3. Will the Minister make a statement on his priorities for promoting equality in Wales? OAQ(5)0014(FLG)

I thank Joyce Watson for that question. In March this year, following extensive engagement with stakeholders, Welsh Government published its eight equality objectives for 2016 to 2020. These objectives focus on tackling the most entrenched inequalities in Wales and promoting cohesive communities.

Thank you for that answer, Cabinet Secretary, but the referendum campaign, particularly towards the end, became infected with intolerance, and that poison has seeped into public life. We’ve all seen the reports of racist abuse on our streets. We’ve also, thankfully, seen the reaction to it in Llanelli and elsewhere where local people are standing by and speaking up for their eastern European neighbours, and I am led to believe that the First Minister will be visiting the Welsh Polish Mutual Association in Llanelli tomorrow. But the fact still remains that Dyfed-Powys Police have reported significant increases in hate crimes compared to this month last year. So, we do now need clearly to heal wounds. Will you therefore, Cabinet Secretary, with the Welsh Local Government Association and other partners, take steps to safeguard and strengthen community relations between people of all nationalities and cultures during this very unsettling time?

Let me associate myself very strongly with the last thing that the Member said. I think she is right—something happened during the course of the referendum campaign that has somehow legitimised, in the minds of some people, views that are abhorrent to, I’m sure, Members in this Chamber and have no part whatsoever to play in our community life. Even prior to that, there had been a 65 per cent increase in reports to the National Hate Crime Report and Support Centre Wales here in Wales. I hope that part of that rise is because of a greater willingness of people to report such incidents to the police. I think it’s very important that we encourage anybody who has been on the receiving end of such appalling behaviour in the last few days to make sure that they always make those incidents known to the authorities. My message is the same as Joyce Watson’s, to all those people from around the world and from around Europe who make such a contribution to the richness of life here in Wales: that they are welcome, that they are most welcome, and that this National Assembly supports a thriving, multicultural society here in Wales. [Assembly Members: ‘Hear, hear.’]

You both have alluded to the increase in racist incidents during and post the referendum, and I share your view in condemning those occurrences. But could you go further than just making a statement in the Chamber today? Are you able to consider running a campaign to raise awareness and educate people about the contribution that people from the different countries of Europe and the world make to Wales?

I thank the Member for her comments. Of course, it’s very important that we do more than simply speak here in the Chamber, so there are a number of things that I’m doing personally over the next week: I have a meeting with the WLGA on Friday—I will be speaking to them—and I have a meeting with the Muslim Council of Wales next week. It is important that we do come together in that way in order to discuss what we can do, to strive to improve things together and to be clear about what we want to do here in Wales and to do it together, exactly as the Member mentioned.