Julie Morgan: The information that we have is that every council will adopt it, and will want to adopt it. And we're starting off on that assumption, because I do think it is better for us to work together in partnership with local authorities, and I have every confidence that they will do it. And in any case, the important work of developing the detail of how the ID card is implemented cannot really be...
Julie Morgan: Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. I welcome the opportunity to reiterate the Welsh Government's support for young adult carers to ensure that young adult carers have every opportunity to reach their potential in life. I think this is a very important debate. There is a lot of agreement on the whole in the Chamber, and the Government very much supports the spirit of the motion....
Julie Morgan: Formally.
Julie Morgan: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and I thank Bethan Sayed for bringing this debate here today. I know we all agree that children who are sexually abused deserve the best possible, child-centred approach. Child sexual abuse has a significant detrimental impact on the well-being of children, as Members have said here today, and we know that this can often affect them throughout all their...
Julie Morgan: So, linking strongly to the point that you've made about too many children being in care, we agree with that, and we are trying and we're going to have a concerted effort to try to reduce the number of children in care. I'm pleased that there is significant interest in this important area, because if we are scrutinised, it does maintain our focus to actually try to achieve something. It can...
Julie Morgan: So far, during my time as Deputy Minister, I've spoken to a range of people involved with the lives of children and families. I've spoken to senior local authority officers, local politicians, third sector organisations, and I've spoken directly to children and young people about their experiences of services too, and that, I think, has been one of the most important exercises I've...
Julie Morgan: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and I am pleased to respond to this debate put forward by Neil McEvoy, and I appreciate the calm, measured way he has presented his arguments. I think the individual points that he makes about individual situations—I'm not able to comment on them, so I thought I would use the opportunity to talk about what our philosophy from the Government was about...
Julie Morgan: Diolch, Llywydd. The regulations before you relate to Part 9 of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 concerning regional partnership boards. They were subject to an eight-week consultation, which closed on 26 October, to which there were 44 responses. This was supplemented by wider stakeholder engagement. Subject to approval, these regulations will come into force on 1 April....
Julie Morgan: Yes, thank you for your contribution. These regulations do correct deficiencies arising as a result of the UK's withdrawal from the EU, and ensure that the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 will continue to operate effectively in the event of a 'no deal' Brexit. I am pleased to be able to put this to the affirmative process, as recommended by the committee, so I urge...
Julie Morgan: Thank you very much. I move the motion. This instrument makes amendments to the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 relating to the regulation of European Economic Area, EEA, and Swiss social workers and social care managers in Wales and to exclusions affecting the scope of regulated advocacy services, so that the Act operates effectively after exit date, if the United...
Julie Morgan: I thank Suzy Davies for her contribution to this debate, and I note the points that she has made. I know that the Government has—we have responded to those points. And I also note the point about the consultation, which, as you know now, has been published. So, thank you very much for your contribution. Over the last three years, we have worked closely with the regulators and sectors...
Julie Morgan: Thank you, Llywydd. I move the motions. The Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Bill was passed unanimously three years ago. Through phased implementation of the Act, we are establishing a new system of regulation and inspection of social care providers that is robust, streamlined and citizen focused. The regulations before us today contribute in this endeavour and substantially...
Julie Morgan: I'd like to thank Huw Irranca-Davies for his comments and also, once again, to thank him for the enthusiastic and supportive way that, when he was in this role, he introduced the consultation. And I do remember being in Westminster, and I do remember trying to move an amendment, and I do remember I had the support of the Welsh Assembly and the support of the children's Minister, Jane Hutt,...
Julie Morgan: Well, I thank Caroline Jones for her contribution, and I'd just like to make it absolutely plain that the business of normal parenting will continue as it is now. There will be absolutely no reason why parents can't deal with a struggling child, that they can protect them from danger, that they may have to make sure that they go in a car seat and you've got to struggle with them to do...
Julie Morgan: I thank Mandy Jones for her contribution, and I thank her for sharing her experiences with us. I think I can only really reiterate that those people who are working closest with parents—the midwives, the health visitors, the social workers, the NSPCC, Barnardos—all those who work in a professional way closest to parents, they all want this law. They are desperate for us to bring in this...
Julie Morgan: Thank you. I thank Helen Mary Jones for her contribution, and for her support for this over many years. So, thank you for that. Yes, I think it's very important that younger children are consulted. As I said in the speech, UNICEF has already consulted in secondary schools and primary schools, and we saw the clear view in primary schools that they wanted this law to take place. So, yes, we are...
Julie Morgan: Thank you very much, Darren Millar, for those comments. Obviously, most of those issues that you have raised are things that we have been considering very carefully. In terms of the reasons why we may reach the stage where parents would come into the justice system, there are quite clear lines that have to be taken into consideration, and the police and the Crown Prosecution Service have to...
Julie Morgan: I thank Vikki for her contribution and also for her mention of Christine Chapman and all the work that she did. I would agree with her that many parents do actually think that you're not legally able to use physical punishment against your child now, because lots of people have said to me, 'Oh, I didn't think we could do that'—they have already thought—. So, there is this mood, a change...
Julie Morgan: Thank you, Gareth Bennett, for your contribution. You mentioned closing the loophole. It's not just closing the loophole in terms of physical punishment in the home; it's closing the loophole about physical punishment in Sunday schools, in leisure facilities, in quite a wide range of non-educational settings. Anybody who is looking after a child in those settings, at the moment, is able to...
Julie Morgan: Well, I thank Jenny Rathbone very much for her support and the support she has given to this as well in the past. I certainly agree that becoming a parent doesn't come easily and you're not given something that tells you how you should be a parent. Obviously, there are many stresses on parents, and she refers to the changes in welfare benefits, which, of course, does bring additional stress....
