This inquiry followed the work that my colleague Siân Gwenllian undertook when she was previously a member of this committee in highlighting some of the difficulties that were created by the poor drafting of the original regulations. Problems had arisen when it transpired that the Welsh Government was unable to clarify details when local authorities faced difficulties in implementing the scheme. So, I'm very pleased that our committee recommended that the Welsh Government updates its guidance to local authorities to ensure that there is clarity so that eligible organisations can apply for a blue badge in their own right. And, of course, I'm pleased that the Welsh Government has accepted this recommendation.

However, originally the Welsh Government rejected nine out of the 19 recommendations that were made by the committee, which is actually staggering. Sensing how bad a look that might be, they've subsequently agreed to accept in principle a further three recommendations, bringing the total number of rejected recommendations to just under a third of the total. The rejected recommendations include all staff involved in assessments being trained in the social model of disability and for the legislation to provide for a review process for people to be able to challenge a decision.

Now, how many times have we seen Labour Assembly Members in this place note the unfairness of assessments for disability when they're conducted by the Department for Work and Pensions? How many times have we recognised the importance of appeals against their decisions and the importance of ensuring that staff understand the needs and barriers that people face? We repeatedly find that there is a problem with the public sector as a whole when it comes to assessments of disabled people, and it's only when we have robust appeals processes and staff who are properly trained that we find that these problems are reduced. So, I'm disappointed that these recommendations have been rejected. And on the reason given—that you don't have the time to do it—well, the facts show that in this Assembly term, there have been fewer pieces of legislation than there were in the last Assembly term, so I don't accept that as an excuse. It's more a case of lethargy and the Government regarding this as a trivial issue it thought it had solved with its poorly drafted regulations.

I, and I'm sure many other Assembly Members too, meet plenty of people through surgeries, who make contact with my office—people who really need a blue badge. There are always more requests than the council can meet. Many councils seem to only be issuing a limited number of blue badges every year. Yes, I know that concerns about fraud have to be tackled and, yes, I know that land available for parking is limited, but we also have to make sure that Welsh citizens who may have illnesses, disabilities or mobility problems for other reasons are enabled to go out and live life as fully as they possibly can. We're all aware of the growing mental health epidemic that is linked to increasing loneliness. A blue badge can mean the difference between having a life or being a prisoner in your own home. So, I very much hope that the Government will reflect on that and recognise their responsibilities in terms of preventing mental ill health and loneliness whilst considering this blue badge scheme.