Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for her contribution. We shouldn’t be shy about thinking about what happened in the past. In the 1980s, Wales was subject to very high levels of unemployment, from miners to steelworkers, where communities were absolutely devastated and wiped out in terms of employment. That has had a massive effect on the well-being of communities for the future. With poverty, you...
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for his many questions. I’ll do my best to respond to them. There isn’t much that the Member contributed that I don’t agree with him on. There are many things there that we align our thoughts around, apart from the term ‘co-production’, but we’ll probably always have that discussion in terms of how that’s worked. But the principle of what the Member says is...
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for her contribution. I hope she got a flavour from the contribution I made in the statement that it is time for change—it’s about standing up and saying that what we’re currently doing isn’t working as well as it could. We need to change programmes that we’re moving to deliver. I think the Member did raise the issue around the percentage drop of 2 per cent over...
Carl Sargeant: Thank you, Deputy Llywydd. This morning, I laid before the Assembly a copy of the Welsh Government’s progress report on tackling child poverty. This is a statutory requirement under the Children and Families (Wales) Measure 2010. I’m pleased to report that we have made significant progress towards achieving our child poverty objectives in a number of areas. Employment in Wales is close to...
Carl Sargeant: Welsh Government does not hold the primary policy and fiscal levers, especially in terms of the welfare reform we talk of, needed to enable us to deliver the significant changes in relative income that would be required ahead of 2020. We cannot wait until then to have this discussion. Projections by the Institute for Fiscal Studies show that relative child poverty in the UK will rise...
Carl Sargeant: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. The great transporter suspension bridge; Dame Butler; Goldie Lookin Chain; Newport City Football Club; John Griffiths—his passion for Newport is, as always, inspiring, and these are just some of the things that give Newport its fame. He is a strong champion for the city and a determined advocate of action to ensure it continues to fulfil its potential....
Carl Sargeant: Thank you, Presiding Officer. I thank comrades for their contributions. Jenny Rathbone has been a champion of this proposal for many months, and she continues to be so. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to have some conversations with her regarding this very issue. The Welsh Government has consistently demonstrated its commitment to a fair deal for private sector tenants, most recently...
Carl Sargeant: Formally.
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for his question. I have recently met with the children’s commissioner and with the WLGA and the director of social services to discuss the issue of the advocacy service. I am aware of the Assembly committee doing an inquiry into this and I have been given confidence by those authorities that they will have a service of advocacy in place by the end of June next year.
Carl Sargeant: Thank you for your question. My officials are in contact with the Football Association of Wales and football in the community trusts to ensure action can be taken as and when required. Whilst policing is a non-devolved matter, the Welsh Government is determined to learn lessons and prevent a further repeat of any child sexual abuse, and we applaud the courage of players who’ve come forward...
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for his question. North Wales Police issued a statement about historical sex abuse within football. They confirmed they are working with the ongoing Operation Hydrant. I would encourage members of the public who have any knowledge of abuse of children or young people to contact the police.
Carl Sargeant: I just thank the Member for the contribution. I ask Members to support the LCM today.
Carl Sargeant: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, for the opportunity to lay the legislative consent motion today. I’d like to thank the Children, Young People and Education Committee for their scrutiny of my memorandum. I am also pleased to note that the committee has raised no objections to the LCM, and its report recommends that the Assembly supports the LCM. I formally move.
Carl Sargeant: I thank Jayne for her contribution. I know Rachel Williams very well and, indeed, she is an inspiration. Despite what Rachel has been through, she still makes me laugh and still laughs with us, and I think it’s an incredible skill she has, and a mark of respect to Rachel and many other victors, as they like to be called—survivors of domestic violence incidents. A very severe process she...
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for his comments. I listened carefully to his contribution and he is right that it is not appropriate for any member in any political party in any area or arena to be subject to any abuse in any form. He raised a very interesting comment about whether we should have a survey done of Members, political parties, particularly women, who have experienced domestic violence. It...
Carl Sargeant: Indeed, the Member is right and is, again, another champion of the cause. Healthy relationships are key to making sure that we break the cycle of this heinous crime. I visited a school yesterday, with the area having a relatively high level of incidence of domestic violence. Why is it considered reasonable that this is normal? Why is it considered that to hit another individual—a...
Carl Sargeant: A really important contribution by the Member, and I thank her for that. This isn’t a women’s issue—this is our issue. This is about things that we should all be shouting from the rooftops—that it’s unacceptable. For far too long, people have been afraid to say things out of turn. It’s been the hidden crime, but it’s not any longer. Fifteen years ago, we would never have had a...
Carl Sargeant: Joyce Watson, thank you for your kind comments, but can I say that I’m just the Minister, the Cabinet Secretary now, who has been allowed to enable the opportunity to change legislation and change the messaging? I take that very seriously, but it is people like you and many others in this Chamber too, and externally, many organisations, that have championed and continue to champion, both...
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for her continued commitment. I visited the Live Fear Free helpline too in Bangor—I think the area is—in north Wales, and they’ve got some great staff there who are very committed to supporting very vulnerable individuals as they ring the helpline. I pay tribute to the work that they do. Indeed, I think the Member and other Members were at the relaunch of the scheme...
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for his broad support and questions this afternoon. I think the change in Governments, or the election of the Government, was helpful in terms of that being a time for pause and to think about the implementation of the Act and how we could generate a more holistic approach to the delivery model of this. When I came into post I committed to talking with the sector, and more...
