Grant Shapps will host Ukrainian refugee family of three: Cabinet minister offers his home to mother, son, six, grandmother, 75, and their pet DOG after they fled war-torn Kyiv

• Grant Shapps will host refugees as part of the Homes for Ukraine programme
• Transport Secretary said he was already in contact with family of three from Kyiv
• The mother, son, grandmother and dog will be staying at his Hertfordshire home
• So far Mr Shapps is only cabinet member to take part in government scheme - which 100,000 Britons signed up to

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is set to welcome a Ukrainian refugee family fleeing the Russian invasion into his family home as part of the Homes for Ukraine programme.

The cabinet minister will be hosting the three-generation family from Kyiv, a mother, her son, six, and grandmother, 75, and their dog Max at his home in Hertfordshire.

Mr Shapps is already looking at enrolling the child in the local primary school and will use one of his children's bedrooms to house the family while they are at university.

Speaking to Sky News, he said: 'I'm in touch with the Ukrainian family who are coming to live with us in our home, and so I'm hearing about it direct on the ground.

'They are incredibly grateful to the British people for everything that we are doing.'

So far the only member of the Cabinet to volunteer for the government's own Homes for Ukraine programme, Mr Shapps said he decided to get involved after discussing it with his wife on a long walk.

The six-year-old boy and the grandmother do not speak English, but Shapps has said that he expects to pick up some Ukrainian as he spends time with them. 

'Enough to make them welcome,' he told The Times.

Asked whether there could be any awkward conversations with the family at the dinner table over government policy towards Ukraine, Mr Shapps laughed and said 'I couldn't imagine that conservation coming up'. 

The scheme is for a minimum of six months, and Mr Shapps said it was opportune that one of his children being away at university meant he could offer their room to the family. 'He's away for the next three months, I haven't quite worked out what to do when he comes back.'

The family's father is still in the west Ukrainian city of Lviv, and will not be allowed to join the family in the UK because of conscription and the ban on 18-to-60-year-olds leaving. 

After tweeting that he would be signing up to house a refugee family, Shapps said that he received several messages on Facebook from Ukrainian families wanting to come to the UK and chose the best match. 

Mr Shapps is so far the only Cabinet Minister to commit to taking in a family - Chancellor Rishi Sunak has said he would help in other ways, while Boris Johnson cited security concerns about hosting at No10. 

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said he was 'starting to have a conversation' with his wife but said it 'will be hard to offer the time that I think a host would reasonably (be) expected to have available'. 

Labour's London mayor Sadiq Khan also ruled it out on security as well as space grounds. 

But former health secretary Matt Hancock said he would also be taking part, allowing refugees to stay in his constituency home in West Suffolk, saying: 'I urge everyone who is able to help to register and welcome a family in desperate need.' 

Politicians on taking in refugees: 

Prime Minister Boris Johnson

'There are specific challenges around security on housing people in No 10,' his spokesman said.

'Various ministers have been asked about this. Obviously it will come down to individual circumstances.'

Health Secretary Sajid Javid

'I'm starting to have a conversation with my wife on that and I think many households - as you say, and I'm pleased you brought this up - are probably thinking about this across the country.'

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove

 'I'm exploring what I can do. I know that there are others who have. Without going into my personal circumstances, there are a couple of things I need to sort out - but yes.'

London Mayor Sadiq Khan 

'Personally we won't be able to because of space and other security issues, but I admire the generosity of those Londoners, and we know our city is a very generous city.'

Shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds

'I would love to help, without any kind of political consideration or grandstanding ...  you will know we are a family of six here in Stalybridge, so we don't have a lot of room and that might not be as attractive as other places might be.'

Asked whether more members of the cabinet should volunteer for the scheme, Mr Shapps said the decision was a 'personal one' and depended on 'individual circumstances'. 

Housing Secretary Michael Gove meanwhile defied government backlash to confirm he is pushing for sanctioned oligarchs' UK mansions to be used to house Ukrainian refugees.

Senior figures in the Treasury and the Foreign Office warned the idea is 'not legally workable', but one supporters have branded opponents 'oligarch apologists'.

'I want to explore an option which would allow us to use the homes and properties of sanctioned individuals – as long as they are sanctioned – for humanitarian and other purposes,' Mr Gove said earlier this month.

The row came as No 10 announced that ordinary families who house Ukrainian refugees will be paid £350 a month under a new 'Homes for Ukraine' scheme.

It is hoped that tens of thousands of people will be accommodated under the scheme, helping to tackle Europe's biggest refugee crisis since the Second World War. 

It comes after Boris Johnson said it would 'logistically' be 'very difficult' to supply the Ukrainian president with the tanks and jets he asked for during a Nato summit on Wednesday.

The Transport Secretary told Sky News: 'The whole Nato thing - you saw Nato meeting yesterday, including President Biden, will be a collective decision.

'You know, Ukraine's not actually a member of Nato, of course. We're doing everything that we can to help and assist. We don't want to create a wider war from this.'

He added: 'We're providing the defensive weapons. What we don't want to do is enter the war directly (and) create a wider conflict, perhaps.

'So, these are judgment calls. But we want to do everything that we can to assist without exacerbating matters.'