Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:25 pm on 19 October 2016.
I thank Joyce Watson very much for her views and thoughts. I did say earlier, actually, that I do very much agree with the sentiments that express great concern around the comments of David Davies in terms of age checks and how they might be carried out. It’s very undignified and, as I say, it gives rise to many concerns around medical ethics, as well as many other concerns. In terms of the care system and the report, I think that will be an interesting aspect of the work that the committee could carry out because, obviously, these children are very vulnerable and they do require a substantial amount of committee concentration and focus.
We hear now that, at Calais, as part of the demolition of that site, it is entirely possible—in fact, it has proven to be the case in the past—that many children simply disappear and go missing. There are huge concerns around trafficking and exploitation in general for those children. The sooner that countries agree to take those children, and the sooner they are settled into safe and secure circumstances, the better. I am sure that the committee will want to pay careful attention to how Wales can play its part in that more positive possibility for those children, rather than the dangers they obviously face. Again, with the anti-slavery Bill and the child trafficking guardians, I think that, too, could be a significant part of the committee’s work.