Chamber and committees

It seems a strange system.

Someone could have a person in their house for 10 months, but the money follows the person—

Our second agenda item is evidence as part of our on-going consideration of Scotland’s humanitarian response to the crisis in Ukraine. We are joined by Neil Gray MSP, the Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development and Minister with special responsibility for Refugees from Ukraine. The minister is joined by Kirstin McPhee, who is head of ministerial support and correspondence in the Scottish Government’s Ukraine resettlement directorate, and Will Tyler-Greig, who is interim deputy director for the policy engagement and finance division of the Ukraine resettlement directorate. I invite the minister to make an opening statement.

As you rightly said, our thanks go to the people who have stepped up to host. The last thing that we want to do is create a disparity or a level of unfairness for them. Thank you for your work in that area, and thank you for your commitment to provide us with further information.

On that note, we move into private session.

We come to what I hope will be the final question. You mentioned the suspension of the supersponsor scheme and the context of the other schemes that were open in the UK at that time. When is that likely to be reviewed? Can you update the committee on progress in that area?

Since you mentioned that one-year anniversary that is approaching, will you say what the Government is doing to engage with the Ukrainian community in Scotland to mark that?

—so the payment goes to the host at 12 months.

Good morning, and a warm welcome to the fourth meeting in 2023 of the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee. Our first agenda item is a decision on taking agenda item 3 in private. Are members content to take that item in private?

Members indicated agreement.

That is good to know.

My office has been involved in a number of inquiries relating to people using the DWP service as a benefit entitlement; very often, we are talking about professional people who just want to get into jobs. The involvement of Skills Development Scotland and our colleges in that process has been vital, as Ukrainian adults are entitled to attend our colleges and take courses, so it is good to hear that work is going on in that area. We want to identify whether there are any gaps and ensure that we, as elected representatives, also provide a service for people who are here from Ukraine.

I want to ask about those who, instead of arriving through the welcome hubs and the Scottish Government scheme, have been matched through the United Kingdom Government scheme. I know that you do not get informed about them, so is that leading to gaps in people’s knowledge of how to access wraparound services? Are you concerned that some people lack such support?