Jane Hutt: Thank you, Peter Fox. I've urged the UK Minister for Refugees to adopt our supersponsor model for use across the UK to avoid the unacceptable safeguarding risks posed by the wider Homes for Ukraine route. And I did provide updated figures and information in my oral statement yesterday.
Jane Hutt: I do agree with those points, Joyce Watson. There's a charity that, yesterday—Care4Calais—actually branded the Rwanda deal as just another in a long line of deterrence policies announced by this Tory Government over the last few years. Care4Calais—I've got constituents who are involved in Care4Calais who've been to Calais on many occasions. Because they are there; they are working with...
Jane Hutt: Thank you, Joyce Watson, for that very important question. The UN refugee agency has been clear that the measures in the Nationality and Borders Act 2022, including the offshoring of asylum processing, is at odds with the refugee convention, which the UK Government is a signatory to. The Rwanda plan is shocking, and I am making my views clear to the immigration Minister.
Jane Hutt: Thank you very much. That follows on very nicely from earlier points that I was making about my meetings with the older people's commissioner. And, indeed, I know there have been calls from across the Chamber—I think Peredur has also raised it—about how we can improve the take-up—it's a UK Government benefit—of pension credit in particular, but there is also access to other benefits...
Jane Hutt: Thank you for that question. We are funding Age Cymru to work with older people to raise awareness and understanding of rights using our co-produced guidance 'Making rights work for older people'. Age Cymru is also producing a video toolkit and is delivering an older people's rights campaign, which is running until June.
Jane Hutt: Thank you for that very constructive question, Sam Rowlands. You will be aware that we held a cost-of-living crisis summit in February. I chaired it, along with the Minister for Climate Change, who spoke about the challenges in terms of housing and energy efficiency and the investment that's gone into the budget for this year in terms of supporting energy efficiency and boosting renewables,...
Jane Hutt: Can I say I really respect the role and contribution of food justice activist Jack Monroe for pointing that out, and just to recognise the impact of Brexit on rising food costs as well, which we certainly responded to and covered yesterday in terms of the First Minister's questions—the impact, and the ways in which this UK Tory Government has had such an adverse impact on people's lives,...
Jane Hutt: The surge in inflation combined with higher taxes will result in real living standards decreasing and it will put significant further pressure on household budgets. Welsh Government is doing all it can, with the powers it has, to deliver support for our most vulnerable households in Wales.
Jane Hutt: Well, of course, for many years we've discussed these issues, Mark Isherwood, and I'm very proud of the fact that the Welsh Government has got a partnership with the third sector, and that I chair a third sector partnership council. I can assure you that that council is made up of representatives, as you are well aware, of all sectors, who raise issues with us not just in terms of policy, but...
Jane Hutt: Thank you to Buffy Williams. As Rhondda Senedd Member, you're so engaged with your community, and that's come through clearly in your question about your links and your visits and your engagement with local organisations—organisations that, actually, are reflected in constituencies across Wales, in terms of their huge contribution in the community. I think the pandemic has shown even more...
Jane Hutt: The third sector plays a crucial and unique role in delivering a fair and just Wales, and as we work to avoid the deepening of inequalities in our communities due to the pandemic, we've co-produced with the sector a COVID recovery plan focused on support, relationships and volunteering.
Jane Hutt: Can I thank Sarah Murphy again for the way in which she has engaged and supported those families and households in her constituency who have, again, reached out and welcomed and supported Ukrainian refugees? There are some inspiring stories that have come through from your constituents. We also have, through our nation of sanctuary website, guidance for sponsors, we've got guidance for local...
Jane Hutt: Thank you very much. I made clear in my statement yesterday the statistics that were published formally by the four nations, with the UK Government and Scottish Government, last Thursday, and they will be updated tomorrow. There were 2,300 visas issued where the sponsor was from Wales as of last Thursday, 1,650 sponsored by individuals, and 670 sponsored by the Welsh Government as a...
Jane Hutt: Thank you, Altaf Hussain. I provided an oral statement yesterday to update Senedd Members on our approach to supporting Ukrainian sanctuary seekers. We're continuing to demonstrate our nation of sanctuary vision as a supersponsor by putting in place support and urging improvements to UK Government processes.
Jane Hutt: Diolch, Janet. This is a very important question. Children's rights are enshrined in Welsh law through the Rights of Children and Young Persons (Wales) Measure 2011. That does mean that, whenever we use any of our powers to make a decision, we must consider the impact on children. Of course, that includes the right of all children to play and also recognising those rights in terms of their...
Jane Hutt: Of course, this is a message—if I'm allowed to continue—that local authorities are required to ensure sufficient play opportunities for all children in line with the provisions under section 11 of the Children and Families (Wales) Measure 2010, a specific provision for the needs of disabled children, and 'Planning Policy Wales' has a clear requirement that recreation and play spaces...
Jane Hutt: The Welsh Government has led the way in promoting children's rights through our practical commitment to the principles enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. We aim to ensure that all children have their individual needs met, thus enabling them to have equality of opportunity.
Jane Hutt: I'm very grateful, as I have said before, for your support and for your party's support for our UBI pilot. We're in the stages now of ensuring that we scope the pilot, particularly working with young people themselves, care experienced young people, to make sure that we get this right in terms of their needs and expectations. What is very important about the pilot is that it is unconditional....
Jane Hutt: Diolch yn fawr, Sioned Williams, for those important questions. I'm sure you would join with me, as you have already expressed, in our disgust with the way the Prime Minister responded yesterday—disgust with the way that he talked about people without any understanding of what people's lives were really like. He couldn't answer the question when asked, 'What do you think about someone who...
Jane Hutt: Well, I'm very pleased from the response that I get to the well-being of future generations legislation and, indeed, the appointment of a strong independent commissioner. And I just wondered whether you also would like to reflect on the points that she made only earlier this week, which I think are very relevant to all of us here in this Chamber. In the last few days, the future generations...
