10. Statement by the Chair of the Children, Young People and Education Committee: United Nations Universal Children's Day

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 7:16 pm on 20 November 2018.

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Photo of Julie Morgan Julie Morgan Labour 7:16, 20 November 2018

I welcome the statement today. I think it's very important that we do celebrate this day, Universal Children's Day, and it gives us the opportunity to assess where we are in terms of children's rights. I am a member of the committee, and I'd like to thank the Chair for her statement. It gives a flavour of the committee's work, and I think she's covered the areas very comprehensively. I think she does refer as she goes through the different areas to the particular influence that she feels the committee has had on the Government. So, I don't know whether she could comment further on that. I think there are particular areas where there has been considerable influence, and I think it's been very good that we've been able to do the 'Mind over matter' report in particular, and I'd like to congratulate the Chair on her ferret-like nature in following that through—[Laughter.] Terrier, not ferret. [Laughter.] 'Terrier' is a better word. But, seriously, I think you have shown great leadership in that report, and I wonder whether you could comment on how the Welsh Government will respond to that.

As others have said, it is very exciting that we're celebrating the Youth Parliament. The voting is just about to finish, and I think it's a great step forward. I don't know whether she could comment in terms of how the committee could perhaps work with the Commission and with the Youth Parliament to see that move forward. But then I do want to comment that—I don't know whether the committee Chair can comment on the fact—we are really in a very difficult position in relation to children's rights, because we don't know what impact Brexit will have on children's rights, and also we have had the UN poverty report by Philip Alston, which has been referred to here today in the Chamber already. It's extremely critical of the impact of universal credit, and Alston said that levels of child poverty are

'not just a disgrace, but a social calamity and an economic disaster'.

It wasn't very encouraging, I thought, that Amber Rudd's response was to comment on the extraordinary political nature of his language. I wonder whether the Chair could comment on the fact that we are looking at all these areas within Wales where we believe we are making progress, but it's hard going in this climate where the actions of the UK Government are having such a terrible detrimental effect on children in Wales.