3. Statement by the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services: The Children (Abolition of Defence of Reasonable Punishment) (Wales) Bill

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:31 pm on 26 March 2019.

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Photo of Huw Irranca-Davies Huw Irranca-Davies Labour 4:31, 26 March 2019

Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd, and could I just join others in saying how delighted I am that you're taking this forward? When we were both MPs together, you were an ardent campaigner against the tide at that time on this issue, and there is a sweet synchronicity in actually you standing there now and taking this forward, and I'm absolutely delighted. I think you're in good hands, as well, with your team of officials.

Some of the concerns that have been mentioned today can be addressed, and perhaps I could suggest a couple of ways that could be taken forward. One is, we already have in place some very good leading-edge examples of multi-agency work, where our front-line professionals are bringing together people who work in family support, in teams around the family, in social services. And also, community safety and police work very closely together to identify very early on signs of where families need support, where interventions are needed, and not all criminal interventions, by the way, but where interventions can be more joined up around that family. And that's one way forward I hope she'd agree with.

Secondly, it's what we do with the extension of our early years work, beyond where we are with Flying Start at the moment, how we can join up more of what's done on the ground with team around the family, Families First and other models to make sure that that support is everywhere when we see that families need it.

And finally, in the awareness campaign that has been mentioned, that we use the extensive reach of those organisations out there who are already in place to actually drive this message home. And it is, I'd say in closing—because I've thrown most of my remarks away, Dirprwy Lywydd, under your instructions to keep it short—we do note that in support of this, as we take it forward, are the NSPCC Cymru, Children in Wales, Tros Gynnal Plant, royal colleges, professional associations representing paediatricians, prominent individuals, psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, and also, I have to say, cross-party Members as well. So, I wish you very well in taking this forward; I think the wind is now very much in your sails. And for the country that was the first to actually include violence against children in the definition of domestic violence, the first country to appoint a children's commissioner, the first country to embed the convention on the rights of the child in law and policy making, it's good, and another measure of us being a progressive nation that we're stepping forward on this.