Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that some Ukrainian refugee families have not been accommodated successfully on arrival in England; and what steps they are taking in response.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
We always anticipated that there would be some cases where accommodation is not found to be suitable, and in those relatively rare cases, government and local authorities provide alternative options or accommodation. Further guidance can be accessed (attached) here:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/homes-for-ukraine-guidance-for-councils
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/homes-for-ukraine-guidance-for-matching-organisations
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the results of the local government elections on 5 May.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The Government does not undertake any formal assessment of the delivery or outcome of elections.
The Electoral Commission is responsible for formally reporting on the delivery of elections.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (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 there is appropriate accommodation available for those coming from Ukraine.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
Information for both sponsors and councils on appropriate accommodation is available at www.gov.uk/guidance/homes-for-ukraine-sponsor-guidance and https://www.gov.uk/guidance/homes-for-ukraine-guidance-for-councils.
Considerations have been set out in the published FAQs for the scheme: www.gov.uk/guidance/homes-for-ukraine-scheme-frequently-asked-questions
All accommodation will be different however there are a number of standards that ensure the accommodation is free from serious health and safety hazards
Local authorities will need to use their discretion in determining the appropriate approach to undertaking these checks and we have and will continue to engage extensively with local authorities on this as the programme develops.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (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 house refugees currently living in hotels.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
Work is continuing across Government to ensure the Afghans who stood side by side with us in conflict, their families and those at highest risk who have been evacuated, are supported as they now rebuild their lives in the UK.
We are working closely alongside all councils to provide accommodation and support for Afghans in need of our compassion and support to rebuild their lives in the UK.
We are conscious of pressures on the housing market across the country. That said, we think by working closely with councils we can work effectively to continue to support moves into settled accommodation.
One example of the work we are doing is a new private rented sector (PRS) accommodation route. This route is being scoped to support people to source their own accommodation. Our engagement with Afghan families has suggested that there is appetite amongst the cohort for independent house-hunting, with the right support. Options are being defined and tested, including working with local government partners to consider what role they might play in supporting this more independent property sourcing pathway.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to connect potential sponsors and applicants to the Ukrainian Sponsorship Scheme who may not have a pre-existing relationship.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The initial phase of the Homes for Ukraine scheme is designed for sponsors with a named Ukrainian beneficiary. We are actively exploring ways in which we can build connections between UK Sponsors and Ukrainians that do not yet know each other, including working with NGOs. We are funding a pilot scheme for a digital matching tool and casework service that the NGO ReSet are testing.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the protocol for applicants of the Ukrainian Family Scheme and the Ukrainian Sponsorship scheme if applicants have no formal Government identification.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
If a Ukrainian person does not have a valid passport, they can attend a Visa Application Centre in Europe to undertake biometrics checks before applying for a visa. Further information, including the location of centres, has been published online at: www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-a-visa-under-the-ukraine-sponsorship-scheme
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Ukrainian refugees are being accommodated in each of the UK's four nations as a result of the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
I refer the noble Lord to the initial data published at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ukraine-family-scheme-application-data . Additional data is currently being quality assured and it remains my intention to publish this data shortly. This is further to my answer to the Noble Lord Ponsonby during my statement to the Lords on the issuing of visas on 31 March 2022, where I reiterated my intention to write to the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee with details of the number of arrivals under the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (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 help provide volunteers willing to host Ukrainian refugees with the names and details of refugees they could be hosting.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The initial phase of the Homes for Ukraine scheme is designed for sponsors with a named Ukrainian beneficiary. The second part of the scheme will provide the opportunity for sponsors without a named beneficiary. We are actively exploring ways in which we can build connections between UK Sponsors and Ukrainians that do not yet know each other, including working with NGOs. We are funding a pilot scheme for a digital matching tool and casework service that the NGO ReSet are testing. If successful, this could be scaled up at pace.