5. Statement by the Deputy Minister and Chief Whip: Making Wales a Nation of Sanctuary

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:35 pm on 29 January 2019.

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Photo of Jane Hutt Jane Hutt Labour 5:35, 29 January 2019

Well, I think, you know, you started in a promising way but I'm afraid that didn't last very long. And I just want to say something about the kind of remarks that you make and what it means in terms of response in our communities. In the month following the EU referendum, there was a 72 per cent increase in referrals to the Welsh Government-funded National Hate Crime Report and Support Centre precisely because of the kind of ill-founded views that were coming from those who espouse those views. That spike included a rise across all types of hate crime, and if we look, then, at the opportunities that we have to drive out that kind of hate crime, it has to look towards the spirit of the 'Nation of Sanctuary' plan, which, of course, is a plan for all of those who work and make a contribution in this country: for the doctors, for the nurses, for those who work in our care homes, those who work in agriculture; those are the people who we support and they are part of our community and our nation. And it's very disappointing that you choose to bring these ill-informed views that can then lead to that spike in hate crime that we so abhor in this Chamber.