In accordance with Standing Order 12.23(iii) amendments 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 tabled to the motion have not been selected.

The next item is the debate on tackling racism and race inequality, and I call on the Deputy Minister to move the motion—Jane Hutt.

Motion NDM7414 Rebecca Evans, Siân Gwenllian, Darren Millar

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Supports wholeheartedly:

a) the global fight to root out racism and racist ideology and strive towards a more equal Wales, tackling systemic and structural race inequality; and

b) the principles of the United Nations International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

2. Calls for an update from the Senedd Commission on the development of a cross-party Welsh declaration embodying the principles of the CERD.

3. Welcomes the diligent work of the BAME COVID-19 Advisory group, co-chaired by Judge Ray Singh and Dr Heather Payne, of the Risk Assessment Sub Group chaired by Professor Keshav Singhal and the Socioeconomic Subgroup chaired by Professor Emmanuel Ogbonna and calls on the Welsh Government to ensure Professor Ogbonna’s report's recommendations are implemented in full and at pace.

4. Recognises the need for a Race Equality Action Plan for Wales to address structural and systemic inequality, and advance opportunity for black, Asian and minority ethnic people in Wales.

Motion moved.

Diolch, Llywydd. 2020 has been one of the most challenging and difficult years in memory, particularly for black, Asian and minority ethnic people. COVID-19 has exposed deep inequalities in our society. The resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement, following the violent death of George Floyd, shows why this annual debate on tackling racism and race inequality is more important than ever. This motion does focus on the events of this year, but it also reaffirms the commitments we made last year in our race debate—cross-party commitments. In that debate we supported, as we do today in our motion, the fundamental importance of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination

Llywydd, as the coronavirus took hold earlier this year, we began to learn of its impact on black, Asian and minority ethnic people. The First Minister immediately established a COVID-19 BAME advisory group, under the leadership of Judge Ray Singh. Two sub-groups were established, led by professors Keshav Singhal and Emmanuel Ogbonna. These groups delivered at remarkable pace, providing tangible and practical advice and tools that set Wales ahead in terms of our response. The development of the Welsh workforce risk assessment tool, the first of its kind in the UK, now in widespread use in the NHS and social care in Wales, but rolled out in other workplace settings, is helping to safeguard people's health and well-being.

The Welsh Government also chose to address the contribution of the socioeconomic factors to the virus head on, responding to Emmanuel Ogbonna's report and his group—an acknowledgement that medical data could not explain the disproportionate impact on BAME people alone. A report of the socioeconomic group set out the entrenched inequalities experienced by black, Asian and minority ethnic people, which COVID-19 has highlighted in the most tragic way. It should remind us that the rights enshrined over 50 years ago in article 5 of the convention on the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination are yet to be fully embedded in society. I'd like to put on record my thanks to the advisory groups for the work they've done, for their continuing leadership, together with the sharing of insights and expertise, which has been invaluable to us all. 

This is not work that can wait. The First Minister published our response to the socioeconomic report on 24 September. We'd already implemented a number of recommendations, with more under way. During the pandemic, we produced 'keep Wales safe' communications in 36 different languages, to make health messages accessible to everyone living in Wales. Test, trace and protect services have been expanded to establish black, Asian and minority ethnic outreach workers within communities. And those in employment have also been affected by lockdown. We funded the ethnic minorities and youth support team, with partners, to deliver a BAME multilingual helpline for people to access advice and support on many issues, including employment and income. Work is under way to ensure that anti-racism training programmes are undertaken across the public sector. Llywydd, in February we launched a public appointment strategy to tackle the under-representation of BAME and disabled people in public appointments. This is under way, developing a leadership training programme for black, Asian and minority ethnic and disabled people, as recommended in the Ogbonna report.

