Diolch, Llywydd. As this annual review begins, the Equality and Human Rights Commission is here to make Wales a fairer place, and as it states, one of its key challenges is to eliminate violence, abuse and harassment in the community.

Working alongside Plaid Cymru’s Jocelyn Davies and Liberal Democrat Peter Black, I was one of the three AMs in the last Assembly who took the Welsh Government to the line over passage of the Violence against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Act (Wales) 2015. And Welsh Women's Aid are now concerned about the lack of health budget being invested in specialist violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence providers.

We will therefore be supporting amendment 1 and, in this context, I also move amendment 2, noting that the commission’s aim of eliminating violence in the community requires implementation of the wider Welsh Government pledges made during the passage of the Act.

I moved amendments then calling for national and local strategies to meet the gender-specific needs of women and men. The Stage 1 committee report recommended that Welsh Minister should ensure that services are tailored to the specific needs of men and women respectively. The Minister then opposed these amendments, stating that this will already be taken into consideration by authorities in the preparation and implementation of national and local strategies.

In emphasising that women and girls are disproportionately impacted by violence, the Domestic Abuse Safety Unit in Shotton also provides a gender-neutral service, because they say that domestic abuse and sexual violence affect both genders. When I visited them recently, they told me that their male refuge received five referrals for just two spaces on its first day, that it had been full ever since and that they are currently operating waiting lists. I understand it's the only male refuge in north Wales, currently funded by the council, supporting victims until next March, with funding for female victims supported only one year more. A written Welsh Government response to me last month stated that a 2015 survey showed 274 refuge spaces across Wales, of which four in Montgomery were provided for males.

I moved then amendments calling for the national strategy to include provision for at least one perpetrator programme. As Relate Cymru have told committee, 90 per cent of the partners they question some time after the end of their programme said

'that there has been a complete stop in violence and intimidation by their partner.'

The Minister responded that he did not consider my amendments appropriate, but had jointly funded research to help inform future responses to perpetrators. Well, as reiterated at the last meeting of the cross-party group on violence against women and children, Relate's programme Choose 2 Change is the only current Respect-accredited programme in Wales. Tomorrow, I'll be chairing a meeting of the cross-party group highlighting the Respect accreditation standard for work with perpetrators, its evidence-based focus on behaviour change and risk management, and its emphasis on the safety of survivors and children.

We fought resolutely for inclusion in the Act of healthy relationships education. As I said in the Stage 4 debate, the three opposition parties had worked together

'to secure concessions from the Minister', and he then said he would involve stakeholders from the violence against women sector in developing proposals for healthy relationships education within the curriculum. So, this Welsh Government must note the Minister’s pledge then to report back to the Assembly on both this and perpetrator programmes. 

I move amendment 3, noting the increase in reported hate crime in Wales, with the majority being racially motivated, but the biggest increase being in disability and transgender hate crimes, although this is in part due to better crime recording and more people coming forward.

Finally, I move amendment 4, which notes that the commission's

'efforts to ensure that equality and human rights are embedded in work taken forward under the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act'

2015—there's an error on the paper, it should say 2015—detailed in their annual review will require, quote, the

'real and meaningful dialogue between communities, individuals and their public services'

—end of quote—called for by the future generations commissioner in her draft strategic plan.

Equally, the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act places a specific duty on public authorities to promote the involvement of people in the design and delivery of care and support services. But tell that to the deaf community in Conwy denied their independence, to wheelchair users in Flintshire denied access to the coastal path, and to disabled learners in Wales denied access to apprenticeships, where 1.3 per cent of all apprenticeships were started by them, compared with 9 per cent in England. There's much left to do.