Jane Hutt: Diolch, Llywydd, and I'd like to start by thanking Plaid Cymru for bringing this debate today. It not only highlights the rising levels of household debt in Wales outlined by speakers today, but also the steps we're taking as a Welsh Government to mitigate some of the grave hardships being faced. And I also welcome the Equality and Social Justice Committee inquiry into debt and the pandemic....
Jane Hutt: ...—working with my colleagues in Welsh Government, working as a result of our co-operation agreement as we seek to work together to tackle poverty, engaging with the UK Government, making representations and working with our partners in tackling household debt in Wales. Diolch.
Peredur Owen Griffiths: ...refused planning permission for this development in 2020, but this decision was challenged at the High Court, which subsequently quashed the Government's decision. The recent letter was giving notice to Persimmon that the Deputy Minister is inviting representations on whether the inquiry should be reopened. Not only would I like this inquiry reopened, but I'd like the Government to review...
Jane Hutt: ...from the legislation coming into force, but working in partnership and to recognise that this is something fundamental in terms of how we address this. I will take the opportunity just to respond not in answer to Sarah Murphy, but to a question that was raised with me earlier on as well by Sioned Williams. We're very disappointed about the Law Commission's report on hate crime today, the...
Jeremy Miles: I thank the Member for that important question. In a university that has the highest number of Welsh speakers of all the Welsh universities, it is appropriate that students have employed representation in the union, and that would correspond to the representation that we see in other universities in Wales, as the Member mentioned in his contribution. This is a matter for the union's board of...
Jane Hutt: ...by that proposed cut, which then went ahead. One in four people said they would very likely need to skip meals if the cut to universal credit went ahead, and that cut did go ahead, despite strong representations made in this Chamber by this Welsh Labour Government, across the UK, cross-party Tory voices as well, and from those charities that work at the forefront of tackling child poverty....
Rhianon Passmore: .... With the omicron wave that engulfed us, public health measures were required, and we see encouraging signs, with the infection rate falling for two days in a row. First Minister, I have received representations from hospitality businesses in Islwyn, clearly concerned about the loss of business that they're currently suffering from. What representations has the Welsh Government made to...
Mick Antoniw: ...way Hillsborough developed and so on. Now, the proposals, as I understand them, have come, actually, from the Bishop of Liverpool, and three of the key ones were that there'd be a public advocate, representation at inquests, which is something that I've always argued for, and the duty of candour. And, of course, there are others. So, I think that this is something that is a very, very...
Rhianon Passmore: ...the international stage.' Fundamentally, any loss or regression or diminution of human rights is deeply worrying and destabilising, both to the individual and to the state. Counsel General, what representations and dialogue with the UK Government are ongoing in this area, and has the Welsh Government clearly expressed its position on the very deeply held concerns about such dangerous...
Mick Antoniw: ...executive of Amnesty International said. This is a body that I think has support across political parties and incredible international status. Sacha Deshmukh, the chief executive, she said, 'Let's not pussyfoot around with this. It is not wrong to say that Government ministers risk aligning themselves with authoritarian regimes if their overhaul of the Human Rights Act is successful.' When...
Sarah Murphy: ...increase, 2022 poses a great threat to the most vulnerable households, as we've heard from my fellow committee members today. I know that the Welsh Government continues to make strong and urgent representations to the UK Government on behalf of those in our community who are suffering, yet time and time again, we see decisions made in Westminster that penalise the most vulnerable and...
Mick Antoniw: ...just a process for the funding of lawyers in legal cases. When it was established in 1949, they were creating an NHS for the law, and it was recognised that access to justice, the right to advice, representation and support, is a fundamental human right. It is not just about the courts, it is about empowerment of people, it is about ensuring that all have genuine rights in society. Is it...
Mark Isherwood: Legal aid is intended to help meet the cost of legal advice, family mediation and representation in a court or tribunal. The rules about who qualifies are set out in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 and regulations referred to by the Counsel General. Whether you qualify will depend on the type of case and your financial circumstances. Does the Counsel General...
Rhianon Passmore: ...for his political life in the House of Commons—he was busy and didn't tweet his support for the PM until late into the night. And this cost-of-living crisis, as has been stated earlier, it's not about beer or nights out, it is about anaemia, it's about rickets and it's about respiratory disease. So, I welcome strongly the fact that the Welsh Labour Government has been co-ordinating its...
Jane Hutt: ...people with the spiralling costs of energy bills and increasing living costs do lie, mainly, with the UK Government. So, this debate does provide us with the opportunity to unite today to back the representations that we are making as Welsh Government Ministers to the UK Government, because of those powers and fiscal levers they have, but also as well the taking forward of our plans and...
Jane Hutt: I thank Members for identifying the role local authorities can and do play. They are crucial to help us in these action plans that we can take here in Wales, not just the Welsh Government, but working with local government and the third sector as well. Further announcements are coming forward from the Welsh Government on our household support grant. It's crucial that we look to our...
Rhianon Passmore: 7. What representations has the Welsh Government made to the UK Government concerning the governance of the British Broadcasting Corporation? OQ57513
Rebecca Evans: ...at the moment that the percentage of Welsh procurement spend is around 52 per cent. Well, that's the figure that we're able to publicly share. However, we don't consider that to be an accurate representation of the amount of procurement spend that goes into Welsh companies. Obviously, there are a number of reasons for that, one of which being it's based on the postcode of the invoice...
Lynne Neagle: Thank you very much, John, for those points. Just to reassure you, it's not just the one letter that we've written to the UK Government expressing concerns about their approach to partnership with us on these very important issues. Obviously, those discussions are going on on a regular basis with our officials. I attended, on behalf of the Welsh Government, the UK drugs summit, where I also...
Sioned Williams: ...of the Government, to make the decision as to what to provide, creating a postcode lottery of provision. Nobody's right to vote should be undermined. Everyone who is eligible to vote deserves not only to do so, but they also should be able to expect their Governments encourage them to do so, enable them to do so and take away any barriers that could stop them doing so. The Bill is nothing...
