Minutes:
The
Leader, Cllr E.V.Latham addressed Council. The Leader updated Council on the worsening
situation in the Ukraine and the resultant humanitarian crisis and the need to
support displaced people as a matter of urgency. Work has been ongoing with Welsh Government
to make preparation to receive Ukrainian refugees.
Council
received details of the variety of routes that would allow refugees to come to
the UK. It was noted that the Welsh
Government would take on the role of a super sponsor and establish a number of
reception centres prior to dispersing refugees to a network of accommodation.
Local
Authorities will receive £10,500 per refugee in the first year, future funding
to be determined. The monies would go
towards the cost of providing services for example educating children of school
age of refugee families.
The
Director of Social Services, Health and Housing will co-ordinate the Council’s
involvement and has already established groups to take forward this work and has
started discussions with partners on the wider community response.
It
was also highlighted that the Council was not only responding to the
humanitarian crisis but was developing the best response to assist communities
deal with the increasing energy costs and the implications of that.
Members
noted that a detailed briefing note would be emailed to all elected members
following Council today.
The
Mayor stated that as this was the last meeting of Council, there would be an
opportunity at the end of Council for Members who were retiring to speak.