Tag: Westminister

New unauthorised entry offence and police collaboration needed to boost sport fan safety, say MPs

The creation of a new criminal offence of unauthorised entry to a football match and bolstering collaboration between UK and overseas police are among recommendations from MPs on how to improve safety at sporting events at both home and abroad.

Today’s report from the Culture Media and Sport Committee comes after its inquiry examining safety spectator issues following the disorder at Wembley at the Euro 2020 final and the chaotic scenes faced by Liverpool supporters caused by police failings at the Champions League final in Paris last year.

In a week when hundreds of thousands of fans will be attending football and other big sports fixtures, the Committee concludes that while sporting bodies have learned lessons from past disasters and improved stadiums and policing, sporting events are still not environments that ensure all fans are able to attend.

The disorder at Wembley in 2021 included instances of people without tickets attempting to enter the stadium using fakes, tailgating or through force. Warning that the lack of a distinct criminal penalty is allowing the practice to continue seemingly unchallenged, the Committee backs the Unauthorised Entry to Football Matches Bill introduced by committee member Kevin Brennan MP and urges the Government to ensure the legislation is passed.

The Bill would create an offence of unauthorised entry at football matches and allow a football banning order to be imposed on conviction.

The report also calls for the expansion of safe standing trials, for police and clubs to take the use of Class A drugs at sporting events more seriously, steps to monitor and tackle anti-social behaviour and discrimination and for measures to ensure stadiums are accessible for all.

On protecting fans abroad, the Committee describes as ‘disgraceful’ the treatment of Liverpool fans by French authorities at the 2022 Champions League final, with their approach worsened by attempts to blame Reds supporters.

Evidence received by the Committee suggests that the attitude of foreign police forces to British fans heavily contributed to the chaos. The report therefore recommends that the Government works with overseas counterparts to bolster the role of British police travelling with fans and their collaboration with local forces.

Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, Chair of the CMS Committee, said: “Fans flocking to festive fixtures at this time of year should be able to enjoy time with family and friends in sports grounds that are secure, inclusive and welcoming environments.

“Sadly, the rise in disorder at football post-pandemic and near disasters that occurred at Wembley and in Paris have shown there is much to be done to ensure a safe time for all. The Government, police, clubs and governing bodies all have a role to play.

“Tailgating and other forms of unauthorised entry into grounds are an increasing problem at high-profile matches putting safety at risk from overcrowding. Those involved should know that they will face consequences and the Government should back legislation to ensure they can be banned.

“At big games in Europe, too often the attitude of foreign police to British fans leads to unacceptable treatment of innocent supporters. The Government needs to work with overseas counterparts to bolster the role of British police travelling with teams and collaboration with local forces.”

Main conclusions and recommendations

Protecting fans abroad

  • The treatment of Liverpool fans by French authorities at the 2022 Champions League final was disgraceful and worsened by attempts of the authorities and UEFA to blame the supporters. The attitude of foreign police forces to UK football fans heavily contributed to the chaos.
  • The Government should work to foster improved relationships with other governments on policing sporting events in order to bolster the role of British police travelling with UK teams and their collaboration with local forces.

Policing

  • The unauthorised entry of ticketless individuals at football matches creates a risk to their safety and the safety of legitimate, paying fans. While such acts are likely already illegal, the lack of a distinct criminal penalty that includes the use of the proven deterrent of Football Banning Orders, is allowing this practice to continue seemingly unchallenged.
  • The Committee welcomes the introduction of the Unauthorised Entry to Football Matches Bill and calls on the Government to ensure its passage into law during this session of Parliament.
  • Sporting bodies should increase their financial contribution to the safety of fans outside of the stadium.
  • The Government should work with police and sporting bodies to introduce a centralised system to report and record discrimination and antisocial behaviour at sporting events.

Alcohol and drug use at sporting events

  • The evidence available on the impact of alcohol on disorder at football matches does not provide a compelling case either for the status quo or for a significant relaxation of the current legislation.
  • The Government’s review of the Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc) Act 1985, alongside a responsible alcohol sale pilot scheme, provides an opportunity for comprehensive evidence gathering.
  • The Government should consult with other sporting bodies and also ensure that the alcohol sale pilots are undertaken alongside the Committee’s recommended improved reporting of hate crime and antisocial behaviour to ensure the impacts are fully understood before any further decisions are taken.
  • The increasing use of Class A drugs at sporting events is something that police and clubs should both be taking more seriously. It is unclear whether the use of Football Banning Orders for Class A drugs provides an adequate deterrent.
  • Further work is needed by the police to understand the prevalence of drug supply and possession.

