lord Harrington, Minister for Refugees, regarding the Government’s support for Ukrainian refugees and asking for an update on the Government’s progress in enabling people to switch from the family scheme to the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
The correspondence points to Government data indicating a rise in Ukrainian refugee households requiring homelessness assistance and requests a range of information relating to re-matching requests.
Chair's comment
Clive Betts, Chair of the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (LUHC) Committee, yesterday said:
“At PMQs recently, the Prime Minister said he would make it possible to allow families to transfer from the family scheme to the Homes for Ukraine scheme. I hope the Minister will update the Committee on progress on the Prime Minister’s pledge and ensure that this happens as soon as possible. With so many generous volunteers offering their homes on the Homes for Ukraine scheme, there is no good reason why refugees should end up homeless if their families are unable to accommodate them.
“The latest homelessness data relating to Ukrainian households is a matter of concern. As a Committee, we have heard of difficulties arising with the rematching process within the Homes for Ukraine scheme when accommodation is found to be unsuitable and when there appears to be perverse application of the rules, with families unable to switch.
“I hope the Minister will be able to provide more information relating to issues with the rematching process. The Government needs to up their efforts and work with councils to help ensure refugees in unsuitable accommodation are offered alternative accommodation with a suitable sponsor as efficiently as possible. Refugee families need a proper home not a hotel bedroom or temporary bed and breakfast.”
Background – LUHC Committee follow-up on support for Ukrainian refugees
Clive Betts, Chair of the LUHC Committee, questioned the Prime Minister on the Ukraine refugee schemes on 6th July (Hansard, column 873-874).
On 29th June, Lord Harrington, Minister for Refugees, appeared before the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee to respond to questions on the Homes for Ukraine scheme and support for Ukrainian refugees.
The Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (LUHC) Committee published on 23 June correspondence (16 June) from Lord Harrington following a series of letters (on 4 May and also on 24 May) from Clive Betts, Chair of the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (LUHC) Committee.
The correspondence from Clive Betts raised a series of questions concerning problems with the operation of the Homes for Ukraine scheme, including delays in criminal records checks for UK hosts and of accounts of Ukrainian refugees being forced into temporary accommodation such as B&Bs.
This followed previous correspondence to Lord Harrington (4th May) expressing “significant concerns” about support for Ukrainian refugees and for local authorities and which asked for responses to a series of questions relating to the matching of refugees with potential hosts, funding for local authorities, the sharing of data with local councils, and longer-term considerations for supporting refugees in the UK.
Clive Betts also raised concerns relating to support for Ukraine refugees in correspondence (19th April) to Lord Harrington, Minister for Refugees, on these issues. Lord Harrington’s reply (27th April) is available here.
Lord Harrington appeared before the LUHC Committee on Wednesday 30 March. On Wednesday 30 March, Clive Betts also posed questions to the Prime Minister at the Liaison Committee (questions 54-57) on the Government’s support for Ukrainian refugees, with the Prime Minister committing to examining the case for extra funding for local councils to help support refugees arriving under the family scheme.
Lord Harrington responded (on 29 March) to questions raised in correspondence (22 March) from Clive Betts, LUHC Chair, on a range of issues relating to the advice, guidance, administration and co-ordination of the scheme and the support available to local councils to provide services including school places.
Further information
Original article link: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/17/levelling-up-housing-and-communities-committee/news/172249/support-for-ukrainian-refugees-clive-betts-levellingup-committee-chair-writes-to-refugees-minister/
