5. Will the First Minister provide an update on the Welsh Government's actions to tackle modern day slavery? OAQ54686

I thank Dawn Bowden for that. Wales remains the first and only UK nation to have appointed an anti-slavery co-ordinator. Cases of modern slavery in Wales are reviewed by a national group, including the Crown Prosecution Service, relevant law enforcement and support agencies. 

Thank you for that answer, First Minister. I will be careful what I say in my question, because there are current police investigations in my constituency on this matter. But such investigations highlight the importance of everyone remaining vigilant to the problems of human trafficking and modern day slavery and to the horrible exploitation of vulnerable people that can happen in a wide range of everyday situations. First Minister, the current investigations in my constituency focus on the residential care sector, which I believe to be part of the care system that is subject to our regulation and inspection. So, can you assure me that, at an appropriate time, all the relevant evidence will be reviewed to see what further actions might be possible? For example, should we be looking to ensure that inspection bodies are more alert to the issues around modern slavery and what they should be looking out for as a further way to help tackle this problem in the care sector in Wales?

I thank Dawn Bowden for that important question. Llywydd, because we have the only UK anti-slavery co-ordinator here in Wales, we have been able to use that post to ensure that we have joint and consistent training across Wales on this matter. I want to give the Member an assurance that all cases of modern slavery are reviewed by an all-Wales anti slavery casework group, which goes through them to make sure that we learn the lessons from them. And it is a sobering thought, Llywydd, isn't it, that, in 2018, there were 251 cases of modern slavery reported here in Wales. As the Member suggested, this isn't something that happens somewhere else, it isn't something that somebody else sees but you never do. That's why training our inspectors, training people who come across circumstances where this might be the case, is so important to us.

And we as Assembly Members have opportunities here as well. Llywydd, I myself had cause to report an example, following a street surgery that I carried out in my own constituency over the summer, where local residents were alarmed at what they saw going on in a building at the far end of their own street. And, on investigation, it turned out there was something that badly needed to be looked into there. So, we all have responsibilities, just as others who are the eyes and ears of public services in Wales. 

That 251 figure, Llywydd, while it's shocking in its way, is regarded in the sector as a success, because it means that more people are willing to come forward and identify instances of this sort. We began this journey in 2012, led very much by my colleague Joyce Watson and everything that she's done in this field. There were 34 cases reported in that year. Six years later, it was up to over 250. And that, I think, does show us that there is a greater awareness, a greater alertness, and therefore a greater ability to do what Dawn Bowden suggested, which is to gather the evidence and learn the lessons. 

In your response to Helen Mary's earlier question, First Minister, you mentioned the ethical employment Welsh Government code of practice. I'm assuming that's the same code that we're talking about here. So, I was pleased to hear the number of both public and private organisations that had signed up to it. I hear your response to Dawn Bowden's question, which was very full, to be fair, but I'm wondering whether it's time to perhaps have a bit of a publicity relaunch on this, because, if there are 150-odd private companies or private organisations that are observing this code, first of all, I'd like to know how many of them are actually following it fully, and not just concentrating on the living wage and perhaps not concentrating on the anti-slavery element. And, actually, we have thousands of companies here in Wales—perhaps more of them could learn more about it and be prepared to sign up to it. 

I thank Suzy Davies for that. I'm very keen we take every opportunity there is to promote the code. We're doing it through the economic contract; we'll be doing it this week. This is Wales Safeguarding Week, and my colleague Julie Morgan will be attending events—already has in south Wales, and will be in north Wales later this week publicising the actions we're taking as part of that. And, of course, Suzy Davies is right: the code of practice in ethical employment is about terms and conditions and circumstances in which people are employed, but it's more than that. Procurement is an important part of it, and the way in which people are brought into the workplace in Wales is at the forefront of that code. So, I'll think carefully about what she said. We take whatever opportunities we already have, and maybe in the new year there will be a case for having another event that highlights what has been achieved already and draws more people in support of it.