Steve welcomes Government u-turn on cuts to Croydon’s refugee support
Steve Reed MP has welcomed the Government’s decision to reverse a £4 million cut to Croydon Council’s funding for unaccompanied child refugees.
The Government had originally planned to cut the grant given to councils to support orphaned or separated refugee children. Following calls from Mr Reed and lobbying of Ministers by Croydon Council, the Government announced it would restore the £4 million in full.
Mr Reed has raised the issue in Parliament on multiple occasions, forcing Ministers to address the issue.
Steve Reed MP said:
It’s very welcome that the Government has been forced to climb down over this cut which would have been extremely damaging to some of the most vulnerable children in our community.
I hope the Government now commit to making sure these resources are protected.
Steven Reed is Labour MP for Croydon North and Shadow Minister for Children and Families. In 2018 his private member’s bill on reducing violent mental health restraint became law. In June 2019 he launched Labour’s civil society strategy outlining radical plans to empower citizens and communities.
Steve chairs the Cooperative Councils Innovation Network, co-chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group for London, was Leader of Lambeth Council 2006-12 where he led the council’s children’s services to become best-rated in the country and pioneered the public-health approach to tackling violent youth crime. He worked in publishing for 16 years and was an elected trade union branch secretary.