Jane Hutt: Thank you very much, Altaf Hussain, and thank you for your support of the Wales and Africa programme. What is very clear is that this is a 15-year programme—I remember it being launched in this Chamber by former First Minister Rhodri Morgan—and it is a programme that has been hugely successful in terms of its impact. We have a very small Wales and Africa team in the Welsh Government to...
Jane Hutt: Thank you very much, Jenny Rathbone. Can I just start by echoing your admiration and support for Jenipher, who is actually speaking, probably as we speak, this afternoon in Glasgow? Jenipher's Coffi is a project that is a partnership between a Cardiff fair-trade shop, Fair Do's, which I mentioned earlier on, Ferrari's coffee roasters in Pontyclun, the Wales Co-operative Centre and a Ugandan...
Jane Hutt: I just want to give you an example of the Phoenix Project again with Cardiff University. Many of you will know Professor Judith Hall who leads that partnership. We were able to give a grant of £125,000 to roll out a vaccination programme in Namibia—this was from us to enable them to do that work, which was crucial; it's their programme, it's enabling them—because they have a major...
Jane Hutt: Diolch yn fawr, Heledd Fychan. I'm very grateful for your support for my statement today. You started by raising the issue about access to vaccines. I will repeat again what I said in terms of vaccination rates in sub-Saharan Africa averaging only 6 per cent. And the point that we all make is that none of us is safe until all of us are safe, and we are global citizens and we have those...
Jane Hutt: Well, I thank the Member for his outline opening support for Wales and Africa and for the partnerships, which, of course, extend in every constituency, of which many Members here are very proud and which have received our all-important small grants funding. Of course, you raise important points about conversion, exchange and currency issues, issues that, of course, affect all work to support...
Jane Hutt: Llywydd, Wales is an outward-looking nation, and we will always strive to be globally responsible. Our Wales and Africa programme is an important demonstration of that.
Jane Hutt: This year, we are celebrating 15 years of the Wales and Africa programme, which continues to adapt to challenges and opportunities. It has a prominent place in our international strategy launched in 2020. In this statement, I will focus on two of the biggest challenges we are facing—COVID-19 and the climate emergency—and how the Wales and Africa programme is responding. The pandemic has...
Jane Hutt: Diolch yn fawr, Luke Fletcher, for that important question. I've said this more than once standing here, I think, over the last week or so since we heard we'd got a measly, derisory £25 million. Twenty-five million. You know, this is £20 off in terms of the universal credit, £6 billion that has been wiped out, and a measly £500 million for the whole of the UK—£25 million for Wales. And...
Jane Hutt: Wales will receive £25 million consequential funding related to the household support fund, and I've been working with ministerial colleagues to identify priorities for this funding, which will provide immediate support to vulnerable households over the winter. This includes help with rising domestic fuel prices. I will announce further details shortly.
Jane Hutt: Thank you, Altaf Hussain. In my response to the question from Buffy Williams I did say, and I think this is important to acknowledge, that since March 2020 last year, over 300,000 emergency payments have been made—300,000—totalling more than £20 million. But I did say, in response to questions this morning at the Equality and Social Justice Committee, that we are looking at accessibility...
Jane Hutt: Thank very much indeed, Buffy Williams, representing the Rhondda and the communities where you know the hardship that is already being experienced because of that cruel and senseless cut to universal credit. And let's remember, that £20 was going to be spent in the local economy as well as meeting the needs of those families. We discussed this this morning—I mentioned the Equality and...
Jane Hutt: The discretionary assistance fund continues to provide vital support to the most financially vulnerable people in Wales. Since March 2020, over 300,000 emergency payments have been made, totalling more than £20 million. I recently announced that the additional flexibilities provided throughout the pandemic will be extended until March 2022.
Jane Hutt: I would say to Huw Irranca-Davies that I think we all join that expression of almost despair about the way that the commercial banks have left our communities. We will be making those representations. I think that we could all repeat examples of the same kind that you describe, and the fact that there is no commitment to the community. What about corporate social responsibility, which there's...
Jane Hutt: I thank the Member. Rhun, thank you for raising that again, because this has been raised with me by many Senedd Members, that voluntary organisations are experiencing difficulties with regard to access to banking services. There are difficulties in terms of identifying an account that's free and suitable for the needs of a voluntary organisation, as well as even being able to open one in the...
Jane Hutt: Thank you, Russell George. It is always good and important to drive things forward when we get that cross-party support for a proposal. It has been clearly supported by the Welsh Government, taking on the pioneering work of Ken Skates, and I also would say Jack Sargeant as well, who raised many questions on this point. But, I have to say that it is across this Welsh Parliament that Banc...
Jane Hutt: The Welsh Government supports credit unions that provide an alternative community banking service. We also work with LINK, which runs a financial inclusion programme to protect access to free cash for all, but especially for those in more deprived communities where there is a greater reliance on cash.
Jane Hutt: Well, I thank Joyce Watson for that question, and also in recognition of her diligent and long-standing commitment to addressing the needs of victims in terms of improving the sexual assault referral centres' provision. And also focusing particularly in terms of the need for justice for those victims and the importance, as I said in response to the first question from Mabon, of this...
Jane Hutt: Diolch yn fawr, Mabon ap Gwynfor, and thank you for putting that focus on our SARC programme. It is so important that we do have that access to sexual assault referral centres across the whole of Wales, and focusing particularly on rural Wales and north Wales, where you, obviously, are the representative. We do have robust collaborative working arrangements to ensure that there is that...
Jane Hutt: We continue to work in partnership with the NHS, the police and the third sector to provide access to sexual assault referral centres in Wales. This joint working ensures access to trained and experienced professionals for help and support, and to provide advice for victims of sexual assault.
Jane Hutt: Well, thank you for that question. It's very timely again, because tomorrow I'm meeting with the lead PCC, police and crime commissioner, Dafydd Llywelyn, and I will be, and he will, I'm sure, be aware of questions asked to me this afternoon with my lead role in terms of policing. I co-chair with the First Minister the policing partnership board, and I have to say that, over the last 18...
