Agenda item

Public speaking

Minutes:

Mr Trevor Leahong from the Ottery Refugee Response Group stated he understood that Ukranian refugees would have access to employment and the benefits system, schooling, medical and social services. In addition, EDDC would be receiving from central government £10,500 per individual Ukranian refugee. He asked what ‘direct political solutions’ had been implemented locally so far and the Council’s response to the government ‘Homes for Ukraine’ scheme. He asked what additional special systems and facilities were being developed and implemented for meeting the practical needs of refugees and their care and support within East Devon communities.

 

In response the Strategic Lead Housing, Health and Environment stated;

Whilst the council was still awaiting much of the detailed guidance needed from Government, it was readying itself to take on the request from Government under the national scheme. The council was preparing to inspect the properties of sponsor households to ensure that they were suitable for occupation by refugees. DCC would be undertaking the required safeguarding checks to be performed on sponsoring households. The Benefits staff were preparing to administer subsistence grants and monthly payments to sponsoring households and were liaising with the DWP.

 

EDDC was still awaiting access to data. TeamDevon was also considering arrangements for welcome, integration into the community, welfare support and ‘safety net’ arrangements if relations with host families ceased and/or breakdown in some way. The council had encouraged financial donations to the Disasters Emergency Committee and recognised charities and directed residents who wish to make physical donations, to the excellent range of local voluntary and community groups via social media. There was a webpage on the website that was being kept up to date during the rapidly changing situation.

 

Mr David Gurney from the Ottery Refugee Response Group, asked about the arrangements to check the suitability of sponsors and accommodation being offered and how EDDC would find out which of its constituents had offered to Sponsor Ukrainian refugees. He asked which department would carry out suitability checks on people and property and would this be done before a match had been agreed. 

 

In response the Strategic Lead Housing, Health and Environment stated;

The Government supplied data to DCC on sponsor/host offers of accommodation, and EDDC was given access to the data on Tuesday 29 March 2022.

 

He acknowledged that 37 host families had offered accommodation in East Devon to date. EDDC’s Private Sector Housing Team were undertaking the property inspections and DCC are undertaking the host safeguarding checks. He said that now the council had the property data and inspection guidelines, the Private Sector Housing Team would commence the inspections immediately and complete these as quickly as resources permit and in accordance with Government guidance.

 

Helen Collinson from the Ottery Refugee Response Group stated that it was wholly appropriate that EDDC and other district councils in Devon should take urgent action in response to the refugee crisis resulting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However she was concerned about the ongoing refugee crisis resulting from the Taliban’s seizure of power in Afghanistan eight months ago. She understood from DCC and EDDC press releases and local media articles that 67 Afghan refugees; 15 families, were placed in temporary hotel accommodation in Exmouth last autumn by the Home Office and that EDDC had been entrusted with finding more permanent accommodation for these families. She asked how many Afghan refugees in East Devon were still in temporary accommodation and the number of Afghan refugees for whom permanent housing had been found in East Devon since August 2021. She inquired to the current measures being taken to ensure that Afghan refugees still in temporary accommodation could move into more permanent accommodation as soon as possible.

 

In response the Strategic Lead Housing, Health and Environment stated;

The Afghan evacuee scheme was a Home Office project and one in which EDDC had no say and little warning in the booking of the ‘bridging’ hotel in Exmouth. The Home Office was also responsible for the ‘matching’ scheme to resettle afghan households into more permanent housing. The housing responsibilities as a district council were limited to providing a ‘safety net’ should Home Office commissioned arrangements fail. EDDC worked closely with DCC, Exmouth Town Council and local voluntary and community groups to support the settlement of families in Exmouth and ensure that their immediate needs were met. DCC as the welfare authority had been providing ongoing support.

 

It was known from DCC that the numbers of people within the hotel remains fluid with a family of 10 and a family of 5 arriving on Friday last week, at short notice. There were 55 people within the hotel at the moment, following a number of families having moved on (1 locally and 4 to other areas in the UK). We anticipate a further 9 people to arrive on Thursday. The availability of properties for resettlement (locally and nationally) remained limited and EDDC understood that the longer term response from Home Office was still in development. He suggested that for a more detailed response the questions should be directed to the Home Office.

 

Mr Mike Goodman read a statement following up to his previous questions to Cabinet on the Climate Change Strategy and car parks charges. In response the Monitoring Officer said that Mr Goodman would receive a written statement in due course addressing the many questions he had asked.