9. Will the Minister make a statement on his priorities for the communities and children portfolio during the fifth Assembly? OAQ(5)0005(CC)

I thank the Member for her question. My priorities for communities and children are well-being and economic prosperity, achieving those outcomes both for individuals and for communities.

Well-being is a very important part of your portfolio, Minister, and as I’m sure you’re aware, the annual NSPCC report, ‘How Safe are our Children?’, highlights a 26 per cent increase in the number of recorded sexual offences against children under 16 in Wales over the last 12 months—figures that have doubled over the last decade. Will you join me in welcoming this report, and will you consider acting upon the recommendation made by the NSPCC to develop a comprehensive child sexual abuse plan, and to improve provision of support services, so that the needs of children who’ve been sexually abused, and their families’ needs, can be met?

I thank the Member for her important question. I am due to meet the NSPCC in the next couple of weeks, and I’m sure that will be on the agenda. I will be working with my colleague from social services, the Minister for Social Services and Public Health, in our joint objective to tackle these issues specifically around children. I mentioned earlier on that my department’s focus, and that of many of my colleagues, will be addressing the incidence of adverse childhood experiences and reducing their impact on children’s life chances as we move forward. The well-being and economic prosperity of those people for the future is an important part of this Government’s agenda.