, Local Government and Housing Committee
Housing Ukrainian refugees - evidence session with the Minister for Social Justice
Well, this is a real challenge—not just here in Wales, but also, obviously, in England and Scotland as well. I've given you the figures—the 3,000 already with hosts and then 200-odd who are new possibilities. But the UK Government, with us, wrote to everyone…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Housing Ukrainian refugees - evidence session with the Minister for Social Justice
Just one point. You make the point about where people want to be and there's no question that, in some rural areas, people—and I've been to welcome centres in rural areas—are keen to get to a city, but also recognising that a city is going to also have people…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Housing Ukrainian refugees - evidence session with the Minister for Social Justice
Thank you very much, Carolyn. I think when we went out to look for welcome centres, obviously there wasn't appropriate accommodation in every authority or every part of Wales, but there was a very clear understanding from the start with local authorities that…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Housing Ukrainian refugees - evidence session with the Minister for Social Justice
Well, I suppose we feel confident at the moment that in the numbers that are coming that we can accommodate them. We've got capacity, and I think that's the most important thing, that we can reassure the committee we've got capacity in our welcome centres and…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Housing Ukrainian refugees - evidence session with the Minister for Social Justice
Well, those are very important points, and on Tuesday I said in my statement that the event—. We're very mindful that the events in Ukraine will have an impact on our modelling, our preparations, our anticipation, even though we have those visa approvals in…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Housing Ukrainian refugees - evidence session with the Minister for Social Justice
Yes, we do have figures. I don't know whether we need to give you—. We could perhaps give you the latest figures on move on, but whether, Ruth, you can say anything at this point. The move on, for example, when we had to close the Urdd, which was over 200…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Housing Ukrainian refugees - evidence session with the Minister for Social Justice
Fourteen. So, this is very manageable, so it does go back to my earlier point that the point of the welcome centres and our initial accommodation was always the move on, because, of course, people have moved on. And, then, that means there's capacity to…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Housing Ukrainian refugees - evidence session with the Minister for Social Justice
Well, we've committed ourselves to providing that support. In the summer, I would say, in August, we were in a very anxious time because there were large numbers of Ukrainian refugees arriving, and we were looking at—. That was a time when we had to look at…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Housing Ukrainian refugees - evidence session with the Minister for Social Justice
I mean, this is where we work very closely with the Home Office, because it's about modelling, because we've got to plan for those arrivals. We are asking the questions so that they can clarify in terms of visa status whether people have moved, have…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Housing Ukrainian refugees - evidence session with the Minister for Social Justice
Well, we were just checking today, weren't we, Ruth, because every Thursday we get a public update on the figures. The UK Government publishes that. So, I think the figures that I've got are from 18 October, and they haven't actually changed very much, have…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Housing Ukrainian refugees - evidence session with the Minister for Social Justice
Well, I did say in my statement on Tuesday—and I was just checking the words again—that we are 'revisiting' our wraparound support offer. I think many of the refugees who have come, they just want to get on, they want to be independent, and they want to move…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Housing Ukrainian refugees - evidence session with the Minister for Social Justice
Well, thank you very much, Chair, and, if we go back to how we developed the supersponsor scheme, it was very soon after the war broke out and the terrible reports that we were getting, and wanting us all to play our part, meeting with UK Government…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Housing Ukrainian refugees - evidence session with the Minister for Social Justice
Okay. Actually, they'll introduce themselves. I think that's best. Emma.
, Plenary
Debate on a Member's Legislative Proposal—Take-up of Benefits Bill
Awareness of the financial support that is available, be it devolved or non-devolved, is increasing in households across Wales due to the success of campaigns like 'Claim what's yours'. Over 9,000 people are so far being helped to claim over £2.6 million of…
, Plenary
Debate on a Member's Legislative Proposal—Take-up of Benefits Bill
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd, and thank you for the opportunity to respond to this debate on the proposal of a take-up of benefits Bill. I do welcome the opportunity this debate provides to report on the actions the Welsh Government is taking to improve the take-up…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Update on Ukraine
Thank you very much, Jane Dodds. Also, it's really good to hear of the progress of that refugee you met at the stall so recently, and what she's come from—giving birth in a bomb shelter in Kyiv—just shows how important it is that we continue with our support…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Update on Ukraine
Diolch yn fawr, Sioned Williams, and thank you for those important questions. I think that, what I'm signaling, I suppose, is that we're working with not only our Ukrainian guests but our local authority partners to find a way in which we can ensure that we…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Update on Ukraine
Thank you very much, Mark, and thank you for also always giving me updates and insights of the work that’s been carried out in north Wales, particularly in relation to the third-sector engagements and local authorities. I do hope that we can establish good…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Update on Ukraine
Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. Thank you for providing an opportunity for me to give an update to Members about our ongoing work to support people from Ukraine seeking sanctuary in Wales. When I last updated you in September, Wales had welcomed just over 5,600…
, Plenary
Debate: The Children's Commissioner for Wales's Annual Report 2021-22
Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd, and diolch, pawb. Thank you to all Members who have contributed to this debate on the children's commissioner's annual report. I'm very grateful for your continued support in keeping children's rights so high on the Welsh…
, Plenary
Debate: The Children's Commissioner for Wales's Annual Report 2021-22
Diolch yn fawr, Deputy Llywydd. I'm really pleased to have this opportunity to lead this important debate with Members on the children's commissioner's annual report for 2021-22. The commissioner's annual report provides an annual independent spotlight on…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Diolch yn fawr, Rhys ab Owen. I have to say that there is much that's being done that is not just in my portfolio, but certainly in Dawn Bowden's portfolio as well in terms of heritage, culture, art and sport. I don't know whether you were able to visit the…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Diolch, Rhys ab Owen. Our 'Anti-racist Wales Action Plan' was launched in June. I've asked the Welsh public and third sectors to work with us in delivering the plan and we've established a race disparity unit as one of our first actions.
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Thank you, Sam Rowlands. As you say, PCSOs play such a crucial role in promoting community safety and tackling anti-social behaviour and acting as ears and eyes on the ground for police forces. But it's also about local relationships and so many of those…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Thank you for the question. We are committed to working in partnership to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour in north Wales. While policing is currently a reserved matter, we work closely with policing colleagues on strategic issues and fund 600 police…
