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PRESS RELEASE : Scottish Budget 2023-24 [December 2022]
The press release issued by the Scottish Government on 15 December 2022.

Strengthening the social contract with Scotland’s people.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney laid out “a different, more progressive path for Scotland” as he presented the Scottish Budget 2023-24.

He promised to strengthen the social contract with the people of Scotland and pledged to do everything possible to shield families from the welfare cuts and austerity policies of the UK Government.

Supporting sustainable public services through the cost of living crisis is a priority – including more than £13.7 billion for NHS boards and £2 billion to establish and improve primary healthcare services in communities, as well as £1.7 billion for social care and integration, paving the way for the National Care Service. This record investment goes well beyond any previous commitment to pass on all consequentials to health and social care, and delivers a £1 billion uplift to the health budget.

Having already increased the unique Scottish Child Payment to £25 per week as part of a drive to eradicate child poverty, the Budget invests £428 million to uprate all other devolved benefits in April 2023 by September’s Consumer Price Index inflation level of 10.1%. It commits £20 million to extend the Fuel Insecurity Fund to provide a lifeline for households, including the most vulnerable, against rising energy prices.

Scotland’s transition to net zero is boosted with increased investment to over £366 million in delivering the Heat in Buildings Strategy in 2023-24. This will help tackle fuel poverty as part of a £1.8 billion commitment over this Parliament to improve energy efficiency and decarbonise more than a million Scottish homes by 2030.

The Budget commits £50 million to the Just Transition Fund for the North East and Moray – more than double the 2022-23 allocation – to diversify the regional economy away from carbon-intensive industries and capitalise on the opportunities presented by new, green industries.

Strengthened by the agreement between the Scottish Government and the Scottish Green Party, the 2023-24 Scottish Budget also includes:
- around £1 billion investment in high quality early learning and childcare provision, with a further £22 million invested in holiday food provision and expanding support for school-age childcare
- £50 million for the Whole Family Wellbeing programme for preventative co-ordinated family support and a further £30 million to keep The Promise to care experienced children and young people
- £80 million capital funding to support the expansion of free school meals
- going beyond existing commitments with more than £550 million additional funding to Local Government
- £165 million additional funding for frontline justice services and to continue with transformational reforms
- a £46 million increase in resource funding to universities and colleges to ensure a highly qualified and highly skilled workforce for Scotland
Mr Swinney said:

“The Scottish Government, like governments all over the world, is faced with a difficult set of choices. Through this Budget we are facing up to our responsibilities while being honest with the people of Scotland about the challenges which lie ahead.

“To govern is to choose and the Scottish Government has made its choice.

“Within the powers available to us, we will choose a different path. A path which sees the Scottish Government commit substantial resources to protect the most vulnerable people of Scotland from the impact of decisions and policies made by the UK Government. We choose to stand firmly behind the Scottish people, investing in our public services and doing everything possible to ensure that no one is left behind.

“This Budget strengthens the social contract between the Scottish Government and every citizen of Scotland for the wider benefit of society. This social contract means that people in Scotland continue to enjoy many benefits not available throughout the UK – including free prescriptions, free access to higher education and the Scottish Child Payment.

“Because we know this progressive model works, we choose the path where people are asked to pay their fair share, in the knowledge that in so doing they help to create the fairer society in which we all want to live.”
23/12/2022
PRESS RELEASE : A Budget for a fair Scotland [December 2022]

The press release issued by the Scottish Government on 15 December 2022.

Spending plan will protect families and public services.

The 2023-24 Scottish Budget will take a distinctive approach to creating a fairer, more equal Scotland, Deputy First Minister John Swinney said.

He stressed the three Budget priorities of eradicating child poverty, strengthening public services and moving towards a net zero economy were strongly linked and would give more people the opportunity to flourish.

Ahead of delivering the Budget to Parliament today, Mr Swinney visited a scheme, delivered by City of Edinburgh Council and part-funded by the Scottish Government, installing insulation for households at risk of fuel poverty.

He said:

“I was encouraged to see the vital work being carried out to improve energy efficiency and make homes warmer for families facing significantly higher bills this winter. This scheme highlights how tackling the increased cost of living can assist our drive towards net zero, and is an example of the importance of effective public services.