Renewing our commitment to eliminate racism and discrimination across our nation includes education, and the communities, contributions and cynefin: BAME experiences and the new curriculum working group, chaired by Professor Charlotte Williams, is in place. Our goal is to embed the teaching of themes relating to black, Asian and minority ethnic communities and experiences across all parts of the school curriculum.

I've been engaged with BAME fora and events right across Wales, including Black Lives Matter events, as well as through our Wales race forum, and, during the height of the pandemic, I was grateful for the frequent advice and counsel. We met very often to learn and share information, to act together to address emerging needs, and this dialogue is vital as we develop a race equality action plan to be delivered by the end of this Senedd term. And our plan will be achieved through extensive engagement and will be co-constructed with BAME communities, community groups and organisation, with Professor Ogbonna co-chairing the steering group with the Permanent Secretary. This plan must provide the foundation for bringing about systemic and sustainable change for Wales.

We know there are many issues to tackle across the Welsh Government, including health inequalities, employment for young people, education, access to housing, everyday experience of racism, structural and systemic racism, representation and visibility. We recognise the need for fundamental change in our society. We cannot and will not do this on our own. We're committed to working with black, Asian and minority ethnic people, hearing their testimonies and acting on that evidence. We'll address the interests of specific communities and issues raised by intersectionality. It will be informed by research and data, official inquiries and reports that have already taken place. It will be backed up by clear, concise actions and recommendations, including the development of a race disparity unit in the Welsh Government.

But I want to maker this clear: this is not my plan; it's owned by the whole of the Welsh Government, and we want to see a culture change across the Senedd, in public services and in Welsh society, because Wales is a multicultural nation with a shared history and a shared contribution to its success. Migrants to Wales were a major part of this country developing as an economic powerhouse prior to the first world war, and migrants have continued to be an integral part of our nation that has developed as a nation of sanctuary, which is what we strive to be. We celebrate our BAME communities and acknowledge that we must all reflect on our positions to ensure that all of our citizens are able to reach their potential.

Today, I call on leaders in Wales at all levels to drive racism and race inequality out of our country. I ask everyone to take a stand against inequality wherever and whenever they see it or experience it, to seek out racial inequalities, racist and race disparities and take action to address them. We have to look carefully and honestly at the structures and systems in society, and consider where and how we can bring about real change for the lives of people of colour in Wales. We have an opportunity, a responsibility and a means to do this. Let's show that unity of purpose here in the Senedd today. Diolch yn fawr. 

When we take a moment to think about what we're discussing today, when we actually stop and think that, in 2020, we're still having to talk about tackling racial inequality and racism in our society, in our country, it's quite incredible, and it beggars belief that still, still people are being judged, abused and cast aside due to purely the colour of their skin.

Last night, as part of the nightly chat that I have with my 10-year-old son as I tuck him into bed, he asked me what I'm doing tomorrow, and I said, 'The usual stuff really, and we're debating tackling racism and race inequality.' He took a deep breath, paused, and screwed up his face in confusion. 'So, mummy?' 'Yes, Henry?' 'Why do you need to debate that; is it really that bad? Why? Is that why Man United and other teams, and Lewis Hamilton and F1 are still getting on their knees and wearing black T-shirts? I don't understand why people don't like someone because of their skin colour. None of my friends think like that.' Poignant and also reassuring. A conversation that, no doubt, children and parents the length and breadth of our country have had when discussing what they're seeing on their televisions at the moment. And I know it's being discussed in our schools, which is welcome, because education, as Jane Hutt just pointed out, is the key to change. It's hard to respond to my son and others why generations above him have failed to eradicate racism. But we haven't. It's still happening. Some of it's out of our control, but there is still racial hate and racial discrimination happening somewhere right now. And this, to some extent, has to fall on our shoulders as legislatures, as law makers, as we have the powers to really change things.

In my view, there isn't really anything to debate today, as, surely, we all agree that there is a need to change laws at speed, to ensure that, in every way possible, within our powers, we can eradicate this injustice to humankind. I was brought up to love thy neighbour, to treat others how you'd like to be treated yourself. Therefore, I find not giving someone a job and treating someone differently just because of the colour of their skin hard to understand. We are all equal, and I take comfort from the majority of our young people sharing that view.

