, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
That's a really valid question, because we know that the age profile of our volunteers is increasing, and the pressures on their lives, as well, in terms of the cost-of-living crisis are considerable, so we are very much looking at the impact of food and fuel…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Thank you very much. I'm sure Members across this Chamber have been visiting and been aware of not just their foodbanks but some of the community food initiatives, like the pantries that have been set up, and the relationships with FareShare particularly in…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
That is a very serious point and it really follows on from the questions from Tom Giffard and Rhys ab Owen, because we need more than one women's residential centre. The key points, and I don't want to repeat them, in terms of what this centre is going to do…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
I was very grateful for the opportunity to come and speak, as I have more than once, I think, to your cross-party group on tackling fuel poverty. You know that our fuel poverty plan commits to continued investment in the Warm Homes programme, particularly in…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
I thank Mark Isherwood for that question. We called for what was a very welcome announcement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 26 May. We actually called for additional support for households and, indeed, we called for the fact that we should not just get…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Thank you. Diolch yn fawr, Rhys ab Owen. This is a major step forward, isn't it, to have that transformation. It can't come too soon as far as I'm concerned—2024 feels a long way off, and it cannot be then just waiting to see how this works. It is being…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
I thank Tom Giffard for the question, and, indeed, for his support for this pioneering residential women's centre. And I'm sure he will join me in welcoming the fact that Wales is leading the way. This has come about as the result of a partnership. Although…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
I've regularly engaged with UK Government justice Ministers, who are leading on this important programme of work, and I will continue this collaborative approach as the development of the residential women’s centre progresses.
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Well, the Member makes a very important point about home energy. Since 2009-10 to the end of March 2021, more than £394 million has been invested to improve home energy efficiency through the Warm Homes programme, and that's benefited more than 67,100 lower…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Well, thank you very much, Buffy Williams, for that question. The third sector has been very involved nationally and locally in terms of addressing these issues for those families—so, many households they work with that are hardest hit by the Tory…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
In Rhondda Cynon Taf, 14,716 households have received our £200 winter fuel support scheme payment. Projections published in April 2022 suggest up to 45 per cent of all households in Wales could be in fuel poverty and up to 98 per cent of lower income…
, Plenary
Debate: The Equality and Human Rights Commission in Wales Annual Review 2020-21
Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd, and diolch yn fawr for all the contributions. I thank Members for participating today. I think the debate has clearly demonstrated the importance of safeguarding equality and human rights in Wales across a wide range of issues, and it…
, Plenary
Debate: The Equality and Human Rights Commission in Wales Annual Review 2020-21
Diolch, Llywydd. I welcome this debate on the Equality and Human Rights Commission's Wales impact report 2020-21. The Welsh Government has benefited for many years from a positive and productive working relationship with the EHRC's team in Wales, and this has…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Tackling institutionalised and systemic racism—Anti-racist Wales Action Plan
Diolch yn fawr, Joyce Watson. You've absolutely spelled it out so clearly—this is about ending institutional racism. Therefore, we have to look at those institutions, including our own, and tackle that. I will leave it to the Deputy Minister, who I'm sure…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Tackling institutionalised and systemic racism—Anti-racist Wales Action Plan
Diolch. Thank you for such powerful statements, which indeed show just the strength of the coming together in our co-operation agreement, about the importance of strength, which I believe could come from across this Chamber, but it has to be delivered as a…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Tackling institutionalised and systemic racism—Anti-racist Wales Action Plan
Well, thank you very much, Altaf Hussain, for your contribution and your questions. I started my statement by actually referring to that debate that we held last year, where we, the whole Senedd—. In fact, I remember speaking to Darren Millar about the motion…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Tackling institutionalised and systemic racism—Anti-racist Wales Action Plan
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Last October, the whole Senedd endorsed a motion to support wholeheartedly the global fight to root out racism and racist ideology and strive towards a more equal Wales, tackling systemic and structural race inequality. Following our…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Update on Ukraine
Diolch yn fawr. This is something, as I said, that's cross-Government. We're taking stock now, as arrivals come. Clearly, there are some pressures in some schools in terms of catchments, but we will be following this up, with my colleague Jeremy Miles, the…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Update on Ukraine
Thank you very much, Russell George. We do understand how important people's pets are to them and so we want to do everything we can to ensure that people who are seeking refuge in Wales are reunited—you've given one example—with their pets because they have…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Update on Ukraine
Diolch yn fawr, Heledd. Those are very important questions, which are being worked on at the moment, about access to language support. I've given some detail already in terms of ESOL, trying to ensure that this is an FE, HE, cross-Wales response. But just for…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Update on Ukraine
Thank you very much, Peter Fox. Can I just say again that it is the local authorities who have got to take the responsibility in terms of admissions to schools? They've got clear guidance. Obviously, therefore, in terms of that contact, you are important as a…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Update on Ukraine
Thank you very much, Jack Sargeant. As I have said, this is very much a cross-Government response. Co-ordination is particularly important, not just in terms of cross-Government and all of our responsibilities, but inter-Government with the UK Government and…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Update on Ukraine
Diolch yn fawr, Sioned. It's really important, this point about how we can be ready to support, recognising the trauma that so many have experienced. You talked about children. All of us know that the vast majority of refugees who are coming are women and…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Update on Ukraine
Thank you very much, Mark Isherwood. You've repeated the data that I gave in the statement. I think it is very encouraging that, at long last, last week, the UK Government agreed to provide data on a local authority by local authority basis, and we could then…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Update on Ukraine
Diolch yn fawr, Lywydd, and thank you for the opportunity to provide an update to Members on our ongoing work to support Ukrainians hoping to find sanctuary in Wales. In the two weeks since I last provided an oral statement on this matter, we've welcomed many…