“Our Budget goals are mutually beneficial and represent a distinctive approach to the economic challenges we face. The Scottish Budget will take further steps to address inequality and eradicate child poverty. It will encourage a just transition to net zero, creating wealth and opportunity across the country. And it will be the catalyst for reforms necessary to ensure our first-class public services remain sustainable in the face of the challenges to come.

“I would like to go even further but the cost of living crisis has also laid bare the fiscal constraints of devolution, as we cannot borrow to support day to day expenditure when times are hard to assist us through these difficult days. It is clear that businesses and households are paying a steep price for the economic mismanagement of the UK Government.

“The cost of living crisis requires decisive action. In setting this Budget, the Scottish Government will use its limited powers to the maximum extent that is responsible, to meet the challenges faced by the people of Scotland.”

Background

The Scottish Budget 2023-24 will be presented to the Scottish Parliament on Thursday 15 December.

The Scottish Government has provided more than £550 million since 2013 to councils across Scotland to provide insulation in hard-to-treat homes, helping 104,000 fuel poor households make their homes warmer and more energy efficient.

23/12/2022
HISTORIC PRESS RELEASE : Chancellor announces new appointment, Stephen Nickell, to the Monetary Policy Committee [February 2000]

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 11 February 2000.

Professor Stephen Nickell has been appointed to the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), the Chancellor Gordon Brown announced today.

Professor Nickell is currently School Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics (LSE). Professor Nickell will take up his membership of the MPC on 1 June. He will replace Professor Willem Buiter whose three-year term as a member of the MPC expires on 31 May. Professor Buiter has been appointed Chief Economist of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Gordon Brown said:

“I am delighted that Stephen Nickell has agreed to join the Monetary Policy Committee. He has had a long and distinguished academic career, and his expertise in such areas as the labour market and productivity growth will be of invaluable assistance to the work of the Committee.

“I am very grateful to Willem Buiter for his excellent contribution to the Committee’s work in the first three years of its existence, and wish him well in his new post.”

CURRICULUM VITAE

Name: STEPHEN JOHN NICKELL

Date of Birth: 25 April 1944

Nationality: British

UNIVERSITY EDUCATION

1. 1962-65 BSc Mathematics
Pembroke College, Cambridge University

2. 1968-1970 MSc Mathematical Economics and Econometrics (distinction)
London School of Economics
Ely Devons Prize

EMPLOYMENT

1. 1998 – Date School Professor of Economics, London School of Economics

2. 1984 – 1998 Professor of Economics and Director of the Institute of Economics and Statistics, University of Oxford. Professorial Fellow of Nuffield College.

3. 1979-84 Professor of Economics, London School of Economics.

4. 1979 Visiting Research Associate, University of Princeton (Industrial Relations Section).

5. 1977-79 Reader in Economics, London School of Economics

6. 1974-75 Visiting Research Fellow, Ecole Nationale de la Statistique et de l’Administration Economique, Paris.

7. 1970-77 Lecturer in Economics, London School of Economics

8. 1965-68 Mathematics Teacher, Hendon County School, London.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

General Academic Activities:

1973-87 Editorial Board, Review of Economic Studies

1974-75 Assistant Editor, Review of Economic Studies

1975-78 Joint Managing Editor, Review of Economic Studies

1977-79, Programme Committee, Econometric Society
1981-83 European Meetings

1980-85 Programme Committee, Econometric Society World Congress

1981-89 Treasury Academic Panel

1981- Associate Editor, Economic Journal

1983-87 Associate Editor, International Journal of Industrial Organization

1983- Fellow, Centre for Economic Policy Research

1984-98 Editor, Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics

1984-94 Council, Royal Economic Society

1984-87 Economic Affairs Committee, ESRC (vice-chairman 1985-87)

1985-88 Founding Council Member, European Economic Association

1985 N&g Lecture, Austrian Economic Association

1987-93 Council, Econometric Society

1987-90 Research Grants Board, ESRC; Industry, Economics and Environment Research Development Group, ESRC

1987 President’s Lecture, Scottish Economic Association

1988-94 Scientific Council of the Center for Economic Research, University of Tilberg, Holland

1990-94 Chairman, Research Grants Board, ESRC;
Member of Council, ESRC

1990- Advisory Board of the Institute for International Economic Studies, University of Stockholm, Sweden

1990- Governor of the National Institute of Social and Economic Research

1992 Mitsui lectures, University of Birmingham

1994- International Board of Advisers of the Tinbergen Institute, Amsterdam

1996- Labour Markets Panel, H.M. Treasury

1998 Adam Smith Lecture, European Association of Labour Economists

1999- Council, European Economic Association.

