Agenda item

            The Committee considered the following report:

1.0       Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       The purpose of this report is to update Members on the EU Settlement Scheme.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       Members are asked to note the update provided.

3.0       Main report

            Key Issues

3.1       Members are reminded that a report was brought to the December meeting of this Committee providing information on the EU Settlement Scheme and it was agreed:

            ‘that Belfast City Council would facilitate an information day in the City Hall to provide advice and guidance on the EU Settlement Scheme to EU citizens who reside in Belfast, and that officers would work with the Migrant Forum to support communication with those affected by the scheme’.

3.2       Members are asked to note that the following activities will be undertaken in relation to the dissemination of information about the Scheme:

•        An Information Session will be held in the City Hall that will feature information stalls and presentations about the scheme. Local organisations who successfully obtain funding from the Home Office funding scheme will be invited to provide the information at the session and a representative from the Home Office will also be invited.

•        That officers will start to distribute information about the scheme and the toolkits through exiting channels to the business, and community & voluntary sectors.

•        That an article signposting residents to the Home Office information is included in the March edition of City Matters. 

•        That information will be distributed to staff through the Council’s internal communication channels.

3.3       As the Home Office is making funding available, it is suggested that any local organisations that receive the funding should be invited to run/host the session in the City Hall and the Home Office should also be invited. They will be best placed to answer any questions that may arise. BCC Officers do not have the technical knowledge of the scheme and will not be aware of any changes that may be being considered as the Brexit situation evolves. The Home Office run regular teleconferences with Local Authorities across the UK to update them on the scheme and the next call is planned in mid-January. An update on the information provided by the Home Office will be brought to the Committee. 

3.4       The exact format of the session would be agreed with the other stakeholders but is likely to involve a number of permanent information drop in stalls in the Banquet Hall to be supplemented by a presentation and questions session that will repeat hourly through the day. It is proposed that the stalls and presentations will be delivered by local organisations that receive funding from the Home Office and the Home Office.  Tea and coffee will also be provided for attendees

3.5       In relation to the timing of the holding of the workshop it is proposed that it takes place in late February/early March.  At this point the Home Office will have distributed its funding and we would anticipate having the date on which the Scheme is fully opened.

3.6       Officers will also take action to raise awareness of the scheme through other channels. Information about the Employer Toolkit will be sent to the three city Bids, BCCM and other representative groups with the suggestion that they pass this onto their members. Information about the scheme and the toolkits will also be passed onto our Advice Service provides, community centres and the main community and voluntary sectors that we work with.  An article will be placed in the next edition of City Matters (issued in March) alerting residents to the existence of the scheme and directing them to the Home Office website to obtain the most up to date information relating to it. 

3.7       Financial & Resource Implications

            To deliver the Information Session will require the use of the City Hall for one day and a small budget to cover tea and coffee which will come out of existing resources.

3.8       Equality or Good Relations Implications/Rural Needs Assessment

            There are no implications relating to this report. 

Noted.