I really feel for those who still, after 20 years of an Assembly and Parliament, don't think the Welsh Governments have done enough to date to tackle racism and inequality in all forms, when, practically, there is so much we can do, and that there are still people suffering injustice every day. Following the death of George Floyd, though miles away, it was met with widespread anger and disbelief, and a sense of injustice across our country, and resonated strongly here. The Black Lives Matter movement, whatever you think of them as a movement, particularly through sport, have managed to get this really important message into homes across our nation—that inequality still exists in many ways in today's society. It is current affairs now. It is on our televisions daily now. So, now is the time for us to act. Being co-submitters of this motion, we obviously support all aspects outlined, and clearly commend the work now being done by the Government in this Parliament, and the BAME COVID-19 advisory group, risk assessment group, and socioeconomic sub-group, led by some remarkable people, which is outlined in the motion.

There is, unfortunately, in 2020 a real need for a race equality action plan to address structural and systemic inequality, and we need to advance opportunity for black, Asian, minority ethnic people in Wales. We wholly support that. There is much that's being done at a UK level, and here, and I thank Jane Hutt and the Welsh Government for all that you're doing now, particularly during this pandemic, as this pandemic has highlighted the vast inequalities, as you've outlined.

It is also good to see that in governments, particularly in the UK Government, the key offices of state are now being held, and here in the Welsh Government, by BAME people. Here we can see real progress, but this must be reflected in all parts of our society. Article 2 of the international convention, written back in 1965, calls on all state parties to condemn racial discrimination and undertake to pursue, by all appropriate means and without delay, a policy of eliminating racial discrimination in all its forms and promoting understanding among all races—1965, and we've still got a long way to go. We can no longer rely on this being a generational thing that will die out. We need to act now and we need to act fast. The Welsh Conservatives are determined to play our part in creating a more equal and just Wales. We support this motion. 

There can be no doubt that racism, in all its forms, is real and rife for so many people in Wales. The Wales Governance Centre has shown us how imprisonment rates of people coming from black and minority ethnic groups are much higher here, with average sentence length being greater too. The 2018 report from the Equality and Human Rights Commission, 'Is Wales Fairer?', found that race was a motivating factor in 68 per cent of all of the 2,676 recorded hate crimes in Wales. And hate crime in Wales has increased by 16 per cent on the previous year. We know from the Institute for Fiscal Studies that people of colour are more likely to be employed in shut-down sectors, therefore more likely to be made unemployed. So, there is no doubt that racism exists—it is as prevalent in Wales as it is elsewhere, and in some cases it's worse here.

Questions of racism have been brought to the fore over the summer following the brutal murder of George Floyd and the protests that followed. Let's be under no illusion that these issues are confined to the United States, because we all have to have our eyes wide open here too. I've made the point many times before that politics and how we debate politics has an impact on racism and how racism is played out on the streets. How we talk about asylum seekers and immigration, how issues like the recent decision of the Home Office to house people in army camps in Penally, and how the Home Secretary talks about these matters, and how some have sought to exploit such decisions, directly contributes to ill-feeling towards minorities and fuels the flames of racism.

The dog-whistling we have seen from the far right politicians has been appalling. They know what they're doing, and they deserve to be called out by all of us who can see it. Because these actions and words have impacts, and that could mean a black child is bullied in the playground, or black teenagers getting beaten up, or women having scarves ripped from their heads. These are the everyday results of racist dog-whistling, and we all have to unite against it before it's too late. Racism is getting worse. There's lots of talk; let's now see some action that ends up reversing these trends.

