I’m grateful for the opportunity to speak today. Can I also thank the Welsh Conservatives for letting the Assembly use some of their debate time for this very important debate?

I’m very pleased to speak in support of this motion today, because I genuinely believe the need for a youth parliament is a complete no-brainer. I am proud of the role this Welsh Labour Government has played in promoting children’s rights and I am also proud that this Assembly has led the way in the world with cross-party support for our Rights of Children and Young Persons (Wales) Measure 2011.

I was disappointed, in 2014, when the decision was taken by Welsh Government to cease funding for Funky Dragon, and made the point to Ministers at the time that I felt it would’ve been better to work with Funky Dragon and children’s voluntary organisations in Wales to find a way to maintain a youth parliament in Wales.

In June this year, the United Nations gave its verdict on what progress has been made to deliver on children’s rights in Wales following a UK-wide review. It made more than 150 recommendations and one of the concerns expressed was that children’s views are not systematically heard in policy making on issues that affect them. It noted that there is no youth parliament in Wales and recommended that one should be established as a matter of priority.

I am absolutely delighted that the Assembly Commission is taking forward this initiative and really welcome the personal commitment that the Presiding Officer has given to making this a priority today. Notwithstanding my earlier comments about the decision to cease funding for Funky Dragon, I believe that having a youth parliament set up by this Assembly is far better, in my view, than having one directly funded by Welsh Government. I hope it will be more independent and provide a far stronger voice for children and young people in Wales. I would like to place on record my thanks to the Campaign for the Children and Young People’s Assembly for Wales, for the work they’ve done to press this issue, and for the consultation they’ve undertaken with young people on what such a parliament should look like. I am sure we’re all looking forward to seeing the detail of that consultation, but as Darren Millar has already said, it is great to know that 92 per cent of respondents supported the establishment of a youth parliament and 85 per cent of respondents would like to see the parliament made permanent and protected in law. And I hope that, too, is something that the Commission will look at.

I just wanted to close by saying a few words about the need to ensure the broadest possible participation by young people in Wales in a future parliament. I think there is always a risk that such parliaments are more prone to engaging the more articulate, confident young people—and I celebrate the fact that we have these young people in Wales—but the test of a genuinely representative parliament will be how effectively it ensures we hear the voices of some of those young people who do not usually get their voices heard. I believe there is good practice we can draw on here, and I hope that the Commission will look at this. As part of the Children, Young People and Education Committee’s inquiry into youth services in Wales, I learnt about a project run by the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of Wales called Not the Usual Suspects, which is designed to engage young people who are not normally consulted. As part of that, they developed an app called ‘Politically Incorrect’. I believe we need to look at all good practice to make sure that, going forward, we engage the widest number of young people, also building on the excellent work of youth engagement already undertaken by the Commission.

Last week, I was privileged to be invited to a forum organised by the children’s commissioner for 15 to 24-year-olds in Wales with experience of being looked after, along with Llyr Gruffydd, Darren Millar and Carl Sargeant. There, we heard from young people of their very powerful hard-hitting experiences of the care system in Wales. Despite all the challenges they’d faced, these young people spoke out forcefully and powerfully about their needs. I hope that any youth parliament will ensure that those are the kinds of voices we also make sure are heard—a youth parliament that addresses the needs of the most disadvantaged young people will be one we can all be very proud of in Wales. Thank you.