Jane Hutt: Well, I'm grateful to Andrew R.T. Davies for that question, specifically focusing on the needs of those children. We have to recognise that there have been households who have been victims of domestic violence who haven't been able to communicate. In the early days, our Live Fear Free helpline wasn't receiving those calls. In fact, we were encouraging people to use the 999 plus 55. The police...
Jane Hutt: I thank Alun Davies for his question, and for raising this today. It's a key priority for me, and, indeed, it is important that we meet with those specialist providers, such as the services provided in Blaenau Gwent, to find out from the front line in terms of the impact of domestic abuse in the lockdown and how that has actually prevented people from coming forward. I know that you have...
Jane Hutt: I monitor weekly figures on contacts to our Live Fear Free helpline and the number of refuge spaces across Wales. To address the impact of COVID-19, a weekly meeting is held for all of our violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence stakeholders with Welsh Government to assess the situation, and a campaign, 'Home shouldn't be a place of fear', launched on 7 May.
Jane Hutt: Well, thank you very much, Huw Irranca-Davies. And again, can we pay tribute to the volunteers? We did a few weeks ago in volunteering week, but as of 19 June, Volunteering Wales had 31,714 registered volunteers—over 18,000 registered since the lockdown, and in Bridgend and Ogmore and all those volunteers who have come forward, providing support. It's reflected across the whole of Wales....
Jane Hutt: Well, I would like to thank David Melding for that question, and also it gives me the opportunity to thank and congratulate St John Ambulance—the Order of St John, of which you are an officer. St John Ambulance, of course, provides such fantastic volunteer support, and also the work with its young people. You've exposed and you've revealed today, of course, the pressures on St John...
Jane Hutt: On 6 April, I announced £24 million in Welsh Government funding for the voluntary sector in Wales, providing three elements of support: direct support for the sector's response to the crisis, support for organisations struggling to survive due to loss of fundraising income, and additional support for the Welsh voluntary sector infrastructure.
Jane Hutt: As I said in my earlier response to David Melding’s question, on 6 April I outlined the Welsh Government’s £24 million package of support for Wales’s voluntary sector in response to the coronavirus pandemic. This funding includes both direct support for the sector’s response and support for individual organisations.
Jane Hutt: We work closely with our partners, including local government, police and HMPPS to ensure our communities are safe. We have worked collaboratively to ensure there is a robust joint response to both protect people from coronavirus and keep communities safe during these unprecedented times.
Jane Hutt: The voluntary sector in Wales has been crucial to our efforts in fighting the pandemic. Delivering key services, co-ordinating local support and helping to guide our dedicated and compassionate army of volunteers. I’d like to say a huge 'thank you' to all our volunteers and voluntary sector organisations.
Jane Hutt: Thank you very much, Mark Isherwood, and NWAMI, I know well of their work; we've discussed it. We talked about it in a forum recently, at a BAME meeting that was held, organised by the Ethnic Minorities and Youth Support Team and Race Council Cymru, who have organised many forums over the last few weeks. And the north Wales one, I particularly heard from NWAMI about their work in Bangor...
Jane Hutt: Diolch yn fawr, Neil McEvoy, and thank you for asking this question and for expressing it in such a direct and personal way, in terms of your own experiences and the experiences that you've shared with us today. I am reminded of the fact that, just over a year ago, in fact, we had our first debate on race in the Assembly, on tackling racism across Wales. What was good about that debate was it...
Jane Hutt: I thank the Member for the question. The death of George Floyd is a tragedy. The impacts of this case are felt globally, and Wales is not immune from racism. We must continue to confront it. Our community cohesion and equality and inclusion programme embeds close engagement with black, Asian and minority ethnic communities to foster good relations and to tackle race inequality in Wales.
Jane Hutt: Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd, and I do thank Helen Mary Jones for tabling this motion and also say that I welcome this debate on how we can improve and encourage equal opportunities, particularly addressing the private sector as well as the public sectors, which we so often focus on, because this is clearly linked to our wider approach to tackling inequality. We know that better, fairer...
Jane Hutt: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd, and I'd like to thank Members today for all their contributions and support across this Chamber. I think it's been a very important debate that we need to reflect on. I've supported all the amendments because it is vital that we work together and look to the future, as well, in terms of our powers and responsibilities. We of course welcome and encourage action from the...
Jane Hutt: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I'm pleased to lead this important debate on tackling hate crime to outline the interventions we've put in place, as well as to speak up against hate, which is the powerful message of the Jo Cox campaign. We can't ignore the prevalence of divisive narratives in the media as well as political discourse, both in the UK and across the world, so it is incumbent upon us as...
Jane Hutt: Well, I hope you will be joining us on these benches to give support to the final budget this afternoon, which actually does include, I think, over £6 million to the final budget approval. In terms of the Volunteering Wales grant, £1.3 million is allocated to be administered by the Wales Council for Voluntary Action. I mentioned earlier on the code of practice funding for the third sector...
Jane Hutt: The Welsh Government provides core funding for the Wales Council for Voluntary Action and county voluntary councils to support volunteers and volunteering groups across Wales. This includes the Volunteering Wales grant that enables volunteering projects to recruit, support, train and place new volunteers.
Jane Hutt: Community relations are crucially important and, of course, I'm aware of the Tros Gynnal partnership engagement in these issues in the community. I am very aware that they are advocating on behalf of Travellers and Gypsies, and recognising their needs in relation to their travelling circumstances, and certainly this is a point where I would say to the Member that we need to recognise our...
Jane Hutt: We've expanded our community cohesion programme across Wales, investing an additional £1.52 million over two years. The regional cohesion teams ensure local government, third sector and local communities are working together to foster cohesive communities.
Jane Hutt: Well, I'm grateful to Helen Mary Jones for raising that point and that example. Of course, we have got now statutory guidance in relation to commissioning for VAWDASV—violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence—funding and we are in the early days of ensuring that that guidance is enabling those specialist organisations, particularly, as you say, to ensure that there is a...
