Diolch, Llywydd. Like the hydra of Greek legend, poverty in Wales is a many-headed monster. It presents a variety of challenges, and seemingly, as each one is overcome, two further problems arise in its place. However, unlike the mythical hydra, poverty is all too real and impacts on the lives and well-being of those affected across Wales on a daily basis. For my short debate today, I will explore some of the ways in which poverty manifests itself in Wales, considering the multifaceted challenges it poses and drawing up some possible solutions. I’m delighted to be able to give Hefin David a minute of my time today.

Whilst definitions of what exactly constitutes poverty can be disputed, there is no argument about the scale of the number of people affected: 700,000 people—just under one in four people in Wales—are living in poverty, according to figures from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. That’s 700,000 people whose lives and chances are constrained and blighted by poverty. If we took the more broadly based approach, going beyond simply considering relative income poverty, as has been suggested by groups such as the Bevan Foundation, the number could be even greater. Whilst these figures have largely remained static, despite the best efforts of Government, there have also been changes in the demographics most likely to find themselves living in poverty today. Indeed, the variation amongst how people experience poverty takes me back to the analogy with which I opened my short debate: different groups of people in different areas can experience poverty in different ways, but it is possible to detect certain trends.