7. What is the Welsh Government doing to protect and promote the rights of disabled people in Wales? (OAQ51039) 

Our framework for action on independent living is currently being reviewed. We have worked closely with disabled people and disability organisations across Wales to ensure we’re making tangible progress in promoting and protecting the rights of disabled people and, of course, that is something we will continue to do in the future.

Thank you, First Minister. Theresia Degener, the chair of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, has called it a ‘human catastrophe’, following their inquiry into the way that the UK treats its disabled citizens. Atos and Capita, who are tasked by the UK Government with carrying out with personal independent payment assessments, have earned over £0.5 billion of public money since 2013, while over 61 per cent of those who appealed against their PIP assessments in their tribunal have won their case. Will the First Minister outline what the Welsh Government is doing to support disabled people in Wales during the unprecedented reductions in their incomes by the UK Government?

Well, we cannot reverse what the UK Government has done. I can’t disagree with the use of the phrase ‘human catastrophe’. There is something wrong with the system where 61 per cent of cases are appealed successfully. There’s something wrong with it. That appeal rate is far, far higher than you’d get in the criminal courts and far higher than you would find elsewhere. That is a sign that the initial assessments, bluntly, are mainly wrong, and if the assessments are wrong the system is broken. This is something for the UK Government to deal with. We’ll continue to work, of course, with disabled people, as I said, and disability organisations, to act as their advocate in overturning a system that’s clearly not working.

Clearly, that’s a matter the cross-party group on disability has also been taking evidence on. I think 80 per cent of appeals by people with sensory loss are successful, indicating the problem that stands before us. So, we do share your concern on this matter. But at a meeting of the cross-party group on disability in north Wales in June, and similarly in a meeting of the cross-party autism group in north Wales in September, concerns were raised with us by representatives of local disabled people and local disabled people themselves about the Welsh Government’s proposals for the Welsh independent living grant. As you know, since it was transferred to the Welsh Government from the UK Government, you had a temporary scheme with local authorities. You announced that with effect from 2018–19 responsibility and funding will be transferred to local authorities. Disabled people are concerned that that will remove their ability to live independently and support their high level of care and support needs. What assurance can you give to them, therefore, that safeguards will be in place to ensure that the funding goes where it’s intended, that assessments will still be done on a person-centred basis with the recipients of the grant, and that disabled people themselves will be the lead voice with authorities in establishing their needs?

We would expect local authorities, of course, to fulfil their obligations to disabled people and to put sufficient funds aside in order for their financial needs to be recognised and satisfied. Of course, local authorities are answerable to their electorate if they pursue policies that the electorate deem to be unacceptable.

Small sums of money can make a very great difference to some families who have a disabled child or disabled children. I’ve mentioned specifics in this Chamber in terms of families in my constituency who have benefited from small grants assisting in improving the quality of life of disabled children, including improving mental health, strengthening family relationships and increasing leisure opportunities. Do you agree with me that the funding that the Government provides to the family fund is a valuable source of support and that it should be maintained over the ensuing years?

We understand, of course, that there are funds that can make a great difference to the lives of people. I’m not talking about this fund directly, but, unfortunately, we’ve seen cuts in our budget, and there are difficult decisions that will have to be taken during the financial year, but we wish to be able to prioritise what gives optimum benefit to families and what works, and that is what will steer us as a Government over the next few months before the final budget is published.