Asked by: Baroness Hamwee (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to support Ukrainian refugees and host families over the Christmas period to ensure that any breakdowns in host relationships under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme do not lead to homelessness.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
We are greatly appreciative of the overwhelming generosity shown by sponsors in accommodating guests under the Homes for Ukraine scheme. The Government has been working closely with local councils, voluntary and community organisations to ensure sponsors and their guests can access the support they need from public services.
We have developed advice on hosting and provide training courses to help sponsors welcome and host their guests which can be accessed (attached) here: www.gov.uk/guidance/sources-of-support-for-sponsors-hosting-people-from-ukraine
Asked by: Baroness Hamwee (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to support Ukrainian refugees over the Christmas period to ensure that issues with re-matching under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme do not lead to homelessness.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
We are greatly appreciative of the overwhelming generosity shown by sponsors in accommodating guests under the Homes for Ukraine scheme. The Government has been working closely with local councils, voluntary and community organisations to ensure sponsors and their guests can access the support they need from public services.
We have developed advice on hosting and provide training courses to help sponsors welcome and host their guests which can be accessed (attached) here: www.gov.uk/guidance/sources-of-support-for-sponsors-hosting-people-from-ukraine
Asked by: Baroness Hamwee (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what arrangements they have made to ensure (1) that council taxpayers entitled to the single person discount who host refugees from Ukraine do not lose the entitlement, and (2) that local authorities are compensated for any consequent loss of income.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The Council Tax (Discount Disregards and Exempt Dwellings) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2022 were laid before Parliament on 11 April 2022 and provide that refugees with a Homes for Ukraine immigration visa must be disregarded when calculating their host’s entitlement to the single person discount. Protecting the host’s entitlement to a single person discount will not result in local authorities experiencing a loss of expected income.
Asked by: Baroness Hamwee (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that local authorities and emergency response teams are prepared for the end of the transition period for leaving the EU on 31 December.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The UK left the EU on the 31 January 2020 and the Government is committed to working with the EU to negotiate a fair future trade agreement. We are working closely with local authorities and Local Resilience Forums (LRFs) and will continue to do so to prepare for the end of the transition period.