Stewarding

  • Stewards should not be seen merely as volunteers or fans who get to see the game for free. They are crucial to the safety of all sporting events and their responsibilities have grown over the years. The resources available to all major UK sports should allow for the better treatment of stewards, including an appropriate wage.
  • Stewards, employers and fans would all benefit from clarity on the roles, responsibilities and standards for stewards. The Committee recommend that the Sports Ground Safety Authority should develop and publish minimum expectations for stewarding standards in consultation with all those involved in major sporting events.
  • The Government and SGSA should work with sporting bodies to establish a central training fund, with contributions from sporting leagues being tied to their revenue.

Stadium management

  • Local authorities should include a wider variety of perspectives in Safety Advisory Groups with efforts to reach demographic groups that have been previously disregarded.
  • As long as football clubs can prove that they have a comprehensive stewarding plan for safe standing and follow the licenced standing criteria from the SGSA Further safe standing pilots should be encouraged.
  • Poor stadium design raises fundamental issues around equality, diversity and inclusion that are not being fulfilled to an acceptable level by the design of spaces intended for use by fans. Being unable to accommodate women and disabled fans in an appropriate way sends the message that they are not welcome and undermines their safety, security and dignity when attending matches.
  • The SGSA should update its Green Guide with a requirement for new and redeveloped stadia to better accommodate all fans, including women and disabled people.

Edinburgh MPs demand Chancellor uses budget to support local families

HOUSEHOLDS ACROSS EDINBURGH SUFFERING FROM TORY-MADE COST OF LIVING CRISIS

The Chancellor must use next week’s budget to tackle the Tory-made cost of living crisis harming households across Edinburgh, Tommy Sheppard MP and Deidre Brock MP have said.

Polling carried out by Survation in partnership with campaign group 38Degrees revealed the stark impact of rising costs imposed on households in recent months, with findings showing in Edinburgh East: 21% of people have missed rent payments in the last six months, 32% haven’t been able to afford to turn the heating on, and 21% fear they may have to use a foodbank.

Meanwhile, in Edinburgh North and Leith the figures are even higher, with 22% of people have missed rent payments over the same period, 41% unable to afford to turn the heating on and 28% are worried they may have to use a foodbank.

Commenting, Edinburgh North and Leith MP Deidre Brock, said: “All eyes are on next week’s budget to see what support is on offer to assist households through a cost-of-living crisis of the Tories’ making.

“People and families across Edinburgh are suffering from a toxic mix of inflation, soaring energy costs, rising mortgage rates, and Tory austerity and cannot afford continued inaction from the UK government.

“If the Chancellor wants to provide, he can start by cutting the Energy Price Guarantee to £2000 and maintaining the £400 Energy Bill Support Scheme to the summer, a move that would save households £1,400.

“The fact thousands of my constituents are missing rent payments, are living without heating through the cold months, are relying on foodbanks is a disgrace that should shame the Tories into taking serious action – but I won’t hold my breath.”

Tommy Sheppard MP for Edinburgh East added: “These figures have soared, like costs, under Westminster Tory rule and we’re unlikely to see what families desperately need from a party that throughout its existence has lacked the political will to help the most vulnerable.

“In Scotland we’ve used our limited powers to support households, including with the introduction of the Scottish Child payment, described as ‘game-changing’ by leading charities. But it shouldn’t be for the SNP Scottish Government to constantly have to mitigate the worst of Tory rule.

“The impact of the Tory-made cost of living crisis has set out further proof that only with the full powers of independence can we offer real support through difficult times and secure just economic prosperity that works for everyone in our society.”

Adult Social Care needs immediate funding injection and long-term plan, says Levelling Up Committee

The UK Government urgently needs to come forward with additional funding this year to help the ravaged adult social care sector meet immediate pressures, including inflation and unmet care needs, says the cross-party Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (LUHC) Committee in a report published last week.

Examining the Government’s charging reforms and local government finance, unpaid carers and workforce challenges, the report says the “message rang clear throughout our inquiry: the adult social care sector does not have enough funding either in the here and now, or in the longer-term”.

The Committee’s report outlines that:

  • On adult social care, the Government currently has nothing more than a vision, with no roadmap, no timetable, no milestones, and no measures of success.
  • The Government should come forward with 10-year plans for how it will achieve its vision outlined in the People at the Heart of Care White Paper and for the adult social care workforce
  • The Government should provide a multi-year funding settlement to give local authorities what they need in terms of their own sustainability and their ability to help shape sustainable local care markets.

