<p>Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople</p>

Part of 2. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport – in the Senedd at 2:36 pm on 29 March 2017.

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Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 2:36, 29 March 2017

I really don’t think that that is a responsible approach to a really challenging issue for all of us. Everyone in this Chamber will care that we ensure we get the right response for families and babies here in Wales. Just on the reference to outsourcing, just to be absolutely clear, ‘outsourcing’ is often referred to as ‘privatisation’ in that sort of language. We are commissioning care from the NHS in England. We aren’t privatising the service. You haven’t suggested we are, but ‘outsourcing’ is regularly used as a term that other people understand to be privatising the service. That absolutely hasn’t happened.

I don’t recognise where you say that there are child safety issues that arise from this because we don’t have a physical mother and baby unit here anywhere within Wales. And I simply say to you again: in terms of the location, I accept that location matters. That’s why I say that if you live in St David’s in west Wales and the unit is physically in Cardiff, that practically is a long way for you to travel in any event. Simply saying, ‘Locate a unit in Cardiff’ does not resolve all of the physical access issues. And there has to be a more sensible conversation to make sure we get the right response to this. That’s why we’ve commissioned expert advice, so that there’s a properly objective basis for me to be scrutinised upon, but also for the Government to make a decision upon. And I am proud of the fact that we are investing in community services, because, often, what people do want is support within their community and that’s often more appropriate.

I’m looking forward actually to—. I understand that the Children, Young People and Education Committee are looking to have an inquiry into this area, and I look forward to giving evidence to that committee, answering questions before Members and, again, having an evidence-based discussion for all of us about what is the right choice for families and their babies in Wales.