Academic Consulting:

H.M. Treasury; Manpower Services Commission; Department of Employment; Department of Health and Social Security; Economic and Social Research Council; Morgan Grenfell; Reserve Bank of New Zealand; OECD.

Academic Honours:

1980 Fellow of the Econometric Society

1993 Fellow of the British Academy

1997 Foreign Honorary Member of the American Economic Association

LETTER TO: THE RT HON GORDON BROWN MP FROM PROFESSOR WILLEM BUITER

I believe you have been informed by the Governor that I will not be a candidate for a second term as external member of the MPC. I am writing to you to explain the reason for this decision.

It was a singular honour to be appointed a member of the MPC. My period on the Committee has been the high point of my professional career. Membership of the MPC is the most rewarding responsibility a monetary economist can aspire to.

Your decision to grant operational independence over the conduct of monetary policy to the Bank of England was a bold and imaginative move. So was your insistence that the sole criteria for membership of the MPC would be professional competence and independence. The division of labour between the elected political authority which sets the target of monetary policy, and the appointed MPC charged with the pursuit of this target, without political interference of any kind, is a model of how a monetary authority should be designed. Even those who were sceptical at first must now be convinced of the wisdom of its design and implementation: the clear, numerical and symmetric inflation target, the existence of the ‘open letter procedure’, the transparency and openness of the arrangements and the accountability of those who participate in it. There is now a widely-based constituency for low inflation. There is growing awareness of the sometimes uncomfortable truth, that it is through the uncompromising pursuit of macroeconomic stability for the country as a whole, that we best serve the long-term interests of all its citizens and of its diverse regions, sectors and industries.

With the end of my term approaching, I have given considerable thought to whether I should be a candidate for re-appointment. I have come to the conclusion that both the appearance and the substance of independence of the external members of the MPC are best served by restricting their membership to a single term – three years as envisaged in the Bank of England Act 1998. Come May 2000, I will have served for three years, one year under the interim arrangement in effect between June 1997 and the coming into force of the new Bank of England Act, and the two-year term I was appointed to in June 1998, as part of the procedure for staggering the appointments of the external members.

Having reached the conclusion that, as a matter of principle, external members should be appointed for a single term only, I cannot in good faith claim special circumstances for myself, much as I feel tempted to do so. The past 2_ years have exceeded all my expectations. The new arrangements have worked and the UK’s model of central banking compares favourably with best practice elsewhere. I will look back with gratitude and a measure of pride on my term as a member.

I hope that, in the years to come, I will be able to support in some other capacity, the process of progressive, radical reform of policies and institutions in this country, which is now my home. I want to thank you personally for having given me the opportunity to be part of the process of embedding macroeconomic stability in the UK in a set of rules and institutions that will stand the test of time.

REPLY TO: PROFESSOR WILLEM BUITER FROM THE CHANCELLOR

Thank you for your letter of 18 January.

I would like to thank you very sincerely for the excellent work you have done on the Monetary Policy Committee. You have played a significant role in helping to establish the credibility of the new institutional framework.

I am delighted you enjoyed your time on the Committee and I wish you every success for the future.

23/12/2022
HISTORIC PRESS RELEASE : Equipping Britain for the Future [February 2000]

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 11 February 2000.

The Chancellor Gordon Brown today spelt out the benefits of devolution and how working together the whole of Britain could rise to the challenge of e-commerce.

Chairing the first Joint Ministerial Committee on the Knowledge Economy, and also the first to be held outside London the Chancellor said:

“Today we are agreeing measures which will help us rise to challenge of e-commerce.

“By 2002 every school to be linked to the Internet. 1,000 computer learning centres throughout the country. 200,000 computers loaned to families who need them. New incentives for small businesses to join the e-commerce revolution.

“Amid the day to day news about devolution, it is important not to lose sight of the longer view.

“The case for devolution starts from the over-centralised, remote and insensitive machinery of government that we inherited in 1997.

“The old uniform and rigid state – with everything directed from London – denied expression to our regions and nations. So devolution does not create new identities within Britain but simply gives democratic expression to existing identities.

“And centralisation did not make for good government, nor does a centralised state reflect lasting and shared British values .

