Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for his question. A review and refresh of ‘Building a Brighter Future’, our early years and childcare plan, is under way to ensure our policies and programmes continue to support and improve the lives of children and their families across Wales.
Carl Sargeant: Help and advice are available to YMCAs through the £4.4 million core funding I provide to third sector organisations in Wales.
Carl Sargeant: I’m grateful to the Member for raising the good work that the YMCA does across the UK and, indeed, in his constituency. I’m certainly aware of the many services that are provided. Unfortunately, I’m unable to directly support all 33,000 third sector organisations in Wales, but the YMCA currently already benefits from indirect funding and support from the Welsh Government. However, I do...
Carl Sargeant: Well, we’ve started on the discussion about the broader principle of Communities First and, as indicated yesterday, the narrative of where we want to see the division moving, to Flying Start and Families First having flexibility, will of course be based around the budget time. I’m hopeful that, on the basis that you are confident about this programme, you will be supporting the budget in...
Carl Sargeant: Well, as I said to the Member yesterday—there are two responses to the Member—firstly, Flying Start and Families First: what I’m seeking to do is to give more flexibility around those schemes financially, and therefore we can start picking up people from outside the area-based approach, people in need who require those services, and hopefully we’ll be able to roll that programme out....
Carl Sargeant: Indeed, I will. Flying Start remains a priority in 2015-16. The programme supported over 38,000 children and their families and exceeded our target of 36,000, which we’d allocated. It is a great programme with great staff and great outcomes; long may it continue.
Carl Sargeant: I agree. The Member is right to raise that particular issue and it can be very difficult and that’s why we are investing in the toolkit—an accessible and bilingual virtual sensory toolkit—to help organisations be more responsive to the needs of people with sensory loss.
Carl Sargeant: The Flying Start programme continues to be a priority for this Government, giving children living in some of our most disadvantaged communities the best possible start in life.
Carl Sargeant: Thank you for raising that issue with me, Mike. This Government formally recognised British Sign Language as a language in its own right in January 2004. Since then, we have supported training to increase the number of qualified interpreters in Wales and ensured that legislation, policies and programmes across this Welsh Government recognise the importance of accessible communication to...
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for her question. We are funding Action on Hearing Loss Cymru, working with Royal National Institute of Blind People Cymru, to train and support people with sensory loss to share their personal experiences with service providers in health, social services and the housing sector. An accessible and bilingual virtual sensory toolkit will be created to help organisations be...
Carl Sargeant: People who are deaf or hard of hearing are protected against discrimination by the Equality Act 2010. The Act also requires that public bodies must have due regard to advancing equality of opportunity and fostering good relationships between people who are deaf or disabled and those who are not.
Carl Sargeant: Of course, the Member raises and recognises the important intervention we have had with our empty homes scheme, and we have certainly been delivering on that. I also mentioned the other week the 20,000 homes that we are seeking to build, with a mixture of tenures and tenancies. I also think empty homes will go a long way to increase the supply, in addition to the 20,000 homes, and we’ll...
Carl Sargeant: I’m really impressed with the housing sector and their ability to diversify, and not just build in bricks and mortar, but resilient communities. That also goes for registered social landlords and stock transfer, but also the local authorities that have kept their stock. And I don’t believe that the case the Member may be referring to was misinformation; actually it was the choice of the...
Carl Sargeant: I thank her for the question. I am familiar with the SHARP programme. I’m very pleased to see the excellent work by Flintshire council. Councillor Bernie Attridge is leading the charge in terms of delivery in that area and I’m very grateful that local authorities are starting to build a council house programme again. That, tied in with the abolition of the right to buy, will start to...
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for Delyn for her question. Our Vibrant and Viable Places areas are taking a whole-place approach to regeneration, and are contributing positively to the housing agenda in Wales, in terms of increasing supply, improving standards and improving the energy of homes.
Carl Sargeant: The Member raises an important point about accessibility, and price can sometimes be a contributing factor to people not being able to access these issues. I will take this up with the relevant Minister, to have a discussion with her. But we did legislate last year for the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, which looks at long-term improvement in the well-being of all. This...
Carl Sargeant: I’d like to congratulate RCT on their investment in your local community too. The Welsh Government has placed a statutory duty on local authorities to assess and, where practical, secure sufficient play opportunities that meet the needs, such as access and inclusion of children and their families. We have produced a toolkit and also fund Play Wales to support them in meeting this duty.
Carl Sargeant: I have, as I said, regular meetings with the police and crime commissioners. One of the Welsh Labour positive commitments was around introducing 500 police community support officers to our communities across Wales, which has been very welcome across all of our communities. The matter is a matter for the UK Government, and it is a non-devolved function, but I recognise the issue that,...
Carl Sargeant: Thank you for the question. The Welsh Government places great value on play and its importance in the lives of children, including the impact on well-being, health, and future life chances.
Carl Sargeant: I meet with the police commissioners on a regular basis and I’ve already had two meetings since becoming Minister responsible for communities. But the Member should be aware that policing is non-devolved to this institution.