Clive Betts, Chair of Westminster’s Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee, said: “As Prime Minister, Boris Johnson said he would fix the crisis in social care once and for all.

“The Government deserves credit for attempting reform and for acting to try to prevent the unpredictable and catastrophic costs which can be inflicted upon people for their care. However, the Government should be under no illusions that it has come close to rescuing social care and it needs to be open with the public that there is a long way to go.

“Ultimately, whether it relates to immediate cost pressures or on wider structural issues in the sector, the fundamental problem is that there continues to be a large funding gap in adult social care which needs filling. Those who need care, their loved ones, and care workers deserve better.

“The NHS and adult social care provision should not be pit against one another. The two systems are interdependent and each needs to be adequately funded to reduce pressure on the other. Wherever the money comes from—from allocating a higher proportion of levy proceeds to social care, or from central government grants—the Government urgently needs to allocate more funding to adult social care in the order of several billions each year.”

The report notes the additional pressures of Covid-19 as having exacerbated the underlying structural challenges of rising demand, unmet need, and difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff.

It also notes severe current pressures arising from increases in the National Living Wage and the National Minimum Wage, and from rising inflation. That most of the funding from the Health and Social Care Levy Levy will go to the NHS, and the money that will go to adult social care is for reforms, not cost pressures, is also highlighted in the report.

Addressing the Government’s sector reforms, the report notes the positive stakeholder reception to the vision outlined in the Government’s White Paper on long-term reform of adult social care, titled People at the Heart of Care.

The report commends the Government for introducing many welcome initiatives such as those relating to housing and data which could make a significant difference in the long-term to people’s lives.

The report calls on the Government to publish a 10-year plan for how its vision in the People at the Heart of Care White Paper will be achieved, taking into account how the different policies interweave and affect one another. The Government should also publish a 10-year strategy for the adult social care workforce which includes a clear roadmap with core milestones, outcomes, and measures of success.

The report expresses concerns about the sheer number of reforms and new ways of working in respect of adult social care that involve and affect local authorities. To help local councils deliver the numerous social care reforms, it’s important the Government provides a multi-year funding settlement to give local authorities what they need in terms of their own sustainability and their ability to help shape sustainable local care markets.

The report also calls on the UK Government to publish a new burdens assessment by the end of the year to determine the level of resource needed by local government in terms of staff, expertise, and funding to deliver the full package of adult social care reforms.

The Scottish Government has committed to establishing a functioning National Care Service by the end of this parliamentary term in 2026:

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Defence Secretary: ‘United Kingdom continues to play a leading role in supporting Ukraine’

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace gave a statement to the House of Commons on Ukraine yesterday:

With permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to update the House on the situation in Ukraine and Her Majesty’s Government’s support to the Government in Kyiv.

The situation on the ground is grave. As we can recall, on 24 February, forces of the Russian army, unprovoked, crossed into Ukraine’s sovereign territory. Along three main axes, Russian armour has attempted to occupy Ukraine. Its plan was to reach and encircle Kyiv, encircle Ukrainian forces near the border and invade from the south to link up with its forces via Mariupol.

Russian high command committed 65% of its entire land forces, which are indisputably in possession of overwhelming firepower and armour. It is estimated that at the start of the invasion they had between 110 and 120 battalion tactical groups dedicated to the task, compared with approximately 65 in Ukraine.

Their missile stocks gave them even greater strength to reach Ukraine at distance. However, what they did not and still do not possess is the moral component so often needed for victory.

After 14 days of the war, according to the Ukrainian general staff, at 6 March, Russian casualties were assessed to include 285 tanks, 985 armoured fighting vehicles, 109 artillery systems, 50 multiple launch rocket systems, 44 aircraft, 48 helicopters and 11,000 soldiers, who have lost their lives needlessly.

There are numerous reports of surrenders and desertions by the ever-growingly disillusioned Russian army. To be clear, those are Ukrainian figures; I have to caution the House that we have not verified them by defence intelligence or other means.

I can announce to the House our assessment that, of the initial Russian objectives, only one has been successfully achieved.

While Russian forces are in control of Kherson, Melitopol and Berdyansk in southern Ukraine, they currently encircle the cities of Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Mariupol but are not in control of them.

In addition, their first day objective of targeting Ukrainian air defence has failed, preventing total air dominance. The Ukrainian armed forces have put up a strong defence while mobilising the whole population.

