2. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:45 pm on 12 March 2019.

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Photo of Bethan Sayed Bethan Sayed Plaid Cymru 2:45, 12 March 2019

We've heard in the news recently that there are strong suggestions that, during the miner's strike, the police, via the special demonstration squad—the same SDS that infiltrated the lives of many women here in Wales in campaign groups—in fact infiltrated the National Union of Mineworkers during the miner's strike and thus were breaking the law. And I'm sure that Members on your own benches will be equally as concerned about these covert operations and will want to know more about it. Every time we scratch the surface of this spy cops scandal, we expose another layer, and I've said in this Chamber many times how we do not know the extent to which this has affected Welsh life, be it in the groups that were infiltrated, how they were infiltrated, or the implications on our society now. So, I would call for and urge a debate in Government time on this, because people in our society need to be aware that, if they were involved in demonstrations, they were not infiltrated and not subjected to this type of operation, although we cannot be sure until we have more answers from the public inquiry, and therefore a debate coming up with a collective response from this Assembly would be welcomed. 

My second request is for a debate on asylum seekers. I would like for you, as a Government, to join me in condemning the deliberate policy of the UK Government in forcing refugees who come here for a better life into poverty. Once again, I've been made aware of a very difficult issue in my area, in Swansea, whereby a Somali woman, who is 24 weeks pregnant, has been made destitute. She can't claim for section 4 or make a fresh claim until she is 34 weeks pregnant. So, she's now living with somebody in Swansea, she has no money, she has no housing, and she's not able to work. It is absolutely appalling that a pregnant woman is being treated in this way. Can I urge you to look into this particular case as a Government, but also initiate another fresh debate on this particular issue? There is a mass campaign calling for asylum seekers to be able to work while they're here, so that we can ensure that Wales is making a statement of support, in principle, morally, for them, even if the UK Government is not.