BBC Democracy Live - May sets out Syrian refugees plan The UK is to give emergency sanctuary to the most vulnerable Syrian refugees, Home Secretary Theresa May has told the Commons. Priority will be given to women and children, victims of rape and torture, and those in need of medical care, Mrs May explained as she set out the government's plan on 29 January 2014. She estimated that "several hundred" refugees will be given refuge but told MPs no quota has been set "as we want to look at particular needs." For Labour, Yvette Cooper welcomed the announcement and said she was pleased "compassion and common sense" had prevailed over the "government's resistance last week." The government had faced criticism from MPs of all political parties for declining to participate in the UN's resettlement programme for Syrian refugees. Ms Cooper said there was cross-party agreement in support of helping refugees, and told the home secretary: "She was right to have listened, and I am glad she has done so." MPs heard 11 million Syrians are in "desperate need," with 6.5 million displaced inside the country, and more than three million - mainly children - in neighbouring countries, as a result of the three-year civil war. The UK scheme is to be separate from the ongoing UN resettlement programme for Syrian refugees, which has seen Germany commit to admitting more than 10,000 Syrian refugees and France take 500. Challenged over this decision by several MPs, Mrs May insisted the UK would be working "hand-in-hand" with the UN but said the Home Office scheme would provide more flexibility. Former Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell welcomed the announcement but said it would have been better for the UK to be a part of the overall UN programme. The SNP's Angus Robertson asked the home secretary to "account for the difference in the scale of ambition" between the UK and Germany, with regards to refuge. Mrs May said the government had placed a particular focus on humanitarian aid because "most of the refugees" in the camps want to return to Syria. She added: "We do think that there are some particularly vulnerable people who it is right for us to welcome in to the UK, and that is what I have set out today." Tory Sir Gerald Howarth urged the home secretary to limit the numbers given sanctuary to "hundreds not thousands," and suggested that priority should be given to Christians caught up in the conflict. The home secretary's statement came ahead of debate called by Labour, which wants Britain to join the UN resettlement scheme.