I’m really pleased to make a contribution to this afternoon’s debate, in part to celebrate LGBT History Month, and I speak today as the Assembly Commissioner with responsibility for equality and diversity. I want to thank Hannah Blythyn for bringing forward this important debate today, which has also been supported by Jeremy Miles, Adam Price and Suzy Davies. It is hugely important that, as Wales’s principal democratic institution, we celebrate diversity and provide a platform in a public arena to air and to share our views in light of the increased reporting on hate crimes. The Assembly has received external recognition for being an inclusive employer across a range of protected characteristics—for example, the Autism Access Award, an Age Positive champion, a Top Employer for Working Families, Investor in People Gold, and an award from Action on Hearing Loss, and has been recognised in ‘The Times Top 50 Employers for Women’.

However, today I would like to concentrate my contribution on the Assembly’s successes as an LGBT-inclusive employer and service provider. As an Assembly Commissioner, with responsibility for equality, it’s important to me that we set an example to other organisations in Wales and beyond, that we provide a safe and an inclusive environment for staff and visitors. This sentiment is shared by the Assembly’s senior managers and its staff through the provision of a range of policies and approaches that have helped shape a culture that’s been recognised as among the best in class. Last month, the Assembly was recognised in Stonewall’s workplace equality index as the fifth best employer in the UK. We’ve been placed in the top five for the last three years, and for the fourth year running we’ve been awarded as the top public sector employer in Wales. I should also like to pay tribute to Ross Davies, one of the Assembly’s diversity managers, who was awarded Wales Ally of the Year at the Stonewall Cymru awards in recognition of the work he does to promote LGBT equality.

The workplace equality network for LGBT staff, OUT-NAW, was established in 2008 and has worked hard to make our Assembly more LGBT-friendly over the years. It annually plans the Assembly’s contribution to LGBT History Month and the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia. It takes the Assembly’s outreach bus to events such as Pride Cymru, with OUT-NAW members volunteering to staff it throughout the day. The Assembly marched in the Pride Cymru parade for the first time in 2016 and was joined by the chief executive and members of the management board, who are all allies of the staff network. Attendance at Swansea Sparkle, a trans-inclusive event, is now a regular feature on the annual calendar of events. OUT-NAW developed a business case that has seen the introduction of gender-neutral toilet facilities across the Assembly’s three buildings in Cardiff Bay. Its co-chair has introduced a coaching and mentoring scheme for LGBT staff, as well as an opportunity for young LGBT people to gain work experience, which now takes place annually.

I think it’s fair to say that LGBT equality has become a mainstream feature of the Assembly given the commitment of the OUT-NAW network, the Commission’s diversity strategy, and the commitment of the people who work here to make it a place where diversity thrives. Finally, I’d like to add that, although it’s a pleasure to receive external recognition for progress and our achievements for creating an LGBT-inclusive institution, what actually makes it even more special is that the staff make the time to share their experience and their resource with others. The vision therefore goes beyond the Assembly itself and most importantly reaches out to other organisations to help them to create inclusive working environments for the benefit of service users and their employees. As Stonewall says:

People perform better when they can be themselves’.

I’m sure Members in this Chamber will agree with me that we want everyone to be themselves, and to do so in a safe, supportive and nurturing environment. The achievements that I have spoken about today give me a great sense of pride and I’m delighted to be able to put them on the record as we debate and celebrate during LGBT History Month.