On the face of it, I have no difficulty in endorsing and embracing point 1a) of this motion—why would I, why would anyone? However, I do think that the rest of point 1, and point 2, are worth questioning. Why does this motion refer to an international convention made in 1969 when the UK Government passed its own race relations Act in 1968, which has been reviewed over time? And the convention itself? It was, and presumably still is, administered by the United Nations—the same United Nations that is stained by the sexual abuse of those it apparently seeks to protect. So, I would actually want to distance Wales from this; it feels very tainted.

And let's look at the party moving this forward. The Government in Wales is, and has been since 1999 in some shape or form, Welsh Labour. And it's that party—the Labour Party—that has been the subject of a very recent EHRC investigation into antisemitism, and the party that has had 20 years to deal with many of these issues, although I accept that none of those levers are held in Wales. But also, the Plaid Cymru leader has remained completely and utterly silent on the antisemitic tweet made by a prospective candidate—the same person given a literal platform in the Senedd more than once here, and it's in the headlines again today. In fact, the Board of Deputies of British Jews have said this:

'Jews and anti-semites alike are likely to draw the conclusion that Plaid is willing to tolerate antisemitism in its ranks'.

So, we clearly do need some concrete commitments to anti-racism here and now.

And let me also highlight the use of the phrase 'BAME'. I find it very dehumanising and lazy. People are individuals, and there is a world of difference between somebody of Japanese descent and someone from the Gypsy/Traveller community. However, for brevity, I will use it for today's debate.

I've read the report compiled by the COVID-19 advisory group with some concern. I am most deeply disturbed by the reference to the maternal mortality in black women being five times that in white women. And this is common knowledge—again, the remit of Welsh Government and the Welsh NHS. If this is now an accepted statistic, how long has this been a thing and what are you doing about it?

The report is the report and I accept its findings and understand why the scope has widened to consider socioeconomic matters. To be completely honest, some of those findings with regard to loneliness, lack of opportunity, access to housing and so on could refer to rural Wales or to the people living in the Valleys, so I don't think many of these issues are solely confined to the BAME community. We didn't know what we were facing when the pandemic started. We know more now and we can use this growing body of knowledge and experience to inform better decisions going forward. I welcome in particular the recommendations made by the report, especially the risk assessment process for all staff.

I was attracted to aspects of the amendments tabled by Neil Hamilton and Neil McEvoy, and would like an explanation as to why they were deselected. My impression of the UK as a whole is that it is essentially a tolerant and respectful country. If not, why would so many people try so hard to come here and make their lives here? In fact, it took me some time to be accepted in my own rural community in Wales, being as I'm English, and it was only through my lambing experience and working on farms that I ever got the leeway with the Welsh people here and gained their respect. And I fully agree that the wrongs of many Governments over many decades should be righted forthwith in terms of Windrush.

While I appreciate that this report was written at a particular point in time, I find it a matter of great regret that it refers to the death of a career criminal on the other side of the world. As we now know, this was hijacked by a Marxist group whose members want to dismantle the state, the police and the family. And I doubt any of these aims would assist any of us, let alone members of the BAME communities.

So, in conclusion, yes, I agree wholeheartedly with the commitment to tackling racism of all kinds and inequalities of all kinds too. I don't believe that to do this you need to make a particular statement or endorse a particular set of promises made a very long time ago, but I do believe that some in this Chamber need to take a very long hard look at themselves before looking to others to live these values. Thank you.

Early on in the pandemic, it became quite apparent that black and ethnic minority communities were being particularly badly affected. And at that time, locally, we had some issues in our communities, where there was understandably a good deal of concern and anxiety. We then arranged meetings with the local health board, which were very useful and productive, and then, of course, Welsh Government were very quick to act.

I'd like to pay tribute to Jane and the First Minister, and the Government as a whole, in setting up the working group that looked at those issues and indeed produced a toolkit for assessment of risk for front-line workers and others in those black and ethnic minority communities, because that was very important. That group then went on to do wider work on the economy and social circumstances and produced recommendations, which are very important.

