Jane Dodds: Just to follow on from my colleague Rhys ab Owen's question, I also am very interested in the issue of the criminal justice system and the over-representation of those with protected characteristics, particularly black and minority ethnic prisoners. Twenty-six per cent of the prison population in England and Wales are from a minority ethnic group. That's compared to 16 per cent of the entire...
Jane Hutt: ...Governance Centre when he published that report back in 2019. It did give us a very clear picture of the criminal justice system in Wales, and highlighted that trend, as you've identified, of over-representation of black, Asian and minority ethnic people within the criminal justice system. In terms of actions to be taken as far as that's concerned, the race equality action plan provided...
Rhys ab Owen: ...in western Europe, but also black people are six times more likely to be in Welsh prisons than white people. Then the Lammy report, that pointed out that the number of the causes of over-representation of BAME people within the criminal justice system lie within the devolved competencies of the Senedd. And finally, the third report, the Commission on Justice in Wales report, and that noted...
James Evans: ...the residents of Powys. When I got there, I was shocked and dismayed to see that some of the appointees to the national park didn't even reside within the park boundary, and some of them were not even residents of Wales. And there was also a serious lack of representation from different backgrounds, such as young people, LGBT and BAME. And I always I do wonder how people who aren't from a...
Huw Irranca-Davies: 7. What representations has the Counsel General made to the UK Government regarding restoring legal aid for early advice and reassessing the means test? OQ56853
Mick Antoniw: ...the matters that get raised with us as Senedd Members in that capacity with regard to reform. But it's also important to understand that the consolidation process is one where, effectively, we do not want to see—. I mean, we do not want to effectively tie down the entirety of the capacity of the Senedd in terms of legislation and scrutiny to actually reform the entirety of planning law,...
Hannah Blythyn: ...how we approach fair work across Government, providing us with a common approach underpinned by legislation. Promoting and encouraging fair work will no longer be a policy choice, where 'do nothing' is a potential option for Ministers and officials, because we will be under a duty to take action. The Bill will also introduce a duty on Welsh Ministers to report annually on the activities we...
Jane Hutt: ...terms of school places. You've mentioned higher education as well. That will all be part of the work that they're undertaking at the moment, but I then will be able to, as we assess the needs, make representations as necessary to the UK Government and account for the impact—you know, assess the impact that it's having on local authorities and our public services, and the good response...
Jane Hutt: ...up for values such as democracy, women's rights, and freedom of speech: journalists, women's rights activists are vulnerable people; I've mentioned this already, women and girls at risk. I've had representations and concerns raised with me about women in sport and you will have seen some of the concerns and outcomes people have that there is a real issue about who's been left behind and...
Paul Davies: ...from the Minister for Health and Social Services on the Welsh ambulance service. I understand that the Welsh ambulance service is currently undertaking a pan-Wales roster review, and I've received representations from worried NHS staff about plans for the service in my own area, in Pembrokeshire. The current plans are to reduce the emergency ambulance capacity within Pembrokeshire from...
Rebecca Evans: Diolch, Llywydd. I'd like to thank all colleagues for what's been a really wide-ranging debate and thank you for the representations that you've been putting forward today. I do agree that, in future years, it would be excellent for this debate to be held by the Finance Committee. Clearly, for practical reasons, it wasn't possible this year, but I'm really heartened to hear that the committee...
Heledd Fychan: ...in terms of their response to the pandemic, they have also been impacted greatly, with great uncertainty facing many of those working in these areas, as freelance workers or as staff members. It's not overstatement to say that, despite the cultural recovery fund, the future of Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru, National Theatre Wales, the National Library of Wales, National Museum Wales,...
Mick Antoniw: ...civic society and the public as widely as possible, for a genuinely national conversation about the future of Wales. In particular we want the commission to reach out to those who might otherwise not come forward to participate in such a debate, to those people and communities who are largely disengaged from politics, or rather who have become sceptical about its relevance to their lives...
Lesley Griffiths: ...recommendations and the findings in the report. I think there's significant work to be done and I know that she is establishing a taskforce, a Minister-led taskforce, that will include significant representation from disabled people and disability groups to enable her to address those sort of stubborn, deep-rooted inequalities that the report highlighted.
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. In relation to the issue around miners' pension, I will ensure the relevant Minister makes representations to the UK Government Minister, because I don't think that can wait until the next term. And in relation to the Rhondda tunnel, it's a long time since I heard the Rhondda tunnel mentioned in the Chamber. I remember Leighton Andrews was the first person to—. I was very...
Jane Dodds: ...aim is to make a profit. The children's commissioner has also called again to move away and ultimately end profit-making in care services. So, may I ask what consideration will you give to those representations made by the Children's Commissioner for Wales and directors of social services with regard to the role of for-profit providers of care for young adults and those with learning...
Lesley Griffiths: ...for those most in need is absolutely a top priority for this Welsh Government, and the previous reforms of the social security system have raised issues here in Wales, and we do continue to make representations to the UK Government. I know the Minister for Social Justice wrote to the relevant Secretary of State just last week, regarding the top-up of the £20, and to try and retain that,...
Lesley Griffiths: Joyce Watson raises a very important point, and, certainly within my own portfolio, I made lots of representations to the UK Government in the previous Government term—regular meetings with the Secretary of State in DEFRA. Clearly, there are a number of complex reasons, I think, behind the shortage, including pay and working conditions. But I think, certainly, the situation has been very...
Mick Antoniw: Well, the issue of the legislation and its adequacy is clearly a matter that's under review. The Learner Travel (Wales) Measure 2008 has had a number of representations since and, of course, there have been a lot of demographic changes as well. The Measure set out the legal framework specifically related to travel and transport, and there's correspondence not only from Members of the Senedd,...
Mick Antoniw: ...valid question. It's one we're asked many times. What do you do when you're in an impasse, where you, effectively, have a UK Government that seems to be oblivious to all the protestations, all the representation, all attempts at engagement that are made, and then the consequences of that are a deterioration in relationship? Well, look, I think the first thing is this: Governments do not...
