Super Sponsorship Scheme for displaced people from Ukraine: FOI release

Information requested

Details detailed below from Questions A-M in relation to the Scottish Government Super Sponsorship Scheme for displaced people from Ukraine.

A) How many people, broken down by age and sex if possible, have been sponsored in the Scottish Government Super Sponsorship Scheme since April 1, 2022?

B) How many people have actually arrived in Scotland after having their eligibility confirmed?

C) How many have left Scotland to return i) to Ukraine or ii) to move elsewhere in the UK and iii) other designations outside of Scotland?

D) How many individuals, groups and organisations have come forward to offer accommodation broken down by the category of the offerer – ie individual, group or organisation?

E) How many of these offers have been taken up?

F) How many sponsor relationships have broken down with the guests subsequently being declared homeless?

G) What is the total cost of the scheme between April 1 this year and the latest date for which figures are available?

H) How much additional support has been paid to each local authority in Scotland to assist them in the implementation of the scheme by council area?

I) How much has been spent in paying translators?

J) What is the cost of each maritime accommodation provider, ie ships, used to house UKRs?

K) What is the cost of providing support services by agency, NHS, council social work departments, etc?

L) As of this date how many refugees remain in hotels and other temporary accommodation such a ships etc at the expense of the taxpayer?

M) Who is the SG minister responsible for the implementation of the scheme and how man civil servants in the SG are involved mainly in running it?
 

Response

A) How many people, broken down by age and sex if possible, have been sponsored in the Scottish Government Super Sponsorship Scheme since April 1, 2022?
B) How many people have actually arrived in Scotland after having their eligibility confirmed?
C) How many have left Scotland to return i) to Ukraine or ii) to move elsewhere in the UK and iii) other designations outside of Scotland?
D) How many individuals, groups and organisations have come forward to offer accommodation broken down by the category of the offerer – ie individual, group or organisation?
E) How many of these offers have been taken up?
L) As of this date how many refugees remain in hotels and other temporary accommodation such a ships etc at the expense of the taxpayer?
In response to Question A – E and L

The UK Governments Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities publish data on arrivals in the UK, with a Scottish Sponsor Visa: Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme: Visa data by country, upper and lower tier local authority - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

They also published visa data by age and sex of applicant for the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme and Ukraine Family Scheme. This can be found on their website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/homes-for-ukraine-sponsorship-scheme-and-ukrainefamily-scheme-visa-data-by-age-and-sex-of-applicant

The latest Scottish Government Super Sponsor Data was published by Scottish Government on 20 October 2022 and there are plans to publish updated data at regular intervals in the future. A link to the latest publication that contains an accompanying report can be accessed via: Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme in Scotland: statistics- October 2022 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

This data includes the number of displaced people from Ukraine that are in temporary accommodation, the progress on clearing properties offered up by the Scottish public for hosting and longer term accommodation, and, where applicable, the progress on matching displaced people from Ukraine with a host and cleared property. Scottish Government do not have data on the category of the offer. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, under Section 25 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), the Scottish Government can exempt information from disclosure where the requester can reasonably obtain the information without asking for it under FOISA.

F) How many sponsor relationships have broken down with the guests subsequently being declared homeless?

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, an exemption under section 17(1) of FOISA applied. Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. Specific information on Ukrainians and their visa routes is not currently captured by the Scottish Government as part of the homelessness data collection. We are however liaising with the Councils to amend the data collection to enable the recording of this information. You may wish to contact the local councils for this information.

G) What is the total cost of the scheme between April 1 this year and the latest date for which figures are available?

Total spend to end of September is £72.2 million.

H) How much additional support has been paid to each local authority in Scotland to assist them in the implementation of the scheme by council area?

The Scottish Government have allocated £11.2 million in funding to help Local Authorities increase their teams to help people with temporary resettlement and to make improvements to housing stock so that there are more homes available for Ukrainians to move in to. £3.6 million has been paid out so far which is included in the £72.2 million figure as at end of September.

I) How much has been spent in paying translators?

The Scottish Government has spent £13,299 on translation services for Ukrainian Resettlement. The Scottish Government do not employ translators - this is primarily the cost of translating communications materials for displaced people.

J) What is the cost of each maritime accommodation provider, ie ships, used to house UKRs?

Current costs for both passenger ships:
M/S Victoria I - £22,498,139.38
M/S Ambition - £17,405,658.87
These figures are based on invoices paid up to and including 20/10/2022. Some additional service costs (including fuel, laundry, wi-fi etc) are not yet available and will be calculated and paid at the end of the charter.

K) What is the cost of providing support services by agency, NHS, council social work departments, etc?

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, an exemption under section 17(1) of FOISA applied. The Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. These costs are held by the appropriate agencies that you have mentioned in your question.

M) Who is the SG minister responsible for the implementation of the scheme and how man civil servants in the SG are involved mainly in running it?

Neil Gray was appointed Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development in January 2022 and has responsibility for the Scottish Government’s approach to supporting Ukrainian refugees arriving and living in Scotland in March 2022.

About FOI

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