Carl Sargeant: As always, as the Member raises it with me, as well as Dawn Bowden and his other colleagues, I’m very interested in your views on this and how we can have a smoother transition for the people employed in the communities on the ground. I’m very interested in making sure that my team work closely with Caerphilly and other associations, and I’ve asked them to have a conversation with them...
Carl Sargeant: Well, these aren’t new schemes. Lift and Communities for Work and the PaCE programme weren’t available in all of the clusters. We are making sure Lift and Communities for Work will be available in all the 52 former Communities First clusters, investing £12 million, as the Member said, about taking people who are very hard to reach from the market into employment. That isn’t always...
Carl Sargeant: Data is collected across communities’ programmes in order to measure performance and outcomes. We are particularly focusing on measurable improvements in outcomes for people, including in Communities for Work and Lift.
Carl Sargeant: Our package of support makes clear our commitment to supporting armed forces veterans in Wales.
Carl Sargeant: I have had discussions with the UK prisons’ Minister regarding the proposed site for development of a new prison at Port Talbot. My officials are also working with Ministry of Justice officials regarding this proposal.
Carl Sargeant: We support the work of the third sector across all our communities, providing over £6 million funding for 2017/18 for county voluntary councils across Wales and the Wales Council for Voluntary Action. This ensures help is available to local organisations, focusing on fundraising, good governance and placing volunteers.
Carl Sargeant: Will the Member take an intervention?
Carl Sargeant: Thank you, Mark, for taking the intervention. I’m intrigued by your contribution, because I’ve received the letter of 5 September from all of the police constables in Wales, the all-Wales policing group, saying that, indeed, they agreed a joint statement that supports the devolution of policing to Wales. Where are you getting your information from, Mark?
Carl Sargeant: Thank you, Presiding Officer. I welcome the opportunity to debate this important issue here today. Thank you for all that’s contributed in the Chamber. The Welsh Government has always been very clear that we want to see responsibility for policing devolved to Wales. The Welsh Government supports the motion to note that policing is a devolved matter in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and...
Carl Sargeant: Well, we’re talking about the devolution of the police to Wales, and there is much discussion to be had about that. This discussion is about the concept, the principle of aligning that as a collective of this Assembly. The First Minister has been quite clear that we believe, alongside our police and crime commissioners here in Wales already, in providing a space of planning in order for...
Carl Sargeant: Thank you, Deputy Llywydd. I thank the Member for raising this important issue here today. She is quite right to point out a growing and serious risk. My best wishes to your mum, as well, in terms of her home being refurbished. Although fires and fire casualties are falling significantly, Llywydd—by around half since responsibility was devolved in 2005—we and the fire service are very...
Carl Sargeant: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I’d like to begin by thanking Dawn for giving us the opportunity to express our concern at this practice that landlords, or, more commonly, those taking in lodgers, should be advertising accommodation rent-free in return for sexual favours. That is abhorrent to us all. I condemn this devious practice, which takes advantage of the poverty and social...
Carl Sargeant: Well, I’m sure the Member will have much time to consider his contribution again, and maybe he will come round to our way of thinking, but I’m grateful for his views. These are not quick and easy issues to address, and my colleague is right in terms of that we need to look at the specific issues for rent for sex. Our opinions are, however, limited. An amendment to the registration and...
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for his question. Our childcare offer will provide working parents of three and four-year-olds with 30 hours of Government-funded education and childcare for up to 48 weeks of the year. We will begin to test the offer in specific areas of seven local authorities in September.
Carl Sargeant: Of course, and we’re engaged with the sector. I am delighted that, in Swansea, there are many areas that are covered by this pilot and this will be a good spread of areas to test across schools sites and private day nursery settings. We will learn from this as we move forward, and I’m looking forward to the test areas starting in September in the new term.
Carl Sargeant: There is a plethora of offers that we are currently considering. There is a test pilot—a joint scheme between Gwynedd and Anglesey—exploring opportunities both in English and Welsh-medium settings. There is an issue with the workforce and making sure we’ve got capacity as we move forward, and that’s the benefit of a roll-out, as we’re doing here in Wales. In England—we’ve learnt...
Carl Sargeant: Of course, and I place on record my welcome to Neath Soroptimists, as well, in the Chamber today. I think the Member raises a really important point about the joined-up approach of delivery of services. The childcare pledge is not just about thinking of somewhere safe for a child to be for a certain amount of hours per day. This is about the ability to enhance their opportunities in life. Our...
Carl Sargeant: Thank you. Welsh Government is already taking action to help people to manage the effects of the UK Government’s welfare benefit changes. We have programmes to help people access sustainable work and affordable housing, we fund advice services and continue to maintain full entitlements for the council tax reduction scheme.
Carl Sargeant: Well, I’m sympathetic to the Member’s approach on this. I say that with a word of caution, though, because I do understand that, while Scotland have taken a stance on this, there are significant issues around funding this long term. I think that is a matter for the relationship between the UK Government and Scotland, and I would like to learn from that whole proposal. Of course, I work...
Carl Sargeant: We would not like to see any money spent. We want to see people back in work and supported in the appropriate areas. What the Member failed to mention with the statistics that he’s shared with me today is the fact that 1,000 young people will be displaced and possibly homeless in Wales because of the welfare benefit reforms that are happening in the UK Government under his new party.
