10. Short Debate: Reason to be Human — Celebrating World Humanist Day

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:24 pm on 20 June 2018.

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Photo of Julie Morgan Julie Morgan Labour 6:24, 20 June 2018

Thank you very much for giving me a minute. I'm very pleased to speak in this debate, which is very timely, with World Humanist Day being on 21 June. I've been a humanist for many years, and I'm a member of Wales Humanists, which is part of Humanists UK. I just wanted to make three quick points. 

I support the call by Wales Humanists for the marriage law to be devolved—Mick Antoniw has already referred to this—as it was in Scotland in 1998, so that we can have humanist marriages, but also to address the issue of marriage certificates calling for the father's name rather than the parent's name, which is clearly out of step with modern life. So, I'd like to see devolved control of the registrar's office so that we can try to bring about those changes.

The second point I wanted to make was on collective worship in schools. This was introduced in 1944 and then narrowed to a requirement of being broadly Christian, and was enshrined in education law in 1988 under the Thatcher Government. When devolution came and responsibility for education was devolved to the Assembly, this broadly Christian element was passed over to the Assembly, and I don't think it fits in with our diverse society, which values freedom of belief, so I think it would be a step forward if we were to remove the idea of being broadly Christian, but to embrace all religions and humanism and no religions.

The final point I'd like to make is about hospital chaplains, who Mick Antoniw has already referred to. I understand that £1.2 million a year is spent on chaplaincy services, and the Welsh Government leaves it up to hospital trusts to decide how to provide a chaplaincy service. I think it is really important that people who don't have religious beliefs are able to have access to someone to help them spiritually to give non-religious support. I know that in response to my requests to the Welsh Government, the response has been that a religious person could still give you that support, but that doesn't really fit well if you don't have any religious beliefs. The other point about hospitals is the availability of quiet rooms so that, as well as prayer rooms, you do have a quiet room where people with no beliefs can go. So—