“So there is no question of a dangerous meddling with British traditions and the constitutional reforms we made were not invented in a laboratory. They responded to the strong sense that our constitution should be updated to reflect enduring and shared British values – not least that government should always be close to the people.

“The new democratic constitutional architecture not only rights past wrongs but better equips Britain for the future. The new devolved institutions allow for innovation in policy making.

“The proposed Drugs Enforcement Agency in Scotland may, once up and running, lead the way for the whole country. The Welsh Assembly has introduced new services for the elderly, leading, not least, in concessionary travel. And added to that is the innovative work of regional development agencies in England tackling skill shortages and the investment shortfall in their areas.

“It is good for Britain that new centres of initiative are already developing. Because in the new devolved framework, the whole of Britain can learn and benefit from the distinctive initiatives and energies of each of its parts. In a very real sense the new Britain can draw both from our democracy and our diversity.

“Those who assume that the next stage will be dominated by messy arguments about dividing up the spoils or simply by confrontation are also guilty of being backward looking – still looking only to Whitehall to solve their problems, arguing over who the centre will favour.

“Instead of people looking upwards to Whitehall for their solutions, from region to region, locality to locality, more and more people will themselves take more charge of the decisions that affect their lives. So the next stage will be further devolution and, through, for example, elected mayors, the democratic strengthening of local government.

“This does not threaten Britain – and its democracy – but strengthens it, applying lasting British values to new conditions. So British values and British institutions, until recently increasingly at odds with each other, are now coming together.”

23/12/2022
HISTORIC PRESS RELEASE : Treasury Appoints Former Local Authority Chief Executive to Public Services Directorate [February 2000]

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 14 February 2000.

Lucy de Groot has been appointed as a new Deputy Director in the Treasury’s Public Services Directorate and becomes the first person to be appointed to a Treasury post of this kind from outside the civil service.

Currently working for the Audit Commission, Lucy de Groot, 48, was previously Chief Executive of Bristol City Council. She brings with her wide experience of local government and delivery of public services.

The main objective of the Public Services Directorate is to improve the quality and cost effectiveness of public services while keeping within the Government’s fiscal plans.

Amongst Ms de Groot’s initial tasks will be to focus on the Spending Review which will set the Government’s spending plans for the years 2001-04, together with clear objectives and targets for all departments and cross-departmental programmes.

Ms de Groot will be managing the teams dealing with education, housing, urban policy and social exclusion, transport, culture, rural and agriculture policy, the environment, defence and foreign affairs.

Ms de Groot has been working at the Audit Commission on a temporary basis with the new Best Value Inspectorate. She was appointed as the Chief Executive of Bristol City Council in 1995 in the lead up to the local government reorganisation. She has extensive experience in the management of public services and in cross-sectoral partnerships.

Prior to her appointment as Chief Executive, Ms de Groot was the Head of Policy in Bristol City Council and the London Borough of Lewisham. Ms de Groot has also worked in a number of not-for profit organisations dealing with adult education, housing, employment and economic development.

A graduate of Oxford University and the London School of Economics, she has been a non-Executive Director on the Board of Employment Service since the summer of 1998.

She takes up her post at the Treasury on 13 March.

23/12/2022
PRESS RELEASE : Wales’ new Chief Veterinary Officer announced [December 2022]

The press release issued by the Welsh Government on 23 December 2022.

Dr Irvine is currently the UK Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer and policy Deputy Director for Global Animal Health in Defra. He will join the Welsh Government in March.

Richard is a highly experienced veterinarian with a background in animal health and welfare, trade policy, as well as science and state veterinary medicine.

He has held different roles leading animal health surveillance and science programmes at the Animal and Plant Health Agency, as well as time spent in a clinical mixed veterinary practice in South Wales.

Dr Irvine said:

I’m truly delighted to have been appointed as Wales’ Chief Veterinary Officer.

I look forward to supporting Welsh farming in this role, by leading the collective work to safeguard the health and welfare of animals in Wales.

I’m very much looking forward to working as part of the team in the Welsh Government, as well as with all the partners and agencies who work tirelessly to tackle the animal health and welfare challenges we face.

It is a real opportunity to make a difference and build on what has already been achieved. I’m pleased to be able to come back to Wales, after spending some time here working as a vet in practice.

I am delighted to have the opportunity to play my part and look forward to starting my new role.

