Carl Sargeant: The policies in our programme for government reflect the ongoing dialogue with our key partners to ensure we provide effective services that meet our veterans’ needs.
Carl Sargeant: I’m very grateful for the Member’s question and the good intention with which it was meant. I would like to remind the Member though that options to develop a veterans identity card were considered by the task and finish group, made up of representatives of our armed forces expert group. They concluded that the value of the introduction of a veterans ID card would be limited. Following...
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for her question. We are supporting a range of regeneration programmes across the Valleys. This includes funding for the Aberdare town centre partnership to promote the town centre and support activities that increase vibrancy and viability.
Carl Sargeant: I’m grateful for the Member’s question. We’re never short of regeneration programmes that people wish to be developed for their communities, and I’m grateful for the recognition of the work that’s going on in her community directly. We will be looking to evaluate and learn lessons from this programme, and the findings will be considered for future policies and will be shared with...
Carl Sargeant: I appreciate the vital, important work the third sector is doing in our communities. Our priorities are ensuring we have a thriving third sector with a strong infrastructure to support their work, growing the volunteer base and ensuring the third sector has a voice in helping and shaping communities.
Carl Sargeant: Indeed, and we should congratulate and work with the volunteers in his constituency and in many across Wales—they do a fantastic job. The third sector scheme includes a commitment to develop a new volunteering policy, which has been developed through a working group established by the third sector partnership council. The policy sets out the roles of Welsh Government, volunteer-involving...
Carl Sargeant: I think the Member is right to raise the issue of asset transfer and community ownership. I think what we’re trying to do as a Government is enable communities to be able to take things over and to understand the risks as well, because many of these organisations that are moving from public ownership to community ownership are sometimes very difficult to run financially and physically....
Carl Sargeant: The Housing (Wales) Act 2014 ensures everyone who is homeless or at risk of becoming homeless gets the help they need. Statistics show homelessness was successfully prevented last year for 65 per cent of all households threatened with homelessness. We are supporting local authorities to build further on this very positive start.
Carl Sargeant: Well, I’ve asked for all local authorities and interested groups to review the figures that are provided for them so that there’s a more standardised approach to the measurement of this. I am encouraged by the 65 per cent, but I just want to make sure that we are all measuring the same things. The Housing (Wales) Act 2014 ensures everybody who is homeless or is at risk of becoming...
Carl Sargeant: A full assessment of the rights of tenants of social landlords was undertaken during the development of the Renting Homes (Wales) Bill. The rights are broadly similar, although some differences exist, such as the right to buy and the right to acquire; other differences are being addressed through the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016.
Carl Sargeant: I can assume by the questioning of the Member that he disagrees with the outcome. Unfortunately, that was the outcome. The decision to merge and the choice of merger partners was a unanimous decision taken by the Cantref board. The Member said there was no consultation and then there was a little bit of consultation. Consultation with tenants did take place—Cantref wrote to all its tenants,...
Carl Sargeant: As set out in our programme for government, we are committed to working with our police and crime commissioners and other partners on a range of issues. In this context, we will continue to tackle slavery in Wales, raising awareness, supporting victims and helping to bring perpetrators to justice.
Carl Sargeant: Of course, I share the Member’s concern around this. The Member will be aware that the issue around policing is a non-devolved issue, but we are the only part of the country with an anti-slavery co-ordinator, which we introduced here in Wales. He works extremely hard and there’s a conference coming up in the next week or two bringing partners together to tackle these issues. I do raise...
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for his question. Yesterday’s decision by the Home Secretary is deeply disappointing. The First Minister made Welsh Government support for an inquiry clear in July. Especially in the light of the Hillsborough inquiry findings, the case for an inquiry is overwhelming. We are in the process of reiterating our views to the UK Government.
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for his comments. Of course, like many people in Wales, I am disappointed by the decision but, ultimately, policing is a UK Government responsibility. However, the Home Secretary did say in her response that this was not in the wider public interest. The Welsh Government, we do not agree with that position. We are not convinced yet that the alleged issue that the police...
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for his comments. I watched earlier in the questions in Westminster the right honourable Member Chris Bryant raising the issue of miners from the Rhondda in plimsolls and T-shirts confronting riot squads on horses chasing them down the streets. If it was wrong then, it is wrong now. The fact of the matter is that the reasons given by the Home Secretary, I believe, were...
Carl Sargeant: Llywydd, we all saw what happened with the Hillsborough disaster and the length of time it took for the truth to come out. Continued delays on Orgreave are unacceptable. It is very odd that 30 years is too long to conduct an inquiry into what happened here, and yet 30 years isn’t long enough to release the Cabinet papers with the instructions to operational policing at that event. I would...
Carl Sargeant: I hear the comments made by the Member. I fail to agree with any of the comments he made. Many communities suffered, people were jailed, and people were criminalised. What we should remember is that all the police and all of the miners weren’t bad people. What we really need to understand was what happened on that day. What was the instruction? What was behind that battle that happened on...
Carl Sargeant: Thank you, Deputy Llywydd. I’m delighted to provide Members with an overview of the approach the Government will be taking to deliver our ambitious target of an additional 20,000 affordable homes. This is a key commitment within the programme for government and it lies at the heart of our comprehensive housing agenda. Delivering on this will also support other key themes across my...
Carl Sargeant: I’m grateful for the contribution from the Member and as always he’s eloquent in his projection of the figures that he uses. May I suggest that he takes another look at the document that he has? Indeed, we haven’t dismissed the document in any shape or form. Let us put some facts to the Member who has just made a contribution. The Public Policy Institute for Wales report, ‘Future Need...
