The decision to use the Holiday Inn Express, Rhoose, for Afghan resettlement has caused considerable concern in our community. These concerns have related to both the suitability of the site in question, and the lack of information provided by authorities.
Earlier today, I was briefed by Ministry of Defence officials regarding the scheme. I put a number of residents’ questions to them. Answers were provided to some of these. Officials asked me to put other points, which they were unable to clarify in the briefing, to them in writing. In the interests of transparency and openness, I’m updating residents on this briefing and further steps I am taking.
Firstly, it was confirmed that the Hotel was chosen at the suggestion of the Vale of Glamorgan Council. Back in late March and early April, central government ministers wrote to local authorities asking if they were able to assist with the rehousing of Afghans. The MOD officials stated the Council “will have had their reasons for picking that hotel.” Until now, I was not aware of this aspect of the Council’s involvement. It was not included in the statement they issued on 31st July.
The Council, in line with Senedd ministers’ Nation of Sanctuary programme, were one of the first local authorities in Britain to offer support for hotels. Jane Hutt MS and Kanishka Narayan MP were notified about the proposed use of the hotel in June. To clarify, the first time I received confirmation of the plans was through the Council’s statement.
It was also confirmed that the Vale of Glamorgan represents Wales’ entire regional allocation under the scheme. The Vale of Glamorgan will therefore be the only county in Wales providing transitional accommodation under the Afghan Resettlement Programme.
I’ve received much correspondence from residents regarding the different resettlement schemes for Afghans. Some residents have requested specific assurances that all those Afghans resettled in the Hotel either served or are family members of those who served with British forces. I therefore raised several questions regarding the scheme.
It was confirmed that the resettlement scheme is the Afghan Resettlement Programme, ARP. This was formed through the merger of other schemes: ARAP, ACRS and ARR. Of these, ARAP was the scheme devised for those with assisted British forces. I asked if the people being housed at the Hotel were eligible for ARAP. The MOD officials were unable to provide an answer to this. They’ve therefore asked me to write to them.
It was, however, confirmed that even in the case of ARAP, people do not need to have served with or supported British forces on the frontline to qualify. Driving and cooking were listed as examples of auxiliary jobs that would satisfy the criteria. I asked for further details as to what constitutes eligibility, as it was stated that “merely an association with the UK” could put people at risk.
In its statement, the Council claimed that those rehoused at the hotel had “supported British military in Afghanistan”. I requested clarification as to precisely what actions would fall under this definition. The officials were unable to provide this. Again, they asked me to put this question to them in writing.
Clearly, many questions remain unanswered. I’m following these up as a matter of urgency. I’ve made clear to the MOD I expect a swift response. It’s vital information shared by authorities regarding the status of those housed at the Hotel is accurate and does not have the potential to mislead. I will provide further updates in due course.