, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
1. How does the Government ensure that any projects it funds do not impact negatively on the local environment? OQ61266
, Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs: Wales's World-class Recycling
I'd like to begin by congratulating the people of Wales for the remarkable achievement in being ranked as the second-best recycling nation in the world. It's no small feat, is it, and it's testament to the hard work of our communities and our local…
, Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice: Refugee Week: Our home
—without representation and appeal. So, Cabinet Secretary, will you and your Government finally introduce a guardianship service here in Wales, like in Scotland, because you cannot profess to take a children's rights approach if you do not?
, Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice: Refugee Week: Our home
Last night, I had the pleasure of attending the Welsh Refugee Council's Nation of Sanctuary Awards. I'd like to say 'well done' to all the winners and nominees, but especially to congratulate the Birth Partner Project, which won the Nation of Sanctuary Award…
, Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice: Refugee Week: Our home
Thank you for the statement. Plaid Cymru believes that the emphasis on the importance of housing and the home during Refugee Week is vitally important.
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice
Just very quickly, reflecting on what you've said about Parc prison, and what you said in response to Jane in terms of women from Wales who are imprisoned. Will you be making the case to the next Government, if it is Labour Government or not, in terms of…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice
Okay. Just to be clear, then, there's not going to be a refresh of the policy, you just want to evaluate what you're doing already. So, for example, we've had calls about things that have been called for for 20 years from children's rights organisations, for…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice
Just a quick question about the nation of sanctuary policy. You have committed to carrying out a refresh of the policy, so what work has been carried out so far and what further work is planned? With which organisation have you been working to refresh the…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice
Okay, thank you.
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice
And in terms of that commissioning process, when were you asking them to report by? When is that work supposed to be completed by?
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice
So, there's no work that's been done on that at present.
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice
Thank you. I'll move on. You mentioned the work of your predecessor in looking at the devolution of social security administration. You mentioned that you are going to continue with those conversations. So, what aspects of administration do you have an…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice
I just want to return quickly; I’m going to speak more broadly about the devolution of social security administration. But in terms of the charter, you said that you’ve chosen those three specific items for the first phase: the council tax reduction scheme…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice
Very briefly, just on that last point in terms of the relationship with early years, the element of importance is invest to save, not having competing budgets in terms of social justice or the health service. And we know that the Royal College of Child and…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice
Sixty-five thousand.
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice
Just one final question, just in terms of the strategy, what are your priorities for the next term within the child poverty strategy? There are many things in the child poverty strategy. What do you want to get working on straight away in terms of that work?…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice
They've already published an evaluation.
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice
Yes.
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice
They have analysed already that their policies that are implemented at the moment will raise 100,000 children out of poverty. So, I just wanted to know when we'll be able to say the same thing about the Welsh Government's policies. When will we know that?…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice
So, when will we find out? This piece of work of analysing the effect of these policies is happening, it appears to me that you're going to go to visit colleagues in Scotland, so when will we receive that information? When will the analysis be completed?
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice
We know that the Scottish Government, for example, has published evidence showing that their policies will keep 100,000 children out of poverty. What analysis have you done of your policies, accepting, of course, that they are across Government? Is there an…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice
Thank you, Chair. I want to concentrate specifically on child poverty within the broader field of the anti-poverty work that you're doing and which you say is a priority of yours. You said, in response to my question, I think it was, in Plenary that you as a…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice
Well, not according to the evidence that we've been seeing, no.
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice
It is frustrating to think that you've seen that a decade ago and that there still hasn't been a change.
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice
Thank you, Chair. I just wanted to go back very quickly to funding the third sector, and you say that because of the pressure on funding, we need to work smarter. Are you looking at how funding is administered? Because one thing that we've heard several times…
