Meeting of the Parliament 19 December 2023
The war in Ukraine continues to shock, upset and worry us. We continue to feel and share great admiration for the people of Ukraine as they continue to fight for democracy, the rule of law, their culture and their country. Their struggle is our struggle, and we stand with them.
In that spirit, the Scottish people, the Scottish Government, the UK Government and all the authorities that are involved—in particular, I pay tribute to the City of Edinburgh Council—are due a huge amount of praise and respect for the fact that more than 26,000 displaced Ukrainians have come here and been able to establish their lives.
Like the cabinet secretary, I pay tribute to the civil service for its work in that regard, and specifically two officials I had the privilege of working with—Alison and Miriam—for the remarkable job that they did.
MS Victoria was docked in Leith in my constituency for around a year. I pay tribute to the matching teams of both the Scottish Government and the City of Edinburgh Council, and to Alistair, who Alex Cole-Hamilton mentioned. All those individuals, and their colleagues, have rightly won awards for their work, and we should respect and admire them for their commitment and achievement.
MS Victoria being based in Leith meant that my constituency played a significant role in welcoming the 26,000 displaced Ukrainians to our communities. I had the privilege of meeting many on board, as well as meeting local and national organisations that were assisting individuals to settle here, including One Parent Families Scotland.
I received very positive feedback from our Ukrainian Scots about the welcome that they had received, the support that they had been given and their being enabled to contribute to our shared society. They established support networks and became very established in a number of schools, particularly Victoria primary school, which Miles Briggs mentioned. Many Ukrainians took up employment in Edinburgh and contributed a lot; many continue to do so.
When all the Ukrainians had to disembark the ship, a challenge was presented. I am grateful to the cabinet secretary for the Government’s engagement with me and my office through that process. Many people had to move out of Edinburgh, some of them reluctantly. That needs to be considered. The work that went into converting 1,201 unused houses so that they could be brought back into use included some in Edinburgh—the £24 million of funding for that made a difference here in Edinburgh—but the situation emphasised the particular challenge of housing that we have in the capital, which I talk about regularly in Parliament. I very much welcome the £550 million in the next financial year for the affordable housing supply programme. If any of that can be given strategic prioritisation in Edinburgh, that would make a difference for everyone here.
I declare an interest as a member of the cross-party group on Ukraine, and we will look to work with the Government on the Ukraine longer-term resettlement fund and its utilisation. I look forward to that.
I will close with some words from Andrii Kuslii, the Ukrainian consul at the consulate in Edinburgh, which is in my constituency. He said:
“Scotland’s commitment to supporting Ukrainian citizens in response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine serves as a powerful symbol of solidarity. By offering comprehensive assistance, Scotland stands unwaveringly with the people of Ukraine, extending a message of hope and unity. The actions of the Scottish Government and its partners not only provide immediate relief but also send a powerful message to the world about the importance of coming together to support and protect vulnerable populations during times of Russia’s war against Ukraine. The people of Scotland and the Scottish Government deserve our deepest gratitude for their unwavering support during this tumultuous period for Ukraine.”
Let us keep supporting the people of Ukraine as best we can.
17:18