Written question WQ86610
- Asked by
- Janet Finch-SaundersConservative
- To be answered by
- Minister for Social Justice
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 8 days
Question
What support is the Welsh Government giving to the Welsh Ambulance Service Trust to assist the trust in its response to the housing of asylum seekers at the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel, Dolgarrog?
Answer
Answered by Minister for Social Justice
We expect everyone in Wales who requires an emergency ambulance to receive a response as quickly as possible in order of their clinical priority, wherever they are located.
It is disappointing that the Home Office does not provide funding for additional costs to the NHS for asylum seekers. I wrote to the Minister for Immigration, Robert Jenrick MP, on 8 November expressing our concerns regarding the lack of funding and the pressure this places on the NHS.
The UK Government failed to consult, notify or involve Welsh Government Ministers and officials, or other key stakeholders such as the Welsh Ambulance Service, in advance, regarding the intended use of the hotel in North Wales for asylum seekers. Advance notice would have meant planning could have taken place and key services put in place.