Welcoming the appointment Rural Affairs Minister Lesley Griffiths said:

Congratulations to Richard on his appointment as Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales. He joins us as we strive to reach our long-term vision for the eradication of bovine TB in Wales, and we face the largest incursion of Avian Influenza the UK has ever seen.

I look forward to working with him to deliver our ambitious Animal Health and Welfare goals and Programme for Government commitments.

23/12/2022
Jeremy Miles – 2022 Statement on the Outcome of the Education Ministers Council Meeting

The statement made by Jeremy Miles, the Welsh Minister for Education and Welsh Language, on 23 December 2022.

In accordance with the inter-institutional relations agreement, I can report I chaired the third meeting of the UK Education Ministers Council (UKEMC) on Friday 9 December at the Welsh Government Buildings in Cathays Park, Cardiff.

Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills attended for the Scottish Government. The Rt. Hon. Gillian Keegan MP, Secretary of State for Education attended for the UK Government and Mark Browne, Permanent Secretary to the Department for Education and Mark Lee, Director Tertiary Education represented Northern Ireland via video link.

The group discussed challenges and recent developments in the areas of: the rising cost of living; general and vocational qualifications; and lifelong learning.

Mike James, Chief Executive of Cardiff and Vale College, gave a presentation on the broad offer from the post-16 sector.

Amongst other things I highlighted the work the Welsh Government has been doing on Universal Primary Free School Meals, the significant changes taking place in the qualifications landscape in Wales and my vision for Wales to be a second chance nation.

It was agreed the UK Government will host the next meeting of the UKEMC.

This statement is being issued during recess in order to keep members informed. Should members wish me to make a further statement or to answer questions on this when the Senedd returns I would be happy to do so.

23/12/2022
Jeremy Miles – 2022 Statement on the Verdict of High Court on Relationships and Sexuality Education

The statement made by Jeremy Miles, the Welsh Minister for Education and Welsh Language, on 22 December 2022.

I would like to update Senedd Members on the decision of the High Court today.

I welcome the Court’s decision which found in favour of the Welsh Ministers on all grounds.

The Court rejected the characterisation of the RSE (Relationships and Sexuality Education) curriculum by the claimants. The Court found that “…the content of the Code and the Guidance is consistent with the requirement to take care to ensure that RSE teaching is conveyed in an objective critical and pluralistic manner, and does not breach the prohibition on indoctrination.

“There is nothing in the Code or the Guidance that authorises or positively approves teaching that advocates or promotes any particular identity or sexual lifestyle over another, or that encourages children to self-identify in a particular way.

“…In my judgment, both the Code and the Guidance reflect the general spirit of the Convention as an instrument designed to maintain and promote the ideals and values of a modern liberal democracy, including the values of tolerance, respect and equality.”

We have been clear that RSE is intended to keep children safe and to promote respect and healthy relationships.

Now more than ever, our children need our help in protecting them from harmful content and people online. RSE should provide young people with confidence to say no to bullies, to call out harassment, and to understand that families come in all shapes and sizes.

Parents can expect the teaching their children receive to be appropriate for their children’s age and maturity: this is a legal requirement.

I want parents to understand what is being taught and what resources are being used, and for schools to take the time to have those discussions with parents. This will require time, patience and confidence-building.

Parents can expect schools to engage with them about their plans for teaching RSE and to be able to raise any constructive questions or anxieties they have about those plans. We will work closely with schools and communities to ensure that they are heard and they are clear about what their children will and will not be taught.

I would like to put on record that I am appalled by the misinformation that has been purposefully spread by some campaigners, and the additional pressure this has brought upon some schools and workforce. I want to say to our education workforce that we will support you and we thank you for the contribution you make to the lives of the children you teach.

We will continue to work with local authorities and schools to support them in rolling out the new curriculum, help them engage with parents, carers and communities, including with resources to support teaching and learning.

This statement is being issued during recess in order to keep members informed. Should members wish me to make a further statement or to answer questions on this when the Senedd returns I would be happy to do so.

23/12/2022
PRESS RELEASE : Welsh Government response to latest NHS Wales performance data [December 2022]

The press release issued by the Welsh Government on 22 December 2022.

A Welsh Government spokesperson said:

October saw the first decrease in the number of patient pathways waiting to start treatment since April 2020. Although record levels of demand on the ambulance service were reported in November there was also some improvement in emergency department performance.

