I'm pleased to speak in this debate as Chair of the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee. The commission, of course, is one of our committee's key stakeholders, and throughout this reporting period we have continued to have an effective and constructive relationship, which has helped inform a range of our work. I was pleased to welcome the EHRC to the Senedd earlier today to mark the publication of their report, 'Is Wales Fairer?' 2018. This has been an important part of the commission's work over the last year and has resulted in an important and comprehensive report that provides a clear evidence base for assessing whether we are making progress in reducing inequality in Wales. I know that our committee will use this report as an important tool in our scrutiny in the coming years. It sets out a number of clear, cross-cutting recommendations, which if implemented could make a significant difference. Their cross-cutting nature helps to signal that equality is something that impacts on all aspects of life rather than it being a single issue only some people need to consider. In particular, I would highlight the recommendation for the Welsh Government to set achievable and binding targets to reduce poverty and to report on progress annually. This very much resonates with the findings of our committee. We've been calling for a single anti-poverty strategy for some time now, along with the need for clear targets and indicators against which progress can be monitored. 

We would hope that the Government will accept the commission's recommendation and implement it as soon as possible. It is important that we are able to understand what progress is being made to tackle poverty, given the extent of socioeconomic issues here in Wales. And enacting the socioeconomic duty is very important also, and I very much welcome the Counsel General's announcement of work to consider its enactment. 

Dirprwy Lywydd, moving on to other aspects of the annual review, the commission's work on the experiences of pregnant and new parents directly influenced our recent work on parenting and employment, which we debated in the Chamber this term. The commission's Working Forward campaign aims to make workplaces the best they can be for pregnant women and new parents. It is heartening that over 30 leading Welsh organisations have signed the pledge, including the Welsh Government. I very much hope that more companies and organisations will sign and help bring about necessary improvement. 

The review also highlights the work the EHRC has been doing so that we can better understand the potential implications of Brexit. This will be an issue that will be debated tomorrow in the Chamber, but I would stress that the EHRC has played an important role in our committee's understanding of what Brexit might mean for human rights. The majority of our committee supports the commission's calls to ensure that rights currently protected under the EU charter of fundamental rights are continued once we leave the European Union. I look forward to debating those issues in more detail tomorrow. 

Dirprwy Lywydd, in closing I would like to commend the review to the Assembly and the important work that the commission continues to do here in Wales.