, Plenary
Plaid Cymru Debate: The UK Government's Elections Bill
No, it is completely untrue, and that is definitely not the case; it is about other measures taken to do what I've said all along, and that is that this Welsh Government is committed to encouraging anyone and everyone to be able to vote and for their vote to…
, Plenary
Plaid Cymru Debate: The UK Government's Elections Bill
Yes, I'll take an intervention.
, Plenary
Plaid Cymru Debate: The UK Government's Elections Bill
Diolch, Llywydd. The right to vote and participation in voting are fundamental to our democracy, and the Welsh Government is committed to ensuring that elections in Wales are fair, secure and accessible. We believe in expanding the opportunities for people to…
, Plenary
Statement by the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution: Legal Aid and Access to Justice
Thank you for that, and thank you for the consistent way in which you are raising this issue of access to justice, because it's important to everybody within Wales, in devolved and non-devolved areas. You raise the issues of Grenfell and Hillsborough. I would…
, Plenary
Statement by the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution: Legal Aid and Access to Justice
Well, thank you for those comments, and I appreciate the invitations to your committee, because it is an opportunity to talk about the work that is going on, to gain ideas as to areas that we could be focusing on, and it's an important part of the…
, Plenary
Statement by the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution: Legal Aid and Access to Justice
Thank you for those questions. Just in terms of engagement, well, of course, there's a lot of engagement that has been taking place to have discussions around a lot of these issues with the judiciary. The judiciary, of course, cannot engage in the political…
, Plenary
Statement by the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution: Legal Aid and Access to Justice
Well, I thank the Member for those comments and for those detailed figures, all of which are ones that I'm aware of and are absolutely pertinent to the reality of this situation. I suppose the difference between you and me and, I suppose, the Welsh…
, Plenary
Statement by the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution: Legal Aid and Access to Justice
I thank the Member for those comments and for the various questions, most of which, though, did not actually address the fundamental part of the statement I've issued, which is actually about the access of citizens and people to legal aid and the problems…
, Plenary
Statement by the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution: Legal Aid and Access to Justice
These perverse outcomes are completely contrary to the vision that lay behind the creation of the state legal aid system by the post-war Labour Government, and they are contrary to the vision and beliefs of this Welsh Labour Government. The vision was 'that…
, Plenary
Statement by the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution: Legal Aid and Access to Justice
Llywydd, according to the findings of the Law Society, legal aid is no longer available for many who need it. Those eligible for legal aid find it hard to access, wide gaps in provisions are not being addressed, and the Act has had a negative impact on the…
, Plenary
Statement by the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution: Legal Aid and Access to Justice
Thanks, Llywydd. This year marks 10 years since a series of draconian and punitive cuts to legal aid were passed by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition Government. The cuts were made through the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Scrutiny session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Can I just say, Chair, that, when I first came into the Senedd, the first thing that was said to me was, 'Yippee, we've got a lawyer,' and it was the first time I'd heard that in 35 years of practice, and I haven't heard it since? [Laughter.]
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Scrutiny session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Yes, we'll look at that. I'm sure we can put something together for that.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Scrutiny session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
I've always felt it a very popular call, but—. [Laughter.]
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Scrutiny session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
If I can—. Can I say I will certainly think about that and write with more detail? Because it is an important area and an important area of scrutiny. What I will say is that I'm very alert to it and I know, in all the discussions I have, this is an issue: how…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Scrutiny session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
It's an important question. It's not one that is actually easy to answer, because, firstly, in terms of finance, well, obviously, the budget assesses a certain amount of finance that's needed in terms of the funding of, whether it's the legislative programme…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Scrutiny session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
I'm okay for probably another 10 minutes. I have a Cabinet meeting at 3 o'clock that I need to do a little bit of preparation for, but I've got another five to 10 minutes, if that's okay.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Scrutiny session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Well, it's actually a very good question and it's also quite a difficult one to talk about, because, in many areas, we now have advice deserts, and I'm sure that is reflected, probably, in every Senedd Member's case load—the people who come to Senedd Members…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Scrutiny session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Chair, if I can add, of course, it brings you back again to this whole issue about the devolution of justice, because we're now looking at areas and responsibilities and things we want to see happen and change, which, of course, are all reserved areas—they're…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Scrutiny session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
One of the areas we have looked at, of course, is this thing about apprenticeships, which I've mentioned. That's an ongoing discussion, but it's also a question as to, I suppose, the training of lawyers who want to work in Valleys communities, in rural…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Scrutiny session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Yes. I mean, part of that issue is particularly the availability of access to lawyers themselves—that is, viable, commercial, legal professions, particularly in the Valleys communities and in the rural communities—and the fact that many people don't have…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Scrutiny session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Not really, because I think it's very important that the Law Council of Wales actually is able to consider this and to come forward with discussions, and I will engage with that. It is something that I discuss in respect of other forums with the Law Society…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Scrutiny session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Well, the Law Council of Wales had its first meeting before Christmas. I think I spoke at the introductory first half of the meeting. Of course, I am not a member of it. I've offered my support and to attend as and when required et cetera. So, we're awaiting…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Scrutiny session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
I think part of is to keep it under review. There have been discussions with the president of the tribunals specifically on this, and you are absolutely right. It may be, of course, that some of the administrative tribunals are, in many ways, quite fitted to…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Scrutiny session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
I haven't been involved in any discussions along that. Most of the discussions in respect of the Bill—. As you realise, this is a Bill that has a whole series of—. It's almost three Bills brought together under one heading—I think it's something that was…