President Putin’s arrogant assumption that he would be welcomed as a liberator has deservedly crumbled as fast as his troops’ morale.

For our part, the United Kingdom continues to play a leading role in supporting Ukraine. On 17 January, I announced to the House the Government’s intention to supply military aid to the Ukrainian armed forces.

The aid took the form of body armour, helmets, boots, ear defenders, ration packs, rangefinders and communication equipment, and for the first time it also included weapons systems. The initial supply was to be 2,000 new light anti-tank weapons (NLAWs), small arms and ammunition.

In response to further acts of aggression by Russia, we have now increased that supply. I can update the House that, as of today, we have delivered 3,615 NLAWs and continue to deliver more. We will shortly be starting the delivery of a small consignment of anti-tank Javelin missiles as well. I want to assure the House that everything we do is bound by the decision to supply defensive systems and is calibrated not to escalate to a strategic level.

Britain was the first European country to supply lethal aid. I was pleased that not long after a military aid donor conference I held on 25 February, many more countries decided to do the same.

From right across Europe, the donations came. In particular, I want to highlight the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Poland, Romania, the Baltic states, Belgium and Slovenia for their leadership, and we should not ignore the significance of the German Government joining us, in a change of stance, and donating such aid.

Donations are not enough; the delivery of aid to the front line is just as important. Here, again, Britain is leading, because alongside Canada, the United States and Sweden, we have invested in building Ukrainian military capacity since 2015, and we find ourselves able to co-ordinate the delivery alongside our partners.

As the conflict intensifies, the Russians are changing their tactics, so the Ukrainians need to, too. We can all see the horrific devastation inflicted on civilian areas by Russian artillery and airstrikes, which have been indiscriminate and murderous. It is therefore vital that Ukraine maintains its ability to fly and to suppress Russian air attack.

To date, the international community has donated more than 900 man-portable air defence missiles and thousands of anti-tank guided weapons of varying types, as well as various small arms.

However, the capability needs strengthening, so in response to Ukrainian requests the Government have taken the decision to explore the donation of Starstreak high-velocity, man-portable anti-air missiles. We believe that this system will remain within the definition of defensive weapons, but will allow the Ukrainian forces to better defend their skies. We shall also be increasing supplies of rations, medical equipment, and other non-lethal military aid.

As with any war, the civilian population is suffering horrendous hardships. According to the Ukrainian Minister of Education, 211 schools have been damaged or destroyed, and media footage shows Russian strikes hitting kindergartens.

The Chernihiv regional administration reported that the Russian air force was employing FAB-500 unguided bombs against targets in the city, and according to Human Rights Watch, civilians in Mariupol have now been without water and power for almost a week.

President Zelenskyy talked of children dying of thirst. Today the estimated number of Ukrainian civilians killed or injured stands at more than 1,000, but the true figure is expected to be much higher, and I am afraid that worse is likely to come.

It is for that reason that the UK will increase its funding for Ukraine to £220 million, which includes £120 million of humanitarian aid. That will make the United Kingdom the single biggest bilateral humanitarian donor to Ukraine. We are also supporting humanitarian work with the Polish and Romanian Governments on the borders.

As I said in my last statement, we still believe that it is worth trying to build diplomatic pressure on Russia. This week, my good friend the Prime Minister met the Prime Ministers of Canada, the Netherlands and Poland. He also spoke to the leaders of France, Germany and the United States, and the Prime Ministers of Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

The Foreign Secretary is in Washington at the G7, and also attended the NATO Foreign Ministers meeting earlier this month. I myself met the Ukrainian Ambassador just this morning. President Putin should be and can be in no doubt that the international community is united against his actions. It remains strong, and will not back down.

As well as giving direct military support to Ukraine, we continue to bolster our contribution towards NATO’s collective security. NATO Defence Ministers will gather next week in Brussels to discuss the next steps. The UK is doing its bit in giving military support and reassurance to its allies.

We are currently supplying significant air power to NATO, including increased air patrols, with both Typhoons and F-35s for NATO air policing. We have also deployed four additional Typhoons to Cyprus to patrol NATO’s eastern border, and have sent an additional 800 troops to Estonia.

Over the last week, Apache and Chinook helicopters were involved in exercises in Estonia. Meanwhile, HMS Diamond has sailed to the eastern Mediterranean, HMS Northumberland is taking part in a northern deployment, and HMS Grimsby is in the Norwegian sea supporting NATO mine countermeasures.

