I’d like to say it gives me great pleasure that we are holding this debate today, but, unfortunately, it’s something that we’re not happy to have a debate on, because something like homelessness shouldn’t exist in society, considering the fact that our society is one of the wealthiest in the world. I think homelessness reflects badly on our society, and that we should do more of what is in our power to change the situation with regard to homelessness.

We are having this debate today because we recognise, as a party, that homelessness isn’t something that should be debated only at Christmas when there is a focus on homelessness and when there’s more pressure on services. I think it’s important that we look at the long term to seek policies that will get to grips with the root of this problem—these radical ideas that some of my fellow Members are going to talk about that can change what is a reality for people on a daily basis.

We’ve seen some councils in Wales moving people from the streets, and moving them in a way that’s uncomfortable for many of us. I would say, as Shelter Cymru has said, that people shouldn’t be moved from the streets until there is somewhere they can be placed, somewhere that’s a roof over their head, and not just moving them to another street, perhaps to a street that is less visible where the shops aren’t as attractive, where they are shifting the problem from one place in our society to another place in our society. That’s not the solution to the problem.

Now, we know, of course, that we can’t find all of the solutions here in Wales. There are macroeconomic problems, there are problems with the welfare state, and we have to recognise that Westminster can change this situation to facilitate the solutions to homelessness. Having said that, there are powers here in Wales by which we can change the current system. We can change legislation so that we help the people who are facing homelessness.

I’m sure that many people have heard these statistics, but somebody told me—it was an eye-opening statistic about payslips—that we are only two payslips away from being homeless ourselves. So, all of us here have faced, or are going, perhaps, to face difficult financial situations where we could face homelessness, perhaps because of domestic violence, perhaps because of a financial situation or a change in employment. When we’ve discussed these problems or issues, they’re not just issues that affect other people in society; they affect our families, people we know in our local communities, and people who are close to us as well.