1. What is the Welsh Government doing to ensure that vulnerable groups in Wales have access to employability programmes? OAQ51455

Well, the Welsh Government makes sure that, in the most deprived communities, we offer tailored support, and we're really involved in the communities. We give support to unemployed households, to workless households, people who are disabled, redundant, and, of course, NEETs—people who are not in education, employment or training. And we mentor and support people to make sure that they can develop some kind of resilience, and to make sure that they're ready, then, to enter the workplace.

Thank you very much for this reply, Minister. But, Mencap Cymru recently pointed out that there are huge barriers facing people with learning difficulties who want to work, in Wales. They estimate that, of the 14,000 people with learning disabilities known to social services, only 800 are in employment. It means less than 6 per cent, Minister, which is definitely not acceptable. Can I ask what the Welsh Government is doing to extend employability programmes to this largely untapped potential workforce, and to make employers aware of the benefits of employing someone with a learning disability in Wales?

Thank you. Absolutely. We are very committed to this agenda. In the new year, you will see that we're going to be bringing out an employability action plan, and a part of that action plan will be to make sure that people—. We have a special programme, Working Wales, and when people go through a particular gateway—everyone will be put through a particular gateway, because there are so many different programmes at the moment, it's quite difficult for people to find their way around—we will then identify what their needs are and channel them to the right places. Because, at the moment, there are so many different groups, we're just trying to make sure that they're streamlined so that it's easier for disabled people then to get the access and the support that they need.

People with mental health issues have particular difficulties in finding routes to work or back to work after a period of illness. One way of facilitating access to the workplace is to offer work placements, which would mean that they wouldn’t need to go through the traditional process of interview and the anxiety and stress that that can lead to. What attempts has the Government made to encourage work placements of this kind, and will we see that kind of approach in the employment action plan that you mentioned, because that would facilitate and support individuals with mental health issues to rejoin the workforce?

Thank you very much. I do think that it’s important that we focus on this aspect of mental health, because there’s so much of it in Wales and it’s important that we work for the individual and that we can adapt things for the individual. What we’re attempting to do in this new plan is to ensure that we’re working across Government. And so, we’ll be working with the health department, where, evidently, we have to assimilate all of these issues. This idea of a placement is one that I will now consider when considering this new plan. So, I am pleased that you’ve raised this point. Thank you.

Rhianon Passmore.

Diolch, Llywydd. Now, you extended me best wishes for the Christmas season yesterday, and I extend my good wishes to you and your family today. Nadolig llawen i chi i gyd.

Cabinet Secretary, addressing the Learning and Work Institute's Welsh Employability and Skills Convention last week, the new Minister for Welsh Language and Lifelong Learning, Eluned Morgan, stated employability is not just about jobs and skills; it is about getting every aspect of Government policy—education, health, housing, and communities—working together to support people into sustainable jobs. Will the Cabinet Secretary outline how the Welsh Government is working holistically to ensure vulnerable groups benefit from Government policy initiatives? Minister.

Thank you very much, Rhianon. Absolutely. We are trying to work cross-departmentally. If you think that we've got a budget of about £15 billion, we need to make sure that every penny of that we use to the maximum, and working cross-departmentally makes absolute sense. What I've been doing is to meet independently and individually with different Ministers to make sure that they are concentrating on this agenda. So, I met with my colleague here last week to discuss how we can help, for example, in relation to care. A lot of people can't go back to work because they have caring responsibilities. So, how do we plait these things together to make sure that they're all connected and that we can get people back to work? This idea of cross-departmental work is something that is not just words; we are now getting down to the nitty-gritty of how that happens in practice.