Jane Hutt: Diolch yn fawr, Jane Dodds, and you've given us shocking statistics. I won't repeat them, but they are in Dr Robert Jones's report. I think I want to just make one quick point, which actually does reflect on Rhys ab Owen's question as well, that we have a major issue in the justice system about a lack of specific data for Wales, and you commented on that in terms of other protected...
Jane Hutt: The pandemic has highlighted the stark inequalities between those with protected characteristics and their peers. Analysis of the socioeconomic impact of coronavirus shows that those who were already vulnerable have been hardest hit. The damaging decision by the UK Government to end the £20 uplift will further entrench these disparities.
Jane Hutt: Thank you very much, John Griffiths, for your question. You've identified the disproportionate impact and the deepening inequalities as a result of COVID-19, and also the impact of UK Government further cuts—the cut in the £20-per-week increase to universal credit—and of course we'll hear more, indeed, in terms of the impact of fuel prices and food costs going up as well. So, we need to,...
Jane Hutt: Diolch yn fawr, Vikki Howells, for the question. On 6 September, we announced over £1.9 million of funding to tackle food poverty and food insecurity. Penywaun Primary School pantry received £6,254.82 to invest in a cabin that will house fridges and freezers, enabling them to reach more families and supply a more nutritious range of fresh and frozen items.
Jane Hutt: Thank you very much, Vikki. You've seen what the food pantry can do in your constituency, and the £2 million-worth of funding that I recently announced—and many Members here will be aware of initiatives in the country—the grant is designed to support sustainable projects and to help people access healthy and reasonably priced food. We obviously have an issue in terms of the fact that...
Jane Hutt: The Welsh Government provides core funding for the Wales Council for Voluntary Action and county voluntary councils to enable them to support local voluntary organisations and volunteering groups across Wales, and £1.06 million of this funding is provided to county voluntary councils across north Wales to support the third sector infrastructure.
Jane Hutt: Through our digital inclusion and health programme, Digital Communities Wales, we are supporting organisations across all sectors to help people maximise the opportunities digital can offer. Having the basic digital skills, motivation and confidence can help people gain and retain employment, access health services and support their well-being.
Jane Hutt: We are working to ensure all our new Afghan friends have access to support they need to integrate fully with our communities. Working collaboratively with partners, we will ensure women are equally supported to access language tuition, employment support, cultural activities and more to enhance their skills and employability.
Jane Hutt: I regularly discuss the proportionality and effectiveness of the COVID-19 regulations with Cabinet colleagues. Current rules mean places of worship, like other premises, must put in place reasonable measures in response to a risk assessment to reduce the spread of coronavirus. Face coverings are also required indoors.
Jane Hutt: I thank Joyce Watson for that question. Yesterday, I made a statement on women's safety in public places. In Wales, we’re developing our violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence strategy to include a focus on violence against women in the street, the workplace and the home, to deliver our commitment to make Wales the safest place in Europe to be a woman.
Jane Hutt: Well, can I thank Joyce Watson for raising this question this afternoon, following my statement yesterday and, indeed, for her long-term, long-standing commitment to tackling violence against women, which was well before she even became elected to the Senedd? And I think, for new Members, it's a really important time coming up, with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence...
Jane Hutt: Diolch yn fawr, Sioned Williams, and I heard you raising the question yesterday in the Senedd, in the business statement. And thank you for raising that all-important issue about early intervention, prevention and the role of the specialist organisations, who are very engaged in helping us develop the next five-year strategy. In fact, we have had a funding strategy initiative, which has been...
Jane Hutt: Diolch yn fawr, Jack Sargeant. That must be the most powerful, I think, response to Joyce's original question, from Jack Sargeant. He speaks up not just on 25 November, on White Ribbon Day, but throughout the year, as a White Ribbon ambassador, about male violence, about the misuse of male power over women. And the fact that violence against women clearly is still very endemic in the home,...
Jane Hutt: Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. Sustainable development has been at the heart of devolution in Wales right from the start. In 2015, this Parliament made a historic decision to change the course of Wales onto a more sustainable path by passing the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. This reflected the tireless effort by people from across Wales to strengthen the way in which Wales's...
Jane Hutt: A very disappointing set of questions and comments on reports—reports that I think actually reflect a very different view about the implementation of the well-being of future generations Act. I think it's really important that we look at the reports—the report, first of all, most importantly, of our own Public Accounts Committee, which, of course, reported before the end of the last...
Jane Hutt: Diolch yn fawr, Peredur. Thank you, also, for acknowledging the importance of this groundbreaking legislation—the well-being of future generations Act—which is lauded not just in terms of those who engage with it proactively, but across the world as well. But obviously it's the first five years, and we have to learn and address the issues that have, most importantly, come out very...
Jane Hutt: Diolch yn fawr, Mark Isherwood. Congratulations on your role as Chair of the Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee—PAPAC, as it is now called. Obviously, you are responding to—taking forward the report that was undertaken by the previous Public Accounts Committee, and I've already written to you, as you've outlined, with our response to your report, and I wanted to make sure...
Jane Hutt: Thank you very much, Jenny Rathbone. I recognise your roles here today as Chair of the Equality and Social Justice Committee and also having been a member of the previous Public Accounts Committee, and you're absolutely right, we can't afford not to use this Act in terms of the impact of COVID-19, particularly, which has had an impact on how we've been able to respond to the legislation over...
Jane Hutt: Thank you, and thank you very much to the Member. It is crucially important that we are able to use the well-being of future generations legislation, and it is important that we do have the scope to challenge how this is being used. I have already answered the question on how we've increased the funding of the commissioner, but also have given some examples about how we have used the...
Jane Hutt: Well, thank you very much, John Griffiths, for the key role you've played in this Senedd and in Government in terms of bringing us to this point where we have such groundbreaking legislation with the well-being of future generations Act. In 'Shaping Wales' Future', which is the publication for our consultation on our national milestones, it's so important—it says that we have a law in Wales...
