Homes for Ukraine Scheme Anniversary — [Peter Dowd in the Chair]

Alison Thewliss agreed with Pete Wishart's points and highlighted concerns about the need for further promotion of the Homes for Ukraine scheme due to ongoing conflict in Ukraine, stressing the importance of additional support for people trying to flee. A case was presented where a constituent's parents under the family scheme could not stay with their daughter due to space constraints, leading to the daughter hosting them without support payments, creating unfair circumstances for hosts.

Congratulated the hon. Member for Sheffield, Hallam on securing the debate and highlighted Scotland's role in supporting Ukrainian refugees through the Homes for Ukraine scheme and Scottish super-sponsorship. Emphasized Perth and Kinross Council's success with 314 Ukrainian arrivals, third highest per capita in Scotland. Noted that Scotland has provided over £70 million for the Ukrainian resettlement programme for 2023-24 and called on the UK Government to ensure sustained funding. Stressed the need for quicker provision of biometric residency permits and advocated for refugees' right to work. Asked about discussions with the Home Office regarding biometric residence permits and their impact on issues faced by Ukrainian families.

Congratulated the hon. Member for Sheffield, Hallam on securing the debate, highlighting the UK's proud history of welcoming refugees and the importance of providing a safe route for Ukrainians fleeing the conflict. Noted initial frustrations with visa applications but praised the work done by her constituency teams in helping 114 Ukrainians settle in Oxfordshire. Emphasised the collaborative efforts of councils, community groups, and volunteers to support Ukrainian guests. Raised concerns about long-term housing solutions, referencing difficulties faced by families seeking stable accommodation due to referencing procedures penalising those on universal credit or with no credit history. Highlighted issues related to temporary legal status affecting job prospects and called for an automatic extension of visas. Thanked local authorities for their efforts in managing the refugee situation and encouraged the Minister to look beyond raw homelessness numbers to recognise efficient practices that prevent homelessness.

Paid tribute to the scheme's significance and highlighted challenges such as private rental sector issues, relationships breaking down between host families and refugees, and inadequate welfare support. Noted that over 4,000 Ukrainian households turned to local councils for housing after their placement ended. Criticised the Government for being reactive rather than proactive in addressing these problems.

He congratulated Perth and Kinross Council for having the third highest number, and the highest number per capita, of Ukrainian guests in Scotland. The council's approach involves building a positive relationship with the private letting sector and creating their own agency to actively bring together guests and hosts. Pete Wishart congratulated his local authority for setting up an in-house agency to connect with other council services such as the welfare rights department, serving Ukrainian guests effectively. He encouraged other local authorities to replicate Perth and Kinross Council's approach.