More than 376,000 consultations+ were carried out in October in hospital alone and over 106,000 patient pathways were closed, an increase of 12.8% from the previous month.

Progress continues to be made on the longest waits. Two year waits for treatment have fallen for the seventh month in a row and are down by 23% since the peak in March. The proportion of pathways waiting less than 26 weeks increased this month with the number waiting more than 36 weeks falling.

The number of pathways waiting longer than one year for their first outpatient appointment dropped for the second month in a row. An all-time record 14,412 people were seen and told they don’t have cancer; this is 4% higher than the previous month. Whilst performance decreased slightly against the 62-day target, more people started their first definitive cancer treatment in October 2022 compared to September 2022.

The proportion of pathways waiting longer than the target times for diagnostics and therapies fell by 4.9% and 4.1% respectively compared to the previous month.

Our ambulance service and emergency department staff remain under increased pressure. November saw the highest number and proportion of ‘red’/ immediately life threatening calls on record and an increase in the total number of attendances across facilities similar to pre-pandemic levels. However, performance improved against the four hour and twelve hour targets, and there was a reduction in the average wait for an assessment by a doctor.

Whilst we acknowledge ambulance performance is not where we expect it to be, we are driving system improvements, including extending same-day emergency care services to open seven-days a week, improving management of 999 patients on the phone, and recruiting more staff. Without all this the pressure on the system would be even greater.

23/12/2022
PRESS RELEASE : Welsh Government Update on Ukraine [December 2022]

The press release issued by the Welsh Government on 21 December 2022.

A statement by Jane Hutt, Minister for Social Justice.

As we approach Christmas, I want to update Members about recent issues relating to our ongoing humanitarian Ukraine response. After months of asking for certainty about the future funding of the Homes for Ukraine scheme, the UK Government has provided some clarity about a number of issues we have discussed in the Siambr.

The UK Government’s announcement about future Homes for Ukraine funding includes an extension to the host ‘thank you’ payments to the end of the second year after a Ukrainian’s arrival in the UK – something we had repeatedly asked for. It will also be uplifted to £500 a month where the hosted Ukrainian has already been in the UK for 12 months.

We had asked for this uplift to be available this winter, to help people cope with high energy bills and to help prevent homelessness presentations. Unfortunately, it will only be available from the end of Spring 2023.

The funding announcement also includes disappointing news – there will be no year two funding tariff for Homes for Ukraine visa holders. This is out-of-step with other UK Government resettlement routes and will put immense pressure on local authorities and the Welsh Government.

We would have expected to see a year two tariff of around £6,000 per person. Instead, the UK Government will make available a proportionate share of a new £150m housing support fund. We expect this to bring between £7m and £9m to Wales – compared with around £37m if the year two tariff was available.

Furthermore, the UK Government has said it intends to cut the year one tariff for new arrivals (after 1 January 2023) from £10,500 to £5,900. There are approximately 2,400 visas granted to individuals who are yet to travel to Wales. If all were to arrive after 1 January, Welsh local authorities would receive £14.16m compared with the £25.2m which would have been available when the visa applications were initially made and supported.

There is still no clarity about any year three tariff or alternative fund to continue to support people from Ukraine while they are in the UK. Under other resettlement schemes a year three tariff of £4,020 has been used. If no funding is made available, then a further £24.92m in potential support will not be available to those already here. If we include all those with visas who are yet to arrive, the total value of potential lost support could be as high as £34.57m.

The Welsh Government has already taken the decision to include £40m in our Draft Budget to continue our support people from Ukraine in Wales in 2023-24 and a further allocation of £20m in 2024-25. We will work closely with our local government partners to re-evaluate our strategy to ensure support can be provided to all those who need it over the coming year. These allocations underline our ongoing commitment as a Nation of Sanctuary to resettle those we have already welcomed and those who are still to arrive.

I am continuing to visit the initial accommodation we have set up across Wales and have today visited a welcome centre in South Wales. I had the opportunity to hear directly from our guests about the support available and how they are settling in Wales. We have this week sent Ukrainians living in Wales another newsletter to help them keep in touch and to wish them a peaceful Christmas in the circumstances.

It is vital that we maintain our focus on support in Ukraine as well as the support provided to people who have sought safety and sanctuary in Wales.

This statement is being issued during recess in order to keep members informed. Should members wish me to make a further statement or to answer questions on this when the Senedd returns I would be happy to do so.

23/12/2022