LGA Asylum, Refugee and Migration Task Group

LGA Asylum, Refugee and Migration Task Group

Notes of Decisions Taken and Actions Required
1 October 2009, Local Government House

Present:

Chair: / Cllr Roger Lawrence
Members: / Cllr Andrew Matchet (Coventry City Council), Cllr Paul A Watkins (Dover District Council), Cllr Michael McNestry (Gateshead Council), Cllr Fiona Martin (ELDC sub), Cllr Basil Curley (Manchester City Council); Cllr David Simmonds (LB of Hillingdon)
Officers: / John Donaldson (COSLA), Derek Mitchell (COSLA), Ian Beattie (EERA), Chris Spencer (LB of Hillingdon, ADCS), John Price (South West Councils), Mary Blanche (Kent County Council), Robert Warm (Leeds City Council), Nadeem Ahmad (Newcastle upon Tyne City Council), Mrs Nicola Rea (Manchester City Council), David Barnes (West Midlands LGA), Mark Rimmer (LGA), Helen Murray (LGA)
Attendees: / Hugh Ind (UKBA), Tom Greig (UKBA)
Apologies: / Cllr Mrs Ann L Steward (Breckland Council), Cllr David A Sprason (Leicestershire CC), Cllr Roger Hutchinson (South Gloucestershire Council), Cllr Mrs Olivia M Rowley (Wakefield Metropolitan District Council), Cllr Jean Jones (North Lanarkshire Council).

The Chairman welcomed members to the meeting.

1. Matters arising from the last meeting

• The minutes and actions were agreed as an accurate record of the previous meeting.
• Ian Beattie referred members to the action grid, updating them on actions taken since the last meeting. The group was informed that the letter sent to UKBA requesting a meeting with the Immigration Minister had been acknowledged and a meeting would be arranged in due course. (This is now arranged for 3 November).

1. UASC grant, Leaving Care grant and the UASC Reform Programme
   

Tom Greig and Hugh Ind from the UK Border Agency (UKBA) attended the second half of the meeting in order to hear Members’ views on issues surrounding financial support for unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASCs). The Chair of the LGA Task Group had sent a letter to the Agency on 5 August requesting a meeting with the Immigration Minister to discuss Leaving Care funding for 08/09 and the future of the UASC Reform Programme. A response had been received on15 September agreeing to the meeting and outlining UKBA’s position in terms of Leaving Care funding i.e. that there was sufficient funding within mainstream Leaving Care grants to cover UASCs. .

Ian Beattie provided an overview of the current situation, and the group raised the following concerns, which were then passed on to UKBA representatives:

• The LGA estimates that the national shortfall in leaving care costs will be approximately £12m for 08/09.;
• A Safeguarding Children grant was paid in 2004/5 and 2005/6 which included £10m for the Hillingdon Judgement on UASCs. This grant ended in 2006/7 and was not included in the formula grant baseline in that year or subsequent years; so it cannot be said to be incorporated in mainstream formula grant funding. Members felt that the position outlined in the Minister’s response was therefore based on incorrect information, and it was vital that he be made aware of this situation.

Action: UKBA officers to relay these concerns to the Minister.

• The level of Leaving Care grant should be increased from £100 per week to a level that ensures that the full support costs incurred by local authorities are met;
• The decision to cap costs from 31 October 2009 was made without consultation with the LGA. The Minister had agreed that the LGA would be involved in outlining methodologies – this has clearly not been the case;
• Hillingdon and Kent authorities had particularly high levels of UASCs and it had been suggested that UKBA had begun negotiations to develop specific contracts with these authorities – this was not the case;
• It was agreed by the group that the ongoing concerns relating to leaving care funding needed to be resolved before negotiations regarding new contracts could proceed. The LGA Task Group should be the mechanism that UKBA engage with at this stage rather than holding bi-lateral discussions with individual authorities.
• Members agreed that a statement outlining the future direction of the UASC Reform Programme would be useful and that the current lack of direction and leadership from UKBA was unacceptable.

Action: UKBA to provide the Task Group with a statement outlining the future direction of the UASC Reform Programme.

• Helen Johnston informed the group that Cllr Margaret Eaton would be meeting with Roger Singleton, the Chair of the Independent Safeguarding Authority and the Government’s Chief Advisor on the Safety of Children, on 2 November. It was agreed that the Chairman’s brief would include the Group’s concerns regarding UASC support.

Action: Helen Johnston to liaise with Cllr Eaton’s office to ensure that a briefing is provided for her meeting with Roger Singleton.

Hugh Ind and Tom Greig assured members that UKBA is keen to engage with local authorities to try and find a long term solution to the current problems with UASC funding. Officers subsequently agreed to each prepare a position paper, which would be shared, ahead of the Ministerial meeting.

4. Strategic Migration Partnerships

• Derek Mitchell stated that the current criterion for allocating funding to SMPs should be reviewed (i.e. the level of asylum dispersal in each region) as the remit of the partnerships has changed to include wider migration. Hugh Ind stated that the level of asylum dispersal should be an element in determining funding allocations but that other criteria would be considered;
• Some LAs have to pay VAT on the Enabling Grant and others do not – this needs to be reviewed

Action: Hugh Ind to raise the issues with the UKBA team currently reviewing the Enabling Grant.

The Chairman thanked MrInd and Mr Greig for attending.

5.Earned Citizenship consultation

• Mark Rimmer gave an overview of the proposals contained in the Earned Citizenship consultation paper and raised some of the concerns outlined in the LGA’s draft response.
• Mark explained that the ‘check and send’ service and the delivery of citizenship ceremonies that some local authorities currently provided had been very successful and a useful source of income.
• Local Authorities were mainly in support of the new proposals but were keen for assurance that resources would be made available to ensure full cost recovery for providing any new services.
• Members agreed that sufficient infrastructure should be in place to allow for movement of migrants and the assessment of ‘active citizenship’ should be dealt with by the authority in which they live.
• Concerns were raised regarding the comparison between the cost versus the income stream and members were informed that fees could be levied as appropriate by each local authority
• The Chairman requested that any additional points regarding the draft consultation response should be forwarded to Ian Beattie by16 October.

Action: Group to send comments to Ian Beattie by the 16th October.

6.Casework Resolution Directorate – prioritisation of local authority supported cases

• Ian Beattie explained that, as a result of the Group’s formal request, UKBA had agreed to prioritise local authority supported cases in the next tranches of the CRD programme.
• Members were asked to provide any comments on the UKBA draft letter and spreadsheet to be sent out to local authorities.

Action: Members to send comments to Ian Beattie by 7th October.

7.Task Group Work plan update

• The Group noted the proposed work plan and the Chairman invited members to suggest any other work priorities.
• It was suggested that additional issues should include a) improvement to available data on migration and b) the Euro Foundation’s Cities for Local Integration (CLIP).

8.General Update from UKBA

• The Group noted the update.

9. AOB

• Rob Warm stated that a discussion was needed about the future role of local authorities with regard to the new accommodation and wrap around service contracts due to be introduced in 2011 via the COMPASS programme.

Action: Rob Warm to provide LGA officers with a discussion paper outlining his proposals.

The next meeting will be held at the LGA on Thursday 7 January 2010 at 11.00am.