The committee I chair as well, Llywydd, did some work that made similar findings. And I think that what we found, really, was that the factors that we'd known about for a long time in terms of discrimination and disadvantage faced by our ethnic minorities was playing itself out in terms of COVID: issues around poor-quality jobs, inadequate protection at work, insecure and low-paid work, overcrowded and poor-quality housing, and, of course, the front-line jobs that people from our black and ethnic minority communities were doing, sometimes, unfortunately, with inadequate understanding of their vulnerability and insufficient protection.

So, with that set of issues—the longstanding problems, but the very real emergency and crisis around COVID—it was absolutely necessary to act very quickly nationally in Wales and locally, and I'm really thankful to Welsh Government and our local authority in Newport, and I'm sure others around Wales, that action was taken quickly and effectively. I think our challenge now is to build on those short-term actions and the recommendations that have been produced and make sure that we're effective in the medium and longer term as well. I know that Welsh Government is looking at some of its strategies: there's a short-term update on the cohesion strategy and the tackling hate crime framework and also a commitment to a longer term integration strategy, and we know about the race equality action plan and strategy. So, there's a lot happening.

I think, in the light of all of that, we reflect as well on what's been said many times by our black and ethnic minority communities—that there's been a lot of work, a lot of recommendations, a lot of reports and strategies over a period of years, but, obviously, given that we still have these entrenched problems, there hasn't been enough actual effective, on the ground action to deal with these issues. And I think, very often, it comes across really, really strongly from these communities that, understandably and rightly, they feel that it is time for effective and concerted action to deal with these longstanding problems. The problem has been highlighted so many times and yet, to such a great extent, they are still with us. So, when they make those pleas, I think obviously we have to listen and we do have to act ever more effectively. 

I know that it's been very good locally in Newport to see young activists and others coming to the fore. We had a very effective Black Lives Matter march through Newport, which respected social distancing, and was very responsibly organised and very effective in the messages that it got across. We've had local Asian councillors taking part in Welsh Government's working group and feeding back information locally, and that's been very effective as well. We do see a lot of progress, but I think it's abundantly clear, now, isn't it, from the highlighting of vulnerability that's taken place during this pandemic, that these problems are so overdue, in terms of being effectively dealt with, that there can be no further delay. We need effective and wide-ranging action on the various recommendations produced, and we need it very, very quickly indeed.

So, I'm really pleased the Welsh Government has understood that urgency, got groups together, done important work, and is now very committed to short-term, medium-term and long-term action on these problems that I think, right across Wales, black and ethnic minority communities have every right to say have to be tackled effectively once and for all.  

I've now called representatives of all political groups to speak, and I hope to be able to call all Members who've indicated that they want to speak during the debate, but one Member has walked into the Chamber—and this is for the purposes of those of you who are on Zoom—and gagged himself, and is holding up a prop and has been photographing himself during the debate and placing those photographs on Twitter. That breaches I don't know how many Standing Orders. But I'll put all of that aside, and you will be called to speak, Neil McEvoy. But, to do so, you will need to ungag yourself and put down your prop. If you do so over the next few minutes, you will be called later on in the debate. Siân Gwenllian.   

Thank you very much, Llywydd. I wish to focus on one particular aspect of the motion related to the socioeconomic sub-group established by the First Minister at the height of the pandemic to look at the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on black and minority ethnic communities. This is a very thorough approach and report and provides a way forward for action, and that's what we need: action. And the motion before the Senedd today does bind the Welsh Government to accept those recommendations in full and to take urgent action to implement them.

I welcome this sub-group's report as an addition to the evidence and the increasing consensus of the need to make black and minority ethnic history a central part and a compulsory part of the teaching of history in our schools. Rooting anti-racism in the curriculum is one small but substantial step in the bigger picture as we move towards eradicating structural and systemic racism in Wales, and there is an opportunity for this legislature, through the curriculum Bill, to ensure that that is guaranteed in statute.