On Monday HMS Prince of Wales, RFA Tidesurge and HMS Defender joined HMS Albion and RFA Mounts Bay for Exercise Cold Response, a multinational exercise off the coast of Norway, and HMS Richmond will be exercising with the Joint Expeditionary Force.

We have put over 1,000 more British troops on readiness to support humanitarian responses in the bordering countries. Britain’s contribution to NATO is significant and enduring. It is important at this time that, in order to maximise our reassurance and resilience effect, we co-ordinate through NATO and the Supreme Allied Commander Europe.

Few of us will not have been moved by President Zelenskyy’s speech yesterday. His people are fighting for their very survival. His country is united against this aggression, and it is indeed his country’s darkest hour.

Yesterday I saw footage of a Russian armoured train, bristling with guns, heading towards Mariupol. A single brave Ukrainian woman ran to the train and shouted “Slava Ukraini”—unmoved, unintimidated by the guns. That woman’s bravery should inspire us all.

I know that many of our constituents, and our colleagues, are fearful of what will happen next. President Putin and the Kremlin continue to threaten countries that offer help to Ukraine. Their military campaign will, I am afraid, become more brutal and more indiscriminate, but it is my firm belief that our strength to stand up to such bullying comes from our alliances. As long as we stand united, both as a House and as the international community, the Kremlin’s threats cannot hurt us.

We should take strength from the peoples right across Europe who are standing shoulder to shoulder to protect our values—our freedom, our tolerance, our democracy and our free press. That is our shield.

UK Coronavirus response: “some big achievements with some big mistakes”

MPs publish Coronavirus: Lessons Learned To Date report

Covid vaccine programme “one of most effective initiatives in UK history” but delay to first lockdown a “serious error” that should have been challenged

The House of Commons and Science and Technology Committee and Health and Social Care Committee have published their Report, Coronavirus: lessons learned to date, examining the initial UK response to the covid pandemic.

The 150-page Report contains 38 recommendations to the Government and public bodies, and draws on evidence from over 50 witnesses—including Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP, Professor Chris Whitty, Sir Patrick Vallance, Sir Simon Stevens, Dame Kate Bingham, Baroness Harding of Winscombe and Dominic Cummings—as well as over 400 written submissions.

The Report was agreed unanimously by members of both Select Committees, which consist of 22 MPs from three political parties—Conservative, Labour and SNP.

The joint inquiry, which began in October 2020, examined six key areas of the response to covid-19: the country’s preparedness for a pandemic; the use of non-pharmaceutical interventions such as border controls, social distancing and lockdowns to control the pandemic; the use of test, trace and isolate strategies; the impact of the pandemic on social care; the impact of the pandemic on specific communities; and the procurement and roll-out of covid-19 vaccines.

The inquiry concluded that some initiatives were examples of global best practice but others represented mistakes. Both must be reflected on to ensure that lessons are applied to better inform future responses to emergencies.

In particular:

  • The forward-planning, agility and decisive organisation of the vaccine development and deployment effort will save millions of lives globally and should be a guide to future Government practice;
  • The delays in establishing an adequate test, trace and isolate system hampered efforts to understand and contain the outbreak and it failed in its stated purpose to avoid lockdowns;
  • The initial decision to delay a comprehensive lockdown—despite practice elsewhere in the world—reflected a fatalism about the spread of covid that should have been robustly challenged at the time;
  • Social care was not given sufficient priority in the early stages of the pandemic;
  • The experience of the covid pandemic underlines the need for an urgent and long term strategy to tackle health inequalities; and
  • The UK’s preparedness for a pandemic had been widely acclaimed in advance, but performed less well than many other countries in practice.

The 38 recommendations made, if implemented by the Government and by public bodies such as the NHS, would ensure that during the remaining period of the pandemic and in any new emergency, the UK could perform better by having distilled lessons—positive and negative—from the UK’s initial response to covid.

In a joint statement on the publication of the Coronavirus: lessons learned to date Report, Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP, Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee, and Rt Hon Greg Clark MP, Chair of the Science and Technology Committee, said:  “The UK response has combined some big achievements with some big mistakes. It is vital to learn from both to ensure that we perform as best as we possibly can during the remainder of the pandemic and in the future. 

“Our vaccine programme was boldly planned and effectively executed. Our test and trace programme took too long to become effective. The Government took seriously scientific advice but there should have been more challenge from all to the early UK consensus that delayed a more comprehensive lockdown when countries like South Korea showed a different approach was possible.

