The debate on the annual report on equality is timely, given what’s happening not only in the UK in this post-European Union era but also in the United States, with the racist and discriminatory attitudes taken by the new President against Muslim refugees. Future generations will look at this period in history, and we, as politicians, will be at risk of being harshly judged for not taking a stand in the rise of the extreme right wing. Too often these days, I’m reminded that politics is no longer a battle of ideas—socialism against conservatism, individualism against communism. Rather, it is an unremitting battle between the politics of mercy on the one hand and the politics of intolerance and prejudice on the other.

This report does demonstrate that Wales is not an equal nation. Almost one in four people in Wales is living in poverty; 32 per cent of children are living in poverty; 27 per cent of disabled people, and 38 per cent of ethnic minority people are living in poverty. Wales is not an equal nation. A little over three quarters of hate crimes that are reported to the police are race related, and it is black people who are most likely to suffer these attacks.

What’s most striking, generally speaking, in this report is that there hasn’t been much progress against many of the indicators included in the report. In those areas where there have been changes, progress has been slow. In the report, the Government notes that this reflects the nature of the indicators, where any movement tends to be gradual and over a long period of time. But in looking at the indicators, their content makes it very difficult to measure any successes. So, Plaid Cymru will be supporting the Conservative amendments today that call on the Government

‘to implement effective action plans…with measurable objectives and outcomes created for all future reports.’

But I must say that there is no doubt that it’s the Conservatives and their policies that are responsible for much for the inequality and unfairness that currently exist in Wales.

There is one specific element that isn’t included as part of the Government’s equality strategy and I do want to highlight in concluding my contribution to this afternoon’s debate, and that is geographical equality here in Wales. I will ask the Cabinet Secretary to consider including geographical elements in any strategy or any new reviews in future. There are major differences between salaries in different areas of Wales. For example, workers in Dwyfor Meirionnydd earn over £100 less per week than the Welsh average, and this is also true for a number of Valleys areas.

We’re all aware that a historical lack of investment by the UK Government has tended to benefit one part of the country, namely the south-east of England, over and above any other part of the country. But in looking at the per capita spend by the Welsh Government over the past four years, it is clear that that pattern has been adopted here in Wales, too. According to your own Government figures, capital investment in north Wales next year will be half of what it is expected to be in the south-east of Wales. So, if we are to tackle this lack of equality in Wales, we must ensure that any debate or any future strategies to make Wales a more equal nation do include geographical equality.

We heard mention earlier in the Chamber about the need for an economic strategy for Wales as a matter of urgency. Any such strategy should give full consideration to issues of equality—poverty, the geographical unfairness that exists in Wales, the inequality faced by minority groups, and also the inequality between women and men in the workplace, with 29 per cent of women earning less than the living wage. The figure for men is 20 per cent.

I look forward to seeing the eight equality objectives of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 starting to take root in Wales, but far, far, far more work needs to take place in order to achieve the aim of a more equal Wales. And crucial to all of this will be the local well-being plans that are to be published by 2018. We as an Assembly must scrutinise those in great detail to ensure that they do work effectively.