Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Firstly, may I thank the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee both for their inquiry and for their report into the blue badge scheme here in Wales? Their report includes 19 recommendations, which I have carefully considered and reflected on. Some of these recommendations will require further work, research and discussions across the four UK nations, whilst others will be subject to early action by officials.

Dirprwy Lywydd, it was good to see the breadth of evidence from a range of parties received by the committee, and I was personally pleased to have been given the opportunity to contribute in order to emphasise how important this scheme is to those who rely on it. In fact, without the scheme, many of the 212,000 badge holders in Wales would be unable to access services and facilities, some would be completely homebound and isolated, and many others would lose their independence. Therefore, we must all take care to protect the rights of current and future badge holders, to ensure that they can continue to enjoy the benefits of the scheme in an environment where there is a finite number of parking spaces.

With respect to the committee's report, I turn first to eligibility. Many of you will be aware that only recently England has extended eligibility for a blue badge to include people with cognitive impairments, specifically people who are unable to leave home due to overwhelming psychological distress or because they are of considerable risk either to themselves or to others. Here in Wales, we've included people with hidden disabilities since 2014, and in particular people who need assistance with all journeys due to cognitive impairments. Wales should be proud to have led the way in recognising that hidden disabilities can have a devastating impact on people's lives and on their mobility. But from the evidence, it is apparent that more work needs to be done.

Wales can also be proud of how we treat eligibility. On a proportionate basis, more people in Wales are issued with a blue badge than anywhere else in the United Kingdom. In Wales, 6.8 per cent have a badge, whilst in Northern Ireland the figure is 5.3 per cent, in Scotland it is 4.5 per cent, and in England it is just 3.8 per cent. However, I do know that the committee questions whether we have gone far enough in extending eligibility. This is a difficult question and requires further consideration.

To that end, my officials have been holding discussions with the other three nations to share information about current eligibility to determine whether there are justified reasons for amending it. I believe that any further changes to eligibility criteria can only be made if there is a solid evidence base to support such changes. I do not wish to reduce the availability of parking concessions to current badge holders, which is nearly 7 per cent of the population. 

Increasing the eligibility criteria in an uncontrolled way and not basing change on sound evidence could dramatically increase the number of badge holders, resulting in pressures on resources and access to dedicated parking concessions, which will undermine the operation and also the credibility of the scheme that we wish to protect. So, it's a fine balance, ensuring that the eligibility criteria in Wales are correct and the valuable parking concessions are protected.