5. Statement by the Deputy Minister and Chief Whip: Holocaust Memorial Day

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:29 pm on 28 January 2020.

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Photo of Jane Hutt Jane Hutt Labour 5:29, 28 January 2020

Thank you very much, Jenny Rathbone, and thank you for drawing attention to the many other broadcasts and events that took place yesterday. I think you would be interested to know that Dr Martin Stern is making visits all week—he's 80 and he walked over to the Friends Meeting House last night and he gave a speech for an hour without a note. He was remarkable. Today he's speaking to 280 pupils from year 9 at Fitzalan High School; he's going to Eastern High School, he's speaking to students, he's going to meet the school council; he's speaking to 130 sixth-formers and staff from Cardiff and central south Wales; he's going to Swansea; he's going all over Wales in south Wales—all of your constituencies, you will find that he's going to be there. He's been to north Wales, he tells me, several times. But it is quite remarkable, the influence of survivors. He's a retired doctor, and he just says, 'This is what I do', and he spoke last night about the fact that he could not speak about it, he could not do this, until he had retired. And many other survivors have been in this place, and I thank you for mentioning Mala Tribich and what she did. 

Now, I just want to finally say, in response to your two points, yes, it's important that Stand Together actually reflects what we're trying to do in terms of strengthening equality and inclusion and human rights in Wales, and we must recognise that in terms of LGBT people and what we're doing to tackle hate crime, exclusion and discrimination. And I will follow up with Issac Blake. We fund, support, as I've said, organisations that support Gypsies and Travellers, but also the Romani arts community that Issac supports. Because he influences schools across Wales, from Newport, from Pill, to Carmarthen, to Pembrokeshire, and the children, who aren't—obviously, these are not all diverse schools, but they are schools that are learning about this, and we will look at how we can extend our knowledge, as that will be important for the students and the children, who will benefit.