I have mentioned before in this Chamber the comments made by Judge Ray Singh, another who has stated that a voluntary approach of teaching about these issues doesn't work and, as a result, BAME history is virtually absent from school classrooms. But, despite the clear recommendation that action should be taken immediately to include BAME history in the national curriculum for Wales 2022, the Government's response is a cause of concern. The Government say that they acknowledge that developing certain aspects of the new curriculum are sensitive issues, and then refer to another working group established, chaired by Professor Charlotte Williams, focusing on teaching materials most of all.

Now, I don't oppose the establishment of the Charlotte Williams working group—to the contrary—but it does concern me that the Government's response to a clear recommendation from this sub-group is being diluted. The latest working group chaired by Charlotte Williams, as far as I can see, hasn't been asked to consider making BAME history and education a compulsory part of the curriculum through the Bill, and there's no expectation for this working group to report until the spring, and by that point it is more than likely that the curriculum Bill will be an Act. So, I would like a pledge from the Deputy Minister today that the remit and timetable for this working group chaired by Charlotte Williams will not actually hinder the possibility that the Government may accept an amendment in Stage 2 or 3 of the curriculum and assessment Bill to make BAME history a mandatory part of that curriculum.  

Jenny Rathbone.

Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. I'll see if I can just improve the sound. Sorry about that. Thank you very much for calling me. I was very impressed with the Ogbonna report and particularly its highlighting of the difficulties that asylum seekers and refugees have in accessing mental health services. This is a really important issue. Some years ago, I befriended a boy who was an asylum seeker who had witnessed the murder of his father by political opponents in the country he fled from, and his mother often asked in school for him to get counselling and to get help. But, as he progressed through school and through college, he never managed to get the counselling he needed in order to overcome the adverse childhood experience that he'd had. Unfortunately, he is now, tragically, addicted and has been thrown out by his family. He's now homeless, and it's going to cost an awful lot more money to put things right, if he manages to survive. It's a very sad story, and I'm sure my friend is not alone in all this. It really does highlight the importance of teachers understanding when children are suffering and the need to refer them to services where they can help heal the wounds that children often carry with them.

I think one of the important things that's highlighted in the report is that the progress that BAME children make—black pupils have lower attainment than white pupils in early years education, but by the end of key stage 4, when they take their GCSEs, they are slightly out-performing white pupils, which is a credit both to their families and to their teachers. We need to do more, though, because we know that the Gypsy and Traveller community has abysmally low levels of attainment compared to other black and minority ethnic groups, and in discourse that we've had in the Senedd not that long ago, we know that the traveller sites in Wales, only half of them have any form of internet connection, and that means it's extremely difficult both for pupils to access online learning if there's another lockdown, but also for other people who live there to access all the other public services that are now more readily available online.

I think that I have to highlight that many of my BAME constituents are disproportionately affected by the COVID pandemic because they're working in areas of the economy where they have no right to sick leave and they're people, for example, working in hospitality and as taxi drivers, who are very, very seriously impacted because they have no right to any support, and as freelancers, it's very difficult for them to get public support.

I want to just recognise the terrible struggle of people who come from abroad and who get work permits to come here, and the discrimination and the economic hardship that they go through in order to stay here and the huge cost of renewing their work permits. I think this is one of the things that we need to address when we want to become a nation of sanctuary. There are still so many things that we have to do. We have to recognise that air pollution is a killer and the BAME communities in my constituency are disproportionately living in the areas of highest air pollution. Equally, housing: they're obviously often poorly housed.

So, I want to understand that of the—I think it was 25—recommendations from the Ogbonna report that were deemed to be ones they wanted to be addressed immediately, how are we going to ensure that we're going to take all of these forward when we are struggling with the pandemic? Clearly, the ones that need to take top priority are the ones that impact on the disproportionate numbers of people who have been seriously ill with COVID, or in many cases have died, but this is something we really, really need to address, particularly through the curriculum reform. We need to learn about our own past and the terrible things that we did to people in other countries and some of the injustices that we still haven't rectified as a result of that.

