The Government said it was fully committed to settling Syrian refugees ‘as quickly as possible' following a meeting with local authority leaders on Friday.

However, a statement said it was ‘too early to speculate on when the numbers arriving would start to rise'.

Home secretary Theresa May is expected to give a further update on the situation this week.

The first meeting of the Syrian resettlement taskforce followed a surge in local authorities pledging to support refugees.

David Simmonds, from the Local Government Association, said councils wanted reassurance that long-term plans were in place to help people.

‘This is not just about money in the short-term but that resources are going to be there so that families and children are properly supported,' he said.

‘They need to be able to integrate into life in the UK and think about their education, their work opportunities and their housing opportunities.'

In one of the latest offers of support Edinburgh City Council said it would house 100 Syrian refugees over the next 12 months.

It said the commitment was in response to the ‘humanitarian crisis' across Europe as refugees continued to arrive from the war-torn Middle East.