Did you mean representations -taxation speaker:Jane Hutt?
Jane Hutt: Thank you very much, Peredur. I just want to say that, yesterday, I had a very useful and constructive meeting with the Enforcement Conduct Board. Following contributions and representations made in this Chamber, I had approached the Enforcement Conduct Board and asked them if they could play a role in accrediting those who were enforcement agencies for utilities. And I have to say that I was...
Jane Hutt: ..., we were all shocked, weren't we, and appalled to see households, including those who are clearly vulnerable, being transferred to prepayment meters against their will. Alongside Jack Sargeant's representations and other campaigners', it's of further concern that it took a journalist to highligh the issue, as Jack has said, when the regulator Ofgem has the regulatory role to prevent this...
Jane Hutt: ...of Mudiad Meithrin, who recently launched its AwDUra scheme. This project empowers and enables black, Asian and minority ethnic people to write children's literature in Welsh to address the under-representation of ethnic minority communities in Welsh literature. We are also currently working with the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol and Cardiff and Vale College to develop an engagement event to...
Jane Hutt: ...' courts, so that's what the Counsel General is following up as well. They've ceased to be listed, but when you hear of the way that they were going through the back rooms of courts, people with no representation—£22, I think the Counsel General has been saying; the money that was made by the courts out of this—we need a review of the legislation. In fact, that is actually something...
Jane Hutt: Thank you very much, Vikki Howells. And again, the representation across all constituencies—yours in the Cynon Valley—of volunteers running these projects, instigating these projects, and I want to put on record again my sincere thanks to all of the volunteers who are responding, helping to support their communities. Also, just to confirm, this goes back to our £1 million warm hubs...
Jane Hutt: ...in terms of the third sector, and this would affect even these rescue centres, about the fact that they are going to face high energy costs as well. I hope that you will support us in terms of representations to the UK Government that there needs to be support beyond April in terms of the costs faced by the voluntary sector. But we are looking towards supporting the county voluntary...
Jane Hutt: ...on those who are most in need. And it is important that we recognise—and I thank Peter for recognising—that the lack of response from the UK Government is not good, is it, in terms of the representations that have been made to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions? But I think I would like to say that I've already also written to the Secretary of State—the new Secretary of...
Jane Hutt: ...to fair working conditions for the Welsh workforce, and this is central to our transition to a zero-carbon economy, as we move to a cleaner, stronger, fairer Wales. Employee voice and collective representation is an essential characteristic of fair work, so it's important that workers in the sectors affected have a strong voice and are effectively represented in the transition to net zero....
Jane Hutt: ...22 June, reinforcing our concerns. Last week, we had an excellent cross-party group, chaired by Sioned Williams, on human rights. The voice from civil society was so strong, as well as cross-party representation, making clear their concerns about the Bill, and, of course, that spreads well beyond Government—absolute rejection of all the consultation responses that came out against the...
Jane Hutt: ...that question, and we will ensure that we will report, because there is an accountability committee, which is co-chaired by the Permanent Secretary and Professor Emmanuel Ogbonna, and, indeed, with representation from the NHS on it.
Jane Hutt: ...across Wales. Just to say, in terms of part of Wales's recovery from the pandemic, we've been working in partnership with the third sector partnership council, which I chair. There's cross-sectoral representation there from across community and voluntary third sector groups. I think the recovery plan is important, and it helps us as I respond to this debate, because as a result of the...
Jane Hutt: ...clear that this is an 'Anti-racist Wales Action Plan' and it's got a robust set of actions to help us make a real difference to the lives of people in Wales. Now, this is a leadership issue; it's a representation issue. This morning we had 300 people join our virtual launch and there were people signing up to, for example, the zero tolerance of racism campaign, very much led by Race...
Jane Hutt: ..., we're working on that and I'll be making a statement soon on the way forward with our anti-racist action plan, because there's a recognition that black, Asian and minority ethnic people have over-representation in our criminal justice system, but not enough diversity within the workforce. And I'm pleased that we're working together and looking at that, but very much building on the lived...
Jane Hutt: ...they just can come direct. The Welsh Government scheme will enable them to come direct to us for that support. On the second question, the points you raised are reserved matters, but we can make representations on behalf of you and constituents to the UK Government. We're working very closely with the UK Government, clearly, in terms of all Ukrainian refugees who come to us. If it's the...
Jane Hutt: ...slightly in Wales this year. And women also—this point about childcare—remain four times more likely to cite childcare as the reason for being economically inactive. But also, intersectionally, representation of black, Asian and minority ethnic people and disabled people—among public appointments, we're making some changes, but it still remains low, and we need to look at the...
Jane Hutt: ...their mark. In terms of local authorities—and I recall when Elyn Stephens was taking this forward—actually, local authorities have embraced this. We have a round-table, we have local authority representation, officers from the council. We must never forget our officers, must we, because councillors can say, 'We want this, we want that', but actually, the officers have to deliver. I...
Jane Hutt: ..., and we want it to support those households who receive one of the earnings replacement means-tested benefits that the UK refused to increase by £20 per week. But I will say, in terms of the representations, and particularly I've seen that from Age Cymru, I hope you as chair of the cross-party group, Mark Isherwood, and Conservative spokesperson, will be urging the UK Government to do...
Jane Hutt: ...policy levers available to us, and develop that plan of action that will support households across Wales who are at a very real risk of financial harm. But we have to continue to make the strongest representations alongside Scotland and Northern Ireland to the UK Government, which has proven itself callously indifferent to the challenges that people are facing. So, will the Welsh...
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: ...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....
