Carl Sargeant: I’m grateful for the question. This is a constituency issue for me also, Llywydd, but I will base my response as a Minister. I have had correspondence with Flintshire council and I’ve also had correspondence with residents of that area. I think it is important that the transition is a matter for the local authority and I have spoken to the Cabinet Secretary for Education on these very...
Carl Sargeant: I’m grateful to the Member for raising that very important issue. I think what we should look at are the correct indicators, and I will take note of that report when we do refresh the document. I think it’s important that we look at the detail behind that and how we are able to influence change in communities, particular around young people, going forward—they are our future generation.
Carl Sargeant: I think there are many quality projects out in our communities, not led by Communities First but many of the organisations that the Member referred to today and yesterday, and I support those. What we have to do is join up those programmes with actions and interventions by Government and third sector bodies to make sure that we impact most on the people in need of support. So, I’m not...
Carl Sargeant: Well, I refer to my statement yesterday, which the Member has quoted from. I think we have to have a new offer for tackling issues to make communities resilient for the future. That’s what I outlined yesterday in my statement. The issue of introducing the 100,000 new job apprenticeships by this Welsh Labour Government is one that’s important to communities that he shares, and I share too....
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for her final question. We are the Labour Party in Wales and we are the Government in Wales and we have a very definitive line on hate crime. I intend to take the lead to drive forward the Welsh Government’s tackling hate crime framework for action. What I do hope that the Member will join us together in is condemning the actions of individuals and political parties that...
Carl Sargeant: The agreement was going really well at first. [Laughter.] Can I say that the principle of her question is something that does concern me, and no access to public funds for individuals is something that I am looking at? I’ve got a new advisory group looking at the issues around domestic violence circumstances, and part of the investigation I’m asking them to look at is around that—and...
Carl Sargeant: I agree with all the contents of the Member’s question.
Carl Sargeant: Yes, the care leavers accommodation framework will help organisations to work together to help children leaving care, to prepare them for independent living and ensure they find a suitable home. I am interested in the support mechanism following that. Through Supporting People we also provide £124 million to help vulnerable people access accommodation, including £13.7 million of that for...
Carl Sargeant: Well, I’ve got a working group looking at children in care settings and looked-after children. I will ask them to give me further advice on these issues. I do think that we are not doing what we can do for these young people, and we should join up the groups that are involved in the intervention programmes to give people a better start in life. These are very vulnerable young people and we...
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for his important supplementary question. The report from the Public Policy Institute for Wales has action we are taking, not only for care leavers, but on youth homelessness more generally—action already taken in line with the report’s recommendations, for example: the development of a care leavers accommodation framework, as I said, which I’ll be launching on 19...
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for his question. I am committed to doing all I can to meet the housing needs of young care leavers. Later this month I will launch a new accommodation framework for care leavers, which has been developed in partnership with Barnardo’s and Shelter Cymru to promote best practice.
Carl Sargeant: Yes, well I’m grateful for the intervention from the Member. Let me remind the Member of these statistics: 1,574 were race related; 319 related to sexuality; 240 to disability; 90 to religion; and 25 to transgender. These are the ‘small’ numbers that the Member refers to in regard to a small proportion of hate crime. Let me remind the Member also of the referendum, which he also...
Carl Sargeant: No. I will give way in a second. [Continues.]—those people who are suffering from hate crime have got a right to equality here in Wales. And whether the Member lives in Wiltshire or wherever, the fact is, here, we’re a welcoming country here in Wales—[Interruption.] I’ll take the intervention from the Member if he wants to try and dig a hole further.
Carl Sargeant: Thank you, Presiding Officer. I’m grateful for the opportunity to respond to this broadly welcomed debate by many. The successes around tackling hate crime have focused on an integral partnership approach with a range of third sector and statutory partners across Wales. This approach has paid dividends as we take forward the delivery of better outcomes for victims. Many comments were shared...
Carl Sargeant: Thank you, Presiding Officer. I welcome this opportunity to update Members on the progress made to date in Wales on tackling hate crime and the current challenges. I remind Members that I published an annual update in 2016-17 and a delivery plan in July that highlights the cross-Government action. I’d like to turn to the amendment at this point. I am happy for Members to note the...
Carl Sargeant: Yes, I’m very happy to do so. It’s a really useful question. In terms of the children’s zones, we are offering statements of intent from local authorities now to come forward with their ideas in terms of how they would like to implement them. Indeed, I think I’m right in saying that Anglesey have already indicated about an ACE-free island, which is quite an impressive challenge for...
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for her questions. Can I say that the anti-poverty strategy and the children’s anti-poverty strategy are still alive and kicking? That document is still there and we still work towards that. I met with Ken Skates about how do we refresh that and start to think about the new interventions that we have. As I said earlier, Communities First is just one of a suite of tools...
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for her support and the comprehensive question she raises. As I said in my statement, the Communities First programme is one programme and we must rely on other aspects of what Government interventions do—what Government, local government, third sector organisations bring to our communities—and build resilience around that. We are challenged financially—all aspects of...
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for his contribution. It will be no surprise that I don’t agree with him on all he said; I do think that the interventions of Communities First have worked in some areas and worked very well in some areas, and Lynne Neagle and her colleagues have alluded to that. I do agree with him that the issue around the school and space is something we need to concentrate more on....
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member. Can I also pay tribute to many staff members in Communities First areas right across Wales who do a fantastic job in changing and creating a resilient community? I don’t doubt the work and intention of those, but we are in a conversation space. We want to talk to Communities First units about what the future looks like for these clusters and how they are shaping. The...
