I call for two statements, the first in relation to the role of local authorities in supporting women with multiple needs. This follows a report of that name, entitled ‘Leading Change’, sent to me by the North Wales Women’s Centre last week. They say that, although it’s from an England perspective, it has much useful information applicable to our aims and joint working and commissioning here in Wales. It identifies—a very small reference—that half to two thirds of women prisoners have depression, almost half have attempted suicide, and it calls on local authorities to review their joint strategic needs assessments, joint health and well-being strategy and suicide prevention strategy to ensure the needs of women are met accordingly. It also called to ensure that women with multiple needs are involved as equal partners in developing new and improved responses, working with women to design and deliver services that meet their needs.

Secondly, and finally, could I call for an oral statement on the very important matter of future support for former recipients of the independent living fund? The UK Government devolved responsibility to the Welsh Government for this from 30 June last year. Scotland appointed a full-time independent living fund business manager and embedded a project assistant within Inclusion Scotland, Disability Wales’s sister body, months beforehand; and Northern Ireland appointed ILF Scotland to administer the ILF for Northern Ireland. The cross-party group on disability, which I co-chaired in the last Assembly and which I’ve been asked to chair in this Assembly, had taken evidence on the implementation of the Welsh independent living grant from 1 July last year, and having identified widespread concerns, wrote to the then Minister, received a response, and he then issued a written statement on this in February, stating he had asked his officials to work with stakeholder representatives on options including a potential arrangement with the body set up in Scotland to provide payments for former ILF recipients to do the same for Welsh recipients. And at that stage, I can confirm that the membership of the Wales disability reference group favoured this approach. Despite this, we’ve now had, this month, a written statement only from the now Minister for Social Services and Public Health, stating she’s concluded future support to former ILF recipients will go through normal social care provision from local authorities, this being the most effective approach, and she recognises some recipients would have preferred a different decision. This failure, apparently, in this statement to co-produce, co-design, co-deliver and work with citizens and communities doesn’t meet the requirements of the social services and well-being Act, the well-being of future generations Act 2015 or the directives from the Wales Audit Office on the future direction of services. This affects too many of the lives of too many disabled people, so it merits an oral statement, or even a full debate, and I call for that accordingly.