A view from Clwyd South’s Member of the Senedd

Wrexham.com has invited Wrexham & Clwyd South constituency Members of Parliament and Members of the Senedd to write a monthly article with updates on their work in Parliament and the Senedd, and closer to home. (You can view an archive here).

Clwyd South MS Ken Skates writes…

Since my last column, two issues have dominated my inbox. I have received huge volumes of emails and phone calls from constituents on the cost-of-living crisis gripping the UK and the war in Ukraine.

The Welsh Government last week set out its £380m package of support to help the most vulnerable people in Wales – and called for more action from the UK Government.

With the Office for Budget Responsibility stating that 2022-2023 will see the biggest fall in living standards in the UK since records began, and as the National Insurance rise and the energy price cap lift push people further into hardship, Ministers outlined the help available to people in Wales.

This includes:

• A £150 payment for all properties in council tax bands A-D and all other homes which receive support from the Council Tax Reduction Scheme
• An additional £25m discretionary fund for local councils, enabling them to provide further support to households struggling with their living costs
• A new Winter Fuel Support Scheme payment in 2022-23, to be launched in the autumn, with broader eligibility criteria so more households can benefit from the £200 payment.

These examples, funded entirely by the Welsh Government, are completely separate from the UK Government’s buy-now-pay-later £200 energy bills ‘rebate’ in October, which must be repaid in full.

More than 4,500 unpaid carers in Wrexham and Denbighshire will also receive a £500 payment from the Welsh Government in recognition of the pivotal role they have played during the pandemic.

You can read the Welsh Government statement in full here.

Many constituents have also asked for information about how to help refugees from Ukraine – and what the Welsh Government is doing to help.
The best way to help support organisations on the ground is by cash donations, and you can find out more by clicking here.

The Welsh Government is encouraging people who want to house those fleeing the conflict for at least six months to sign up to the UK Government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme. If they are successfully matched with someone from Ukraine, they will act as a sponsor – enabling that person to come to Wales to live and work for up to three years.

Immigration is non-devolved, meaning it is falls under the UK Government’s remit. The Welsh Government is supporting the UK Government’s scheme by becoming a ‘super-sponsor’ – helping up to 1,000 coming people from Ukraine in the first phase.

The Welsh Government will ensure all the support refugees will need – including access to health services, counselling and specialist care for people suffering from trauma – are available. The First Minister has also announced refugees can travel free on Transport for Wales services.

By sponsoring people directly, they will have a structured arrival and integration into Wales. The Welsh Government is working closely with partners such as local councils and the UK Government, and a huge amount of work is being done to prepare a warm welcome for those fleeing the conflict.

The latest advice if you are sponsoring a person or family from Ukraine can be found here.

The Welsh Government has launched a helpline to provide advice for people arriving in Wales from Ukraine and their sponsors. The freephone number is 0808 175 1508.

Locally, it was fantastic to welcome Shadow Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens MP back to Clwyd South recently to visit Plas Madoc Leisure Centre and The Stiwt.
I was proud to show Jo two of our most valued community facilities and to highlight the amazing work being done as both venues look to the future with confidence.

In the Senedd, I called for international football to come back to Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground.

Wrexham MS Lesley Griffiths shares my enthusiasm for this, and I was pleased to hear that the Welsh Government continues to make the case to the Football Association of Wales (FAW) that Wrexham is ready to step up to the global stage once again.

I have since written formally to Dawn Bowden, the Welsh Government’s Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, who assured me that she will continue to encourage the FAW to bring Welsh football back to the world’s oldest international stadium.
I will also be writing to the chief executive of the FAW, Noel Mooney, to press the case.
If you need advice or support, please email [email protected] and include your home address and a contact number. You can also find regular coronavirus updates on my Facebook page and sign up to my weekly newsletters here.

Wrexham.com has invited Wrexham & Clwyd South constituency Members of Parliament and Members of the Senedd to write a monthly article with updates on their work in Parliament and the Senedd, and closer to home. (You can view an archive here).