Syria: Refugees and Counter-terrorism

Baroness Chapman of Darlington Excerpts

Monday 7th September 2015 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I can certainly give my hon. Friend that assurance.

[Jenny Chapman (Darlington) (Lab)]

In the 1990s, families in Darlington welcomed Bosnian refugees into their homes, and it is a credit to them that they are willing to welcome refugees again. Our voluntary sector is already collecting toys and clothes. Those people know what to do, and the local authority is on board. What they do not know—they are trying to plan, and the success of the scheme will be greatly assisted by an ability to plan properly—is when this is going to happen. They have no idea when it will happen. The Prime Minister said “straightaway”, but we need more than “straightaway”. We need to know whether the Prime Minister is talking about days or weeks. What does he mean?

[The Prime Minister]

As I have said, the Home Secretary will make a statement next week, setting out more detail about how the scheme will work and how we will work with local councils to deliver it.