Jane Hutt: —a very merry Christmas to you all.
Jane Hutt: Nadolig Llawen, Jack Sargeant—you will get your bank back in Buckley. Diolch.
Jane Hutt: There are positive stories coming from the banking sector. For example, the Welsh Language Commissioner has collaborated with Santander to launch new cash point machines that remember consumers' language preference, and also Welsh Government has business officials who assist businesses to use more Welsh. We've got a helpline that's being launched in the next few months to offer support to...
Jane Hutt: Thank you, Llywydd. Financial and digital equality, choice and inclusion is a priority and is vitally important to me.
Jane Hutt: I'm absolutely focused on ensuring equality of access for all the people of Wales in whatever geographical, cultural and personal situation they find themselves. I do thank Jack Sargeant for bringing forward the debate, and welcome the focus of this debate on banking services in Cymraeg and our ambition to make Wales a truly bilingual nation. But, of course, the responsibility for our...
Jane Hutt: We will continue to support households. What are you doing, Mark Isherwood?
Jane Hutt: I wonder, Mark Isherwood, if you would join me in calling on the UK Government to abolish the appalling benefit cap and the two-child limit on child benefit. That is actually what's driving children into poverty, Mark Isherwood. Yes, we will do all we can to support households affected by the crisis, but the key levers for tackling child poverty, powers over the tax and welfare system, sit...
Jane Hutt: Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. I do want to thank Plaid Cymru for bringing forward this debate on this really important subject, especially in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, which, we all fear, will drive child poverty rates here and across the UK even higher. Llywydd, Wales has a child poverty strategy; we have had one since 2011, and Wales was also the first UK nation to introduce...
Jane Hutt: Formally.
Jane Hutt: Wales cannot and will not be a bystander to abuse, and that's why the report and its recommendations are so welcome. I'm really pleased that the report includes the important works and makes the connections with our commitment to Wales being a nation of sanctuary. I've long been clear that our nation of sanctuary approach demonstrates our Welsh Government values. The nation of sanctuary plan...
Jane Hutt: Diolch, Deputy Llywydd. I'm very grateful to the committee for conducting this inquiry on gender-based violence impacting on migrant women, and thank all of those who gave evidence, but especially those who shared their lived experiences, and the specialist services that support them. And it is only by working together, including taking into account all sources of evidence and our findings,...
Jane Hutt: I think there are two things. I'm coming on to that in terms of legislation, but I do think it's also very important that we do hear from the British Deaf Association on their audit and, also, on the outcomes of the really important work that's been undertaken by the disability taskforce, but I will come on to legislative issues as well. Just in terms of the references to the well-being of...
Jane Hutt: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I want to thank Mark Isherwood for bringing this important debate to Senedd Cymru, and thank all Members who've contributed. We're all aware of how important this issue is, as we need to ensure that all deaf people in Wales have access to information and services. Last week, I made a statement to the Senedd to mark the international day of disabled people, and I...
Jane Hutt: Diolch yn fawr, Hefin David. I'm really looking forward to joining your event tomorrow, as a proud member of Unison and also Minister for Social Justice, but I do agree that the most effective way of ensuring that disabled people are valued in all aspects of life, including public life, the workplace, unions, is to embed the social model of disability. We're working towards training all our...
Jane Hutt: Diolch yn fawr, Hefin David. The Welsh Government has set up the disability rights taskforce and working groups to respond to the 'Locked Out: Liberating Disabled People's Lives' report produced during the COVID-19 pandemic and is progressing actions under the 'Action on Disability: The Right to Independent Living' framework and action plan.
Jane Hutt: Well, I think I've already mentioned this afternoon that I meet regularly with the leaders of local government. We have cost of living on the agenda, and I will be raising this with them. But, clearly, also my colleagues the Minister for Finance and Local Government and Climate Change also engage with local authorities to ensure that they take up any opportunity.
Jane Hutt: Clearly, my colleague the Minister for Climate Change is very engaged in this and engaged with the UK Government in terms of seeing what benefit this ECO4 is going to have in terms of our situation. Because, obviously, energy efficiency and energy efficiency in terms of our Warm Homes programme, is crucial to actually addressing fuel poverty. But I think this is something that, again, it's...
Jane Hutt: Thank you very much for that really important question, because, like you, I am horrified by what I have read and the poor practice of energy suppliers. I met Ofgem last week and we talked about the identification, as they have, of those companies, Mabon, that are delivering this poor practice. We heard more of that in the press this week. I've held several discussions, actually, with energy...
Jane Hutt: Our Warm Homes programme for lower income households saves an average of £300 a year by improving energy efficiency. Eligible low-income households are also benefiting from our £200 fuel support scheme. Our 'Claim what’s yours' campaign helps people to claim the benefits they are entitled to.
Jane Hutt: I hope we can get you onside with the basic income pilot. This is actually giving young people the opportunity to really consider their options for the future. Obviously, those options actually apply to all young people in Wales. The young person’s guarantee is crucially important—18 to 25-year-olds, every young person, a job, training, education, apprenticeships, setting up a business....
