2. What measures will the Minister take to tackle rough sleeping in Wales in 2019? OAQ53433

Our commitment to tackling homelessness, including rough sleeping, is supported by significant additional investment of £30 million. This includes investment for Housing First and support for a range of initiatives as part of our rough sleeping action plan.

Thank you, Minister, for the reply. In its response to the Assembly inquiry into rough sleeping in Wales, Cardiff city council said that many people who experience rough sleeping can remain isolated on the streets as they do not want to be accommodated in hostels. Last year, a request for funding by Newport City Council to provide homeless pods for rough sleepers was turned down by the Welsh Government. It was very upsetting. Earlier this month, it was reported that a scheme for turning shipping containers into accommodation was coming to Cardiff, having been piloted in Bristol. Minister, do you agree with me that such innovative ideas as these should be encouraged to tackle rough sleeping in Wales by those who, for whatever reason, do not want to be accommodated in hostels in Wales?

As a Government, our first objective is to support intervention that aims to support people in avoiding rough sleeping as a course of action in the first place. Out of the additional £30 million, £12 million is provided to the local authorities to increase their support to people who present themselves as homeless. As the Member rightly says, there are many reasons why people may not feel it is right for them, or, indeed, appropriate for them to go into hostel accommodation, so, that's why Welsh Government works with local authorities and our third sector partners to ensure that we can take a holistic approach that takes into account the individual and the individual circumstances. The Member refers to the initiative in terms of the Newport City Council pods initiative that previously came before the Welsh Government. Whilst I think that the Welsh Government understands the intention behind these pods and the issue they're trying to tackle, there were concerns regarding their use and what alternative options are available for funding, with each pod costing in the region of £6,000. However, we are keen to work with all of our partners and our stakeholders to look at actually how we can take action to tackle rough sleeping and homelessness in Wales, in all of our cities and towns.

I'd like to return to the question of HMP Cardiff inmates committing offences upon release just so they can have a roof over their heads. Labour in Government have a track record of promising to solve this problem. In December 2015, communities Minister Lesley Griffiths pledged that prisoners facing homelessness would receive support 56 days before their release. In launching the national pathway that she claimed put Wales ahead of the rest of the UK, she said

'There is no doubt a stable accommodation situation is a key factor in helping to break the cycle of offending.'

Then, there was the framework launched last year by local government Minister Alun Davies to provide positive change for those at risk of offending. He trumpeted the Government's commitment to reduce—and I quote:

'offending and reoffending, to help ensure our communities remain safe.'

We've had plenty of warm words from previous Ministers in the past, but as the independent monitoring board report from last week illustrated, the future for many inmates remains seriously grim and bleak upon release from prison. How will you ensure that your new initiatives fare better than your previous initiatives?

Diolch. The Member is absolutely right in terms of, particularly within HMP Cardiff, the impact that short-term sentences can have in terms of particularly the 56 days, because if you're in prison for an incredibly short term, it's a short enough period to have an impact on your previous accommodation and potentially that of your family. And actually, then, there's a challenge in terms of making sure the right accommodation is available afterwards. It's something I know the Minister is acutely aware of and action is ongoing to tackle this as a matter of emergency.

On the same subject, Minister, given that Welsh Government removed prisoners from the priority need category, and then there was a protocol set in place that should have joined up organisations and agencies to make sure that prisoners upon release did have a roof over their head, it seems that that isn't working very well, given the statistics that Leanne Wood has referred to. I just wonder now, in this situation, whether the Welsh Government will have a new look at the situation for prison leavers, given the obvious implications for their health and well-being if they are sleeping rough and without a secure home, and also the impact on reoffending.

Can I thank John? I know the Member, in his role as Chair of the committee, has a keen interest in this area. You made very similar points to those Leanne just made. I refer back to last week's report from the independent monitoring board for HMP Cardiff, which was incredibly stark in its findings. We recognise there is a specific issue with HMP Cardiff with high levels of short sentences and the impact that has. However, as my colleague stated in this Chamber last week, we expect to see improvements in the standards and capacity of the community rehabilitation companies, who deliver resettlement services on behalf of the Ministry of Justice. Local authorities have a key role to play, and we've provided in this area additional resources through the homelessness prevention grant. We certainly take on board what the Member has said to ensure that the review we take of priority need will see things improve in this area.