Neil Hamilton. You have to unmute yourself, Neil Hamilton. There you go. 

I'm so sorry.

That's fine. Carry on.

Diolch yn fawr iawn, Llywydd. Thank you very much for calling me. Few things, I think, illustrate the gulf between the obsessions of the political class on the one hand and the real concerns of ordinary people on the other in their everyday lives. This disconnect has grown, I think, in the course of my lifetime. I'm very disturbed by the references to systemic and structural racism in Wales in this motion and in some of the speeches that we've heard today. I think this is a grotesque slur and an appalling libel on our own electors.

Laura Anne Jones told a charming anecdote about her 10-year-old son: he doesn't know any people who thought that people were to be thought worse of on account of the colour of their face. Well, I think if she'd asked other parents the same question, for the views of their friends, she'd have got exactly the same answer. I don't know anybody who thinks worse of somebody because of the colour of his or her skin, and I think that would be the experience of us all. There is no evidence for this, I believe, that there is systemic racism or institutional racism in Wales, or indeed in the United Kingdom.

There was of course at one time: when I was born in 1949, I was brought into the world by probably the only black doctor in Wales. He was a Nigerian and I was born in a pit village in the Sirhowy valley called Fleur-de-lis, and my father helped him to overcome racial prejudice and the negative attitudes of the time and to build a practice. He found it very difficult to get going, so he devoted himself to my mother and her difficult pregnancies in the years to come. And Neil McEvoy's amendment referring to the Windrush generation, I think, is very poignant as well, and had it been selected, I would certainly have voted for it. There was real racism in the 1940s and the 1950s, and as my proposed amendment said, in the course of the last five decades also, we've made tremendous progress in changing social attitudes and therefore improving the life chances of people of different ethnic groups.

The race relations industry, of course, works very hard to create friction, because that creates jobs for them and keeps them in jobs. They're grudge hunters, so they'll find grudges. The references to Black Lives Matter I find quite extraordinary, because this isn't some kind of benign social organisation; this is an extreme far-left agitprop organisation that believes in defunding the police and ending capitalism. It's explicitly committed to that. Its founder, Patrisse Cullors, an American, believes we should abolish the police, abolish prisons and abolish the army. And of course, the protests of Black Lives Matter gave rise to some of the most disgraceful scenes of violence and disorder that we've seen in the last 12 months, with the desecration of the Cenotaph in London and other war memorials in other parts of the country, and the tearing down and desecration of statues to famous British people.

Of course, what counts as racism today in history takes no account whatsoever of the attitudes of the time: Mr Gladstone is now a racist, of course, as well. His family did make money out of the slave trade, but he devoted his political life, of course, to the abolition of slavery and the improvement of the condition of ordinary people in this country. The idea that he should be regarded as a racist and, therefore, that statues to him should be removed is just absurd. Of course, there is a Cambridge professor who tweeted in the aftermath of Black Lives Matter that white lives don't matter, but of course, she was promoted to a full professorship at Cambridge, so that kind of racism in reverse is rewarded, whereas the fantasy racism of our historical figures is execrated by those who follow the Black Lives Matter movement.

So, Black Lives Matter's aggressive tactics, I think, set race relations back. It creates resentment and ordinary people know what's going on here. People who have very little in life are told that they've got white privilege. Well, they don't recognise privilege in the lives that they lead in places like Blaenau Gwent, for example, one of the poorest towns in western Europe. Labour and Plaid between them have now become totally obsessed by identity politics, which pit groups against one another based on race or gender or sexuality. Labour, in particular, is now the prisoner of a metropolitan multicultural mindset, which is why, of course, they lost all those seats in so-called 'red wall' constituencies in the last general election.

