, Plenary
Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice
I wouldn't really want to characterise this as the worst-case scenario. The whole point of the policy is trying to make sure that every family and child in Wales who wants to access funded childcare, to be helped with the cost of living, can do so. As we…
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Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice
We have to model 100 per cent, but, as I say, it does very much depend on demand. But that's the work that we're currently doing now with the expert steering group.
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Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice
For the full expansion? I don't know if you mean for the full expansion—
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Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice
As I said earlier on, as soon as we came into Government, I wrote to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions seeking that early engagement on Cynnal and setting out our wider ambitions around welfare and the Welsh benefits system. At the end of last…
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Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice
Thank you. They're very important points.
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Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice
Thank you very much for the question. The task of the expert group will be to ensure that we plan this payment carefully. It is a pilot programme, so it won't reach every family in need in Wales, because that's the nature of a pilot, clearly. But this group…
, Plenary
Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice
Thank you very much for that supplementary question. The first meeting of the expert group that I mentioned will be held next week, and I know that this is one of the issues that we will discuss. At that expert group, we have academics and front-line…
, Plenary
Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice
Thank you very much for the question. Delivering on our first 100 days commitment, I have established an expert group to support the design, delivery, monitoring and evaluation of the Cynnal pilot. The group brings together expertise from across the sector to…
, Plenary
Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice
Thank you very much, Jane Dodds, for that question. I agree entirely with your analysis in terms of the emphasis, or lack of emphasis, that some parties in this Chamber have placed on this totally transformational and important policy. So, I share your…
, Plenary
Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice
Thank you very much. Thank you for the question. The workforce, as I've already said, are at the heart of these plans that we have for childcare. Expanding childcare in terms of the provision that we currently have is entirely dependent on that capacity, on…
, Plenary
Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice
Diolch, Sarah. Do you know, I am so glad to be discussing childcare almost every time I am speaking in this Chamber, almost every time that I'm interviewed on the media. I certainly talk about it a lot in the community, and did so on the doorsteps of…
, Plenary
Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice
Thank you. Well, you've identified there that we need to do this work in a phased manner, and that's what we've been clear about from the outset. You're right to underline that the commitment that the previous Government made to providing childcare places…
, Plenary
Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice
Thank you. This Government will introduce a transformational universal childcare offer. Work is under way to review capacity in the sector and to develop detailed staff projections as we look to the future. I'm working closely with the expert steering group…
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Questions to the First Minister
Me, this morning.
, Plenary
Short Debate: From legal clarity to practical reality: Implementing women’s sex-based rights in Wales
Thank you very much, Llywydd, and thank you for the opportunity to respond to this short debate. This is an important and sensitive matter. It relates to the rights of women, and also the rights of transgender people, and the Government has a responsibility…
, Plenary
Reform UK Debate: Childcare offer
So, we're clear about our ambition, but it's not a small adjustment. It delivers a fundamental shift in how childcare is accessed and delivered. And so our focus is firmly on putting the plans we have into action as quickly as possible. That's why I've…
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Reform UK Debate: Childcare offer
Improving access to childcare is one of the most effective ways of reducing child poverty. It helps parents to return to work, it gives that income to families. The evidence is clear, from bodies such as the Bevan Foundation, Quorum and the Women's Equality…
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Reform UK Debate: Childcare offer
Well, for the reasons that I've set out, basically. What we need to do—. We will, before long, be having—. I'm having conversations with the finance Minister about the realignment of the budget in this financial year, to align with the priorities that all…
, Plenary
Reform UK Debate: Childcare offer
It is notable, of all the political parties represented here today, that only Reform chose not to make any commitments on childcare at all in their manifesto, despite the clear evidence of its importance to children and families. We had rather a confused…
, Plenary
Reform UK Debate: Childcare offer
Thank you very much, Llywydd. Childcare is vital—for children, for families and for Wales. I'm very grateful for the opportunity to respond to this discussion today, because families in Wales are paying the highest childcare costs in the United Kingdom. They…
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Reform UK Debate: Childcare offer
Formally.
, Plenary
Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality
Yesterday, I announced the establishment and membership of our new childcare expert steering group, which is one of the commitments that we said we'd do in our first 100 days, and, as I said, I'll be co-chairing the first meeting of that expert steering group…
, Plenary
Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality
Diolch yn fawr. Childcare costs are too high in Wales, and we want to put more money back into families' pockets, and our actions in these first 100 days now are focused on putting the right foundations in place, with the governance, the infrastructure and…
, Plenary
Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality
Thank you very much for the question. I agree entirely with the Member with regard to the importance of post offices, as I mentioned in my initial response. Of course, as I mentioned, matters relating to post offices aren't devolved to Welsh Ministers, and…
, Plenary
Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality
Thank you very much for the question. It's the UK Government that is responsible for matters related to post offices. I consider the services offered by our local post offices, such as access to cash and basic banking, essential to the health of our…
