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

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:36 pm on 28 January 2020.

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Photo of Jane Hutt Jane Hutt Labour 5:36, 28 January 2020

Thank you very much, Suzy Davies, and thank you for sharing with us what you gained and learned from your visit not only to Auschwitz-Birkenau but also to the conference for the European Jewish Association. I'd like you—you've given us some of the recommendations; I'd like you to write to me and send them to me. But as you say, you've come back from that conference, immediately got a question in to me, which was very good, this afternoon, and I've welcomed that in my oral questions.

But it is about action rather than words. I also recognise that there are ways in which we are working together across the whole of Wales. You mentioned Norma Glass, for example; I met with her and the First Minister in the summer, and last Saturday attended the starting of the opening of the BAME cultural and digital hub in Swansea at the Grand Theatre, where of course there were Jewish, Muslim—all faiths, all communities there represented.

But just very quickly, just to say in terms of what Welsh Government is already doing to deliver our commitment to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism—we've arranged training on antisemitism for Welsh Government officials, and we've also offered that to external stakeholders, including a focus on the IHRA definition of antisemitism. We've organised Holocaust survivors with Welsh connections to give talks, we're working with the Holocaust Educational Trust, and, of course, I've talked about our clear co-ordinated action in terms of tackling hate crime. But also, just to say that we have the hate crime criminal justice board, which has had a full discussion on antisemitic hate crime, and working with Victim Support Cymru in terms of ensuring we have a recording system to flag antisemitic hate crimes and incidents. So, I think it would be useful for me to respond to your letter to highlight what already we are seeking to do.