12 January 2022 , Plenary
Short Debate: Deaf People Wales: Hidden Inequality
Diolch, Llywydd. Can I start by thanking Mark Isherwood for tabling this debate today and for ensuring this important matter is brought forward as part of this Senedd's evident commitment to advancing equality and human rights in Wales? And can I also thank…
12 January 2022 , Plenary
Debate on the Equality and Social Justice Committee Report: Debt and the pandemic
And thank you for acknowledging the role and increasing workload, Sarah Murphy, that Citizens Advice and Shelter have experienced in Bridgend. That will be reflected across all constituencies here today across Wales. But it is important to see, and as Sioned…
12 January 2022 , Plenary
Debate on the Equality and Social Justice Committee Report: Debt and the pandemic
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Thank you for the opportunity to respond to this important debate on the 'Debt and the pandemic' report, published by the Equality and Social Justice Committee, with such a strong debate this afternoon, which adds such weight to your…
12 January 2022 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Diolch yn fawr, Buffy Williams. Can I pay tribute to all of those who provide specialist services in your constituency and, indeed, across Wales? I also thank those who attended the cross-party group yesterday on violence against women and children, chaired…
12 January 2022 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
We are currently consulting on a draft strategy and expect to publish the 2022-26 violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence strategy in April 2022. Implementation of the strategy will be based on collaborative working with relevant agencies…
12 January 2022 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Diolch yn fawr, Siân Gwenllian. I think many of the questions and responses this afternoon show the importance of us focusing on this issue and the cost-of-living catastrophe that is emerging, made worse by an increase in wholesale gas prices, resulting in…
12 January 2022 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Social inequality has deepened as a result of the pandemic. The socioeconomic duty will provide a framework for action and the new equality, race and disability units will provide robust evidence to inform policy and plans.
12 January 2022 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Thank you, Jenny Rathbone, for this crucially important question this afternoon. You have summarised the dire situation that many private renters are finding themselves in. As you know and are aware, local authorities are responsible for the enforcement of…
12 January 2022 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
I work with Cabinet colleagues on action to tackle poverty. The new winter fuel support scheme, the proposed increase in Welsh Government funding for the Warm Homes programme from 2022-23, and the consultation on the next iteration of the Warm Homes programme…
12 January 2022 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Thank you very much, Natasha Asghar. I confirm that I met with Victoria Atkins, the Minister for Afghan Resettlement, yesterday. In fact, I met her with the First Minister for Northern Ireland, and she was meeting Scottish colleagues as well. We're going to…
12 January 2022 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
I thank Rhianon Passmore for this very important and timely question. Particularly, I'm fortunate that I met with the Minister Victoria Atkins yesterday. Anyone who’s resettled or dispersed to Wales will be supported as far as we’re able, as a nation of…
12 January 2022 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
We regularly raise the Afghan citizens resettlement scheme with the UK Government and, since the scheme was announced, I've taken part in several four-nation ministerial calls, with the latest taking place yesterday, and I've raised issues from gaps in…
12 January 2022 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
This is an area where, of course, the UK Government has to also take responsibility. Thank you for the question; it is important. We are in a situation where people are having to choose between heating and eating, and that's coming through from so much…
12 January 2022 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Thank you very much, Huw Irranca-Davies, and as you say, spiralling energy prices are leading this cost-of-living crisis. If you look back to what the Resolution Foundation said in response to the UK Government's autumn budget, they noted at that point, even…
12 January 2022 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Households are experiencing a cost-of-living crisis due to spiralling energy prices and cuts to welfare support. Councils are supporting take-up of the Welsh Government's winter fuel support scheme amongst eligible households to help them keep warm this…
12 January 2022 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Diolch, Sioned Williams, for that really important follow-up question, and, of course, it does apply to the importance of our Warm Homes programme, and since its inception in 2009-10 to the end of March of this year, more than £394 million has been invested…
12 January 2022 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Diolch yn fawr, Sioned Williams. I'm really pleased that you've raised this issue. It came up very strongly yesterday, as you said, with questions from Adam Price to the First Minister, but also questions from across the—certainly from Labour Members as well…
12 January 2022 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Thank you for that follow-up question. You will know that I did publish the cold weather resilience plan on 3 December and it does include 12 actions designed to improve the cold weather resilience of lower income households: financial help, for example, to…
12 January 2022 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Thank you very much for that follow-up question, and just to say that I want to ensure that the delivery of this report through our disability rights taskforce is actually co-produced. We commissioned it, it's co-chaired, and we need to deliver that in terms…
12 January 2022 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Thank you very much, Mark Isherwood, for that question. I was in attendance at the cross-party group most recently—I have attended more than one—which you chair, and it was very good to see you back in that position. Can I just confirm that over the time of…
12 January 2022 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Thank you very much, Buffy Williams. And can I pay tribute to all of those volunteers in your community, and across the whole of Wales, who played such an important role during the pandemic, but have always done as the lifeblood of our communities? So, just…
12 January 2022 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Diolch yn fawr, Rhys ab Owen. That is a crucial part of the way we work with the voluntary sector. In fact, we pioneered the voluntary sector partnership scheme, which actually means that all sectors, and that includes the health and social care sector, meet…
12 January 2022 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
I'd like to thank the Member for this very important question, because we've seen, as you said, Peter Fox, throughout the pandemic that strong and independent voluntary sector critical to the well-being of Wales and our communities, and that culture of…
12 January 2022 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
We have provided over £40 million in additional funding to voluntary sector organisations since the start of the pandemic. And the Welsh Government also provides core funding for the Wales Council for Voluntary Action and county voluntary councils to enable…
14 December 2021 , Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Shaping Wales Future—Laying national milestones, revised national indicators and publishing a Future Trends report
Thank you very much, Jenny Rathbone. Yes, 2050 feels a long way off, but it's actually what we're doing year on year, and how we are held to account and how we can use the national milestones and national indicators to track progress that is so important…
