5. Statement by the Chair of the Standards of Conduct Committee: Dignity and Respect in the Assembly

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:00 pm on 7 March 2018.

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Photo of Jane Hutt Jane Hutt Labour 4:00, 7 March 2018

Can I thank the Chair of the standards committee for her statement and, indeed, thank the Llywydd and all four leaders for their update statement on dignity and respect, which was published on 16 February. I also very much welcome the fact that this is being brought forward on a cross-party basis. As Paul Davies has said, it's fundamental that it is done like that if we're to make progress. I very much welcome all the statements made by, and questions from, the members of the standards committee this afternoon. I look forward to the formal debate on the dignity and respect policy. Can you give us any more information on when that's likely to take place? This will be, of course, a debate on your dignity and respect statement, and I hope that we will all, as was said in the update statement—that's an opportunity for us all in this Chamber to vote on that.

Also, I do welcome the fact that you see this inquiry as an ongoing inquiry, although you have a closing date. Would you confirm that this will be open—this inquiry—an ongoing inquiry, even beyond the debate, so that people can feel confident to come forward at any stage? I think you mentioned that you've taken evidence from key organisations, a range of organisations. Does that include key equality organisations, and are you likely to take any further evidence of that kind? I think the issue of managing confidentiality, as has been mentioned, is absolutely critical. People have got to trust that confidentiality—even responding to points you've made about the role and access to the Standards Commissioner's confidential helplines. Those are processes that people really have got to be confident in. I think Paul Davies's comment about monitoring all of this is crucial.

Can I also just finally welcome something that was said yesterday by Siân Gwenllian in response to the International Women's Day statement, where she—I think I've got this right, Siân—called for a national conversation on sexual harassment? And I think we need to be open to considering those kinds of proposals. Do you agree that all of us have a responsibility to respond to your statement today and to the respect and dignity policy as it's developed?

It does strike me that International Women's Day statements and events—and we've had quite a few this week—can help to create the right culture and a culture in this Assembly, but they cannot be reserved for weeks and days like this. It has to be every day and every week of the year in this Assembly to make this change.