, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
I'm absolutely astonished that you can stand there and have the gall to talk in that way, Janet Finch-Saunders, about the situation where we have people in Wales now who have not got their electricity on, who do not know where they're going to get their next…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Well, that's a really important question, Carolyn Thomas, and it follows on from what Russell George was saying earlier on: how do we actually make sure that the benefits that we've got reach the people who are entitled to them? We know that many already—I've…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Thank you for the question. The measures announced in the Chancellor's statement are unfair. They fail to target support for the most vulnerable, whilst providing significant benefit to the richest. This will mean that more households in Wales will struggle…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Thank you very much. I welcome the fact that you focused on the equality and inclusion grant. We have consulted widely about this to make sure that we can reach those. Of course, there are many organisations that would like to benefit from the equality and…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Thank you, Paul, for the question. I've provided Third Sector Support Wales with a three-year funding agreement of £6.98 million per year. And in response to the cost-of-living crisis, today I can announce an additional £2.2 million to continue supporting…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Diolch yn fawr, Jane Dodds. I think it is important that we see this now as all-Wales—rural, urban, and not just the most deprived, but all families experiencing poverty and disadvantage. It does go back to this huge question of where this £45 billion for tax…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Thank you for those very important questions. The way we try to tackle poverty with our powers is about universal approaches, such as the free schools meals to all pupils, which will help many of those who are on that brink of being disadvantaged or finding…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Thank you for that question. The key levers for tackling child poverty—they are powers over the tax and welfare system—sit with the UK Government, and we will continue to do all we can with the powers that we have to tackle inequalities and improve outcomes…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Thank you very much, Sioned Williams. These are crucial issues in terms of getting the money into people's pockets and into their accounts. You know that we're developing and working with organisations like the Bevan Foundation on a benefits charter for…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Thank you very much, Sioned Williams. Of course, the First Minister did answer this question yesterday from your leader, and he did comment on the Scottish Government's Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Bill that is before the Scottish Parliament…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Thank you very much, Mark Isherwood. Before I answer that question, I do want to say, in terms of the programmes that tackle child poverty, that the roll-out of our free school meals for primary school pupils—as part of our co-operation agreement with Plaid…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
I don't know whether you heard my responses to earlier questions, Mark Isherwood. I did say, and I'll just repeat, that child poverty fell year after year under the Labour Government and it has risen year after year during the last 12 years of coalition and…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Of course it was a Welsh Labour Government that, in its manifesto, and then delivered through the programme for government and delivered it within its first year, delivered the real living wage for our social care workforce. A real living wage. Also, I have…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Can I just say that tax credits, in terms of the UK Government responses, are crucial in terms of tackling poverty? Joe Biden's doing that now and actually making an impact in the States. Child poverty came down under a Labour Government; child poverty has…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Well, you know perfectly well that the key levers for tackling poverty are powers over the tax and welfare system, which sit with the UK Government. [Interruption.] Can I just remind the Member that child poverty fell year after year under the Labour…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Thank you very much, Peredur. Of course, that report by the former equality and local government committee was an important report, with recommendations that we agreed to take forward. And I hope that you were able to see the report that was produced, which…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
We will be spending £1.6 billion on targeted cost-of-living support and universal programmes to tackle poverty and to put money back in people's pockets. A new cost-of-living Cabinet committee, chaired by the First Minister, has been set up to focus Welsh…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Thank you very much to Altaf Hussain. I’m obviously working very closely with the police and crime commissioners and chief constables in the Policing Partnership Board for Wales. Of course, policing is reserved; it’s not devolved yet—that’s what we want to…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Thank you very much, Huw Irranca-Davies, for those two really important points in my portfolio for different Ministers in the UK Government. I met with the Scottish Government Minister Neil Gray earlier on today, and we now understand that there’s a new…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Thank you for that question. I've written to the Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for levelling-up, with the Scottish Minister Neil Gray MSP, about Ukraine, and also to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions about uprating welfare benefits, and…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Update on Ukraine
We would love to be able to have the same kind of support from the UK Government for the Ukraine family scheme, as they are providing for the Homes for Ukraine scheme. The UK Government has never given a penny towards the family scheme, as I'm sure, Mabon…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Update on Ukraine
I thank Huw Irranca-Davies very much for that suggestion, that proposal, but also just for your description of how these support groups—. And particularly in your community, you've told me about the Maesteg support group, but I think all across Wales, we have…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Update on Ukraine
Thank you very much. Diolch yn fawr, Sioned Williams. This is about our nation of sanctuary; how we work together, as we always have, to support those who are fleeing, as you say, the obscenity of war, the terror. I recall, right from the word go, Putin's…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Update on Ukraine
Thank you very much, Mark Isherwood. I think I made it very clear in my statement how important it was to have a Minister for refugees, Richard Harrington. Actually, we were meeting with him on a fortnightly basis; the job certainly wasn’t done. He played a…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Update on Ukraine
In recent weeks, we have seen a change of UK Government and, with it, the resignation of the UK Minister for Refugees, Lord Harrington. Whilst we had some particular requests of the UK Government, which have not been implemented—from funding, safeguarding…
