Notes of Decisions Taken and Actions Required

LGA Asylum and Refugee Task Group

20 November 2008, LGA London

Present:
Chair: / Cllr Roger Lawrence
Members: / Cllr Ken Armstrong (East Midlands), Cllr Merrick Cockell (London), Cllr Roger Hutchinson (South West),Cllr Andy Matchet (West Midlands), Cllr Paul Watkins (South East)
Officers: / Nadeem Ahmad (North East),David Barnes (West Midlands),Ian Beattie (East of England),Lesley Carr (South East), Jennifer Crisp (LGA), Colin Elliot (North West),Anne Hubbard (Wales),Helen Johnston (London Councils), Helen Murray (LGA),John Price (South West),John Ransford (LGA), Sarah Short (East Midlands), Pip Tyler (Yorkshire & Humberside)
Attendees: / Amanda Bryan, Paul Darling, Gillian Haimes (Home Office)
Apologies: / Cllr Basil Curley (North West East),Cllr Jean Jones (COSLA) Cllr Michael McNestry (North East), Cllr Aled Roberts (Wales),Cllr Olivia Rowley (Yorkshire & Humberside) Cllr Anne Steward (East of England)
Derek Mitchell (COSLA)
  1. Matters arising from the last minutes
  • Pip Tyler stated that Liz Westmorland did attend the previous meeting but her attendance was not recorded in the previous minutes.

Action: Ian Beattie to amend the minutes accordingly.

  • Cllr Hutchinson stated that the previous minutes did not reflect the Minister’s assurance that the regions would be given the opportunity to feed into the asylum support element of the Immigration and Citizenship Bill consultation process.

Action: Ian Beattie to amend the minutes accordingly.

  • Cllr Hutchinson stated that the wording of the third paragraph of the second page of the previous minutes was incomplete and ambiguous.

Action: Ian Beattie to clarify the wording with UKBA and amend the minutes accordingly.

  1. Update on UASC funding and the UASC Reform Programme
  • John Ransford stated that the LGA had brokered an agreement with the Home Office on behalf of its members with regard to the shortfalls in asylum funding relating to special circumstances and leaving care grants. The Home Office agreed to pay the settlements during October 2008 but the relevant local authorities have still not received reimbursement.
  • Helen Murray stated that discussionswere ongoing with the Home Office and that there were a small number of settlements to negotiate with individual local authorities. Helen requested that the LGA be given another 10 days to finalise the remaining agreements. Members agreed the request.
  • Paul Darling stated that from a UKBA perspective it was a procedural hold-up relating to information access rather than an un-willingness to resolve the situation.

Action: Paul Darling to provide a written update regarding the funding situation by the 26th November.

  • The Taskgroup stated that a deadline of the 30th November be given to UKBA to pay the outstanding settlements.
  • The Taskgroup agreed that the outstanding funding issues needed to be resolved before full engagement with the UASC Reform Programme could be undertaken.
  • David Barnes queried who would be the UKBA lead on the UASC Reform Programme. Sarah Short stated that funding was needed for regions to develop service ‘models’ in order to progress the Reform Programme.

Action: Paul Darling to update the Taskgroup once UKBA have identified a project lead for the UASC Reform Programme and to feedback the request for funding to develop regional service ‘models’.

3. Update on European work

  • Jennifer Crisp gave an overview of the European Pact on Immigration and Asylum, EU integration work and the European Green Paper on Education and Migration.
  • Cllr Armstrong stated that the levels of educational attainment for migrant children were an issue that was overlooked in the LGA response to the Green Paper. There is a need to review how non-English speaking children progress through the education system and what the most effective methods of helping those children were.

Action: Jennifer Crisp to incorporate the feedback into the LGA Green Paper response.

4. UKBA consultation on asylum support

  • Gillian Haimes gave an overview of the UKBA consultation on asylum support for the Immigration and Citizenship Bill. Legislation addressing immediate immigration priorities will be included in the Bill to be introduced in January 2009. The bigger task of reforming and simplifying all immigration legislation, including asylum support provisions, will be phased in during the course of 2009; the Queen’s Speech will set out the Government’s programme. A formal three month consultation process regarding the asylum support provisions will commence shortly including publication of the consultation paper.

5. General update from UKBA

  • Paul Darling gave a general update on the work of the UKBA. Paul stated that he would be the main UKBA representative at the LGA Taskgroup. The Taskgroup requested an update and organisational diagram outlining the new UKBA management structure and responsibilities. Action: Paul Darling to provide the LGA Taskgroup with briefing paper and diagram outlining the UKBA management structure and responsibilities.

6. AOB

  • Nadeem Ahmad, on behalf of Cllr McNestry requested that the Strategic Migration Partnerships’ Enabling Grant be included as an agenda item at the next meeting. The Taskgroup agreed.
  • An invite has been sent to the new Minister, Phil Woolas, to attend the January Taskgroup meeting. The Chair stated that he would follow this up with a personal invite to the Minister to attend the meeting.

The next meeting will be held at the LGA on 15th January 2009, 11.00-13.00 in room 7.1/7.2.

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