Carl Sargeant: A really important contribution by the Member, and I thank her for that. This isn’t a women’s issue—this is our issue. This is about things that we should all be shouting from the rooftops—that it’s unacceptable. For far too long, people have been afraid to say things out of turn. It’s been the hidden crime, but it’s not any longer. Fifteen years ago, we would never have had a...
Carl Sargeant: Indeed, the Member is right and is, again, another champion of the cause. Healthy relationships are key to making sure that we break the cycle of this heinous crime. I visited a school yesterday, with the area having a relatively high level of incidence of domestic violence. Why is it considered reasonable that this is normal? Why is it considered that to hit another individual—a...
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for his comments. I listened carefully to his contribution and he is right that it is not appropriate for any member in any political party in any area or arena to be subject to any abuse in any form. He raised a very interesting comment about whether we should have a survey done of Members, political parties, particularly women, who have experienced domestic violence. It...
Carl Sargeant: I thank Jayne for her contribution. I know Rachel Williams very well and, indeed, she is an inspiration. Despite what Rachel has been through, she still makes me laugh and still laughs with us, and I think it’s an incredible skill she has, and a mark of respect to Rachel and many other victors, as they like to be called—survivors of domestic violence incidents. A very severe process she...
Carl Sargeant: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, for the opportunity to lay the legislative consent motion today. I’d like to thank the Children, Young People and Education Committee for their scrutiny of my memorandum. I am also pleased to note that the committee has raised no objections to the LCM, and its report recommends that the Assembly supports the LCM. I formally move.
Carl Sargeant: I just thank the Member for the contribution. I ask Members to support the LCM today.
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for his question. North Wales Police issued a statement about historical sex abuse within football. They confirmed they are working with the ongoing Operation Hydrant. I would encourage members of the public who have any knowledge of abuse of children or young people to contact the police.
Carl Sargeant: Thank you for your question. My officials are in contact with the Football Association of Wales and football in the community trusts to ensure action can be taken as and when required. Whilst policing is a non-devolved matter, the Welsh Government is determined to learn lessons and prevent a further repeat of any child sexual abuse, and we applaud the courage of players who’ve come forward...
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for his question. I have recently met with the children’s commissioner and with the WLGA and the director of social services to discuss the issue of the advocacy service. I am aware of the Assembly committee doing an inquiry into this and I have been given confidence by those authorities that they will have a service of advocacy in place by the end of June next year.
Carl Sargeant: Formally.
Carl Sargeant: Thank you, Presiding Officer. I thank comrades for their contributions. Jenny Rathbone has been a champion of this proposal for many months, and she continues to be so. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to have some conversations with her regarding this very issue. The Welsh Government has consistently demonstrated its commitment to a fair deal for private sector tenants, most recently...
Carl Sargeant: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. The great transporter suspension bridge; Dame Butler; Goldie Lookin Chain; Newport City Football Club; John Griffiths—his passion for Newport is, as always, inspiring, and these are just some of the things that give Newport its fame. He is a strong champion for the city and a determined advocate of action to ensure it continues to fulfil its potential....
Carl Sargeant: Thank you, Deputy Llywydd. This morning, I laid before the Assembly a copy of the Welsh Government’s progress report on tackling child poverty. This is a statutory requirement under the Children and Families (Wales) Measure 2010. I’m pleased to report that we have made significant progress towards achieving our child poverty objectives in a number of areas. Employment in Wales is close to...
Carl Sargeant: Welsh Government does not hold the primary policy and fiscal levers, especially in terms of the welfare reform we talk of, needed to enable us to deliver the significant changes in relative income that would be required ahead of 2020. We cannot wait until then to have this discussion. Projections by the Institute for Fiscal Studies show that relative child poverty in the UK will rise...
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for her contribution. I hope she got a flavour from the contribution I made in the statement that it is time for change—it’s about standing up and saying that what we’re currently doing isn’t working as well as it could. We need to change programmes that we’re moving to deliver. I think the Member did raise the issue around the percentage drop of 2 per cent over...
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for his many questions. I’ll do my best to respond to them. There isn’t much that the Member contributed that I don’t agree with him on. There are many things there that we align our thoughts around, apart from the term ‘co-production’, but we’ll probably always have that discussion in terms of how that’s worked. But the principle of what the Member says is...
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for her contribution. We shouldn’t be shy about thinking about what happened in the past. In the 1980s, Wales was subject to very high levels of unemployment, from miners to steelworkers, where communities were absolutely devastated and wiped out in terms of employment. That has had a massive effect on the well-being of communities for the future. With poverty, you...
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member again for his very good contribution in terms of an understanding about his community and communities’ work across Wales. The Member is right that we have to enable the family unit—parents—to be able to secure quality, decent jobs. I think, as the Member will be aware, we made sure that that was part of the WFG Act, and that’s why the 44 public bodies have to...
Carl Sargeant: I thank Julie Morgan for her contribution. I think the childcare pledge that she raises is, as I said earlier, the most ambitious and generous childcare pledge anywhere in the UK, which we aim to start delivering in the autumn of next year. I see the childcare pledge as a bit of a childcare plus agenda, really, because not only will we have an economic driver giving the opportunity for...
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for her contribution, and, yes, she has raised the issue of the rights of the child and public bodies, particularly local authorities. I'll give that some further thought again, actually. I have had a conversation with the children's commissioner in the past around this, and I will give that some further exploration about what that may or may not mean. I think the issue of...