“In responding to an emergency, when much is unknown, it is impossible to get everything right. We record our gratitude to all those—NHS and care workers, scientists, officials in national and local government, workers in our public services and in private businesses and millions of volunteers—who responded to the challenge with dedication, compassion and hard work to help the whole nation at one of our darkest times.” 

The Report includes an Executive Summary with conclusions, recommendations and lessons learned at the end of each Chapter. 

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‘Operation Warm Welcome’ underway to support Afghan arrivals in the UK

Arrivals under Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy will be given immediate indefinite leave to remain, alongside funding for school places and healthcare

A significant cross-government effort, dubbed ‘Operation Warm Welcome’, is underway to ensure Afghans arriving in the UK receive the vital support they need to rebuild their lives, find work, pursue education and integrate into their local communities.

As part of the New Plan for Immigration, the government announced that those coming to the UK through resettlement routes would receive immediate indefinite leave to remain, and today (September 1) the Home Secretary has announced that this will apply to Afghans who worked closely with the British military and UK Government in Afghanistan, and risked their lives in doing so, meaning they can now stay in the UK without any time restrictions.

People already relocated to the UK under the Afghanistan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) will be able to apply free of charge to convert their temporary leave into indefinite leave. This will give Afghans the certainty and stability to rebuild their lives with unrestricted rights to work and the option to apply for British citizenship in the future.

To give children and young adults the best start in life the government is making at least £12 million available to prioritise additional school places so children can be enrolled as soon as possible, and to provide school transport, specialist teachers and English language support to assist with learning.

Further funding will be provided for up to 300 undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships for Afghans at UK universities and adults will also be able to access English language courses free of charge. While many will speak English through their work with the UK Government and British Forces, and as translators, language classes will ensure all their family members can fully integrate into their local communities.

Families who need support navigating the system will also have access to liaison officers who can work with local authorities to help them get set up with a GP, National Insurance number, school place, accommodation and more tailored support, as required.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “We owe an immense debt to those who worked with the Armed Forces in Afghanistan and I am determined that we give them and their families the support they need to rebuild their lives here in the UK.

“I know this will be an incredibly daunting time, but I hope they will take heart from the wave of support and generosity already expressed by the British public.”

The support for Afghan arrivals follows the largest and most complex evacuation in living memory. It includes:

  • £3 million of additional NHS funding so that Afghans arriving under the Afghanistan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme can access healthcare and register with a GP once they leave quarantine;
  • all are being offered the COVID-19 vaccine and so far more than 700 arrivals under the ARAP scheme have left quarantine and received their first vaccination, with more leaving and receiving a jab each day;
  • £5 million funding for councils in England, Wales and Scotland to support Afghans coming to the UK via the ARAP scheme and provide a top up to help meet the costs of renting properties;
  • the government is already working with more than 100 councils across the UK to meet the demand for housing, with over 2,000 places already confirmed;
  • the Communities Secretary will convene a roundtable with council leaders from across the country in the coming days;
  • to harness the generosity of the British public and make sure those who want to help know where to turn we will launch an online portal to allow people to submit offers of support for people arriving from Afghanistan;
  • this portal is already available to submit offers of housing and work is now underway to expand this to further offers, such as job opportunities, professional skills training or donations of items like clothes or toys; and
  • £200 million has been committed to meet the cost of the first year of the Afghanistan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme, which aims to welcome up to 20,000 Afghans.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “We owe a great deal to the brave Afghans who worked alongside us and we want to make sure they have certainty and stability to be able to thrive in the UK.

“As part of the New Plan for Immigration, I committed to providing refugees who make their home here the ability to rebuild their lives in the UK with essential support to integrate into the community, learn English, and become self-sufficient.

“By providing immediate indefinite leave to remain we are ensuring that those who have fled their homes have every opportunity to look to the future with stability and security and make a success of their new life in the UK.

Afghan Resettlement Minister Victoria Atkins said: Operation Warm Welcome is a huge effort across government to make sure that those fleeing Afghanistan are able to make a success of a new life in the UK.

“The stability of indefinite leave, the security of access to healthcare and the opportunity of education are the foundation upon which those resettled to the UK can build.”

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “This support package will help Afghan evacuees start a new life in the UK and I’m proud we are providing £3 million to ensure they receive the healthcare they need.

“This includes access to prescriptions, wound care and dressings, maternity care, mental health support and screening for infectious diseases. We will also offer the protection of a COVID-19 vaccination as they settle and rebuild.”

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will face Westminister’s Foreign Affairs Select Committee today to answer questions over the evacuation programme.