And I'm amazed by the enthusiasm expressed by the Conservative Party for this motion and the attitudes that lie behind it. I don't know what the average Conservative Member thinks of that kind of approach; I don't think they'd be very impressed by it.

The overwhelming majority of people in this country do not think along racial lines and they judge people on their character. The UK is in fact one of the most tolerant countries in the world, which believes in the rule of law, free speech and democracy. But racism is endemic in many parts of Africa and Asia. This UN convention that's mentioned in the motion today is just a case of hypocrisy and virtue signalling for many of its signatories. China, Turkey and Brazil are on the monitoring committee that looks at the way this convention is being observed. Well, look at the treatment of the Uighurs in China by the Chinese Government, or the Kurds in Turkey by the Turkish Government, or Brazil's attitude towards the indigenous peoples of the Amazon.

You are now out of time, Neil Hamilton, so if you can bring your contribution to a conclusion.

Yes. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. So, my overall view is that whilst racism is of course wrong and to be deprecated, and we all should work towards its reduction, and ultimately, possibly, its elimination, it's not going to be achieved by the kind of debate that we're having today.

I want to disassociate myself from an awful lot of what has been said before. I'm going to welcome this debate, especially as we celebrate Black History Month and acknowledge that it is an integral part of the history of all of us here. Black History Month provides us with an opportunity to celebrate the achievements and the contributions made by individuals with African and African Caribbean heritage. In Wales, it gives us a chance to think about the role that black people have played in shaping our history and our culture. The Senedd Commission is proud that this year's activities, to note this important movement, are the most ambitious yet. They were launched last week with a lecture by academic Abu-Bakr Madden Al-Shabazz. We will look at how the Windrush generation has shaped all our futures here in Wales.

But we must make sure that the important messages of equality, which we remember during Black History Month, are woven into our everyday life, every single day of the year. As a Commission, we are proud of the work that we are doing to promote equality for black, Asian and minority ethnic colleagues, but we know we have a long way to go. As an example, last year, the difference in pay between BAME and non-BAME staff was nearly 40 per cent. That almost halved this year, but it all is still far too much. We are going in the right direction. The difference in pay is as a result of a lack of senior staff within the Commission and that is something that we are taking steps to address. We're aiming to increase the number of external applications from candidates from BAME backgrounds over the next three years. We've already taken steps to increase the number of apprentices we take on from a BAME background, by working with organisations on outreach work, with schools, communities and relevant networks. One of the successful candidates last year was named by the Quality Skills Alliance as the apprentice of the year, and has since been nominated for the public service apprentice award at the UK BAME Apprenticeship Awards.

As Members of the Senedd, we know there is collective, agreed support for the principles of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, meaning that we must take further action as we legislate and scrutinise on behalf of the people of Wales. The Commission is undertaking the requested facilitation of development of a cross-party Welsh declaration, on behalf of the Senedd, to reflect the need to make the Senedd commitment work effectively and tackle all forms of racial discrimination and equality here in Wales. The Commission is currently consulting with the cross-party group on race equality. I also note the work of the BAME COVID-19 socioeconomic sub-group, and support the motion calling on the Welsh Government to ensure that Professor Ogbonna's report recommendations are implemented. As a Senedd Commission, we recognise the additional role we play in the way that our Parliament in supported, for example, providing information and training to Members. With the commencement of the socioeconomic duty on public bodies, we will ensure information is provided to Members to support their scrutiny of this responsibility. 

I'd also like to take this opportunity to invite everyone here today to join me in recognising the inspirational work of Patti Flynn from Tiger Bay, who sadly died last month. Patti was one of the founding members of the Black History Month movement in Wales and, significantly for this debate, will be remembered as an advocate and campaigner for black history to be included in education. Those who wish to know more about the history of the area that our Senedd building occupies should look at the wonderful gallery of images on the Pierhead building's social media feeds. They've teamed up with local Butetown historians to tell the real story of Tiger Bay. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister, and to the Welsh Government, for bringing this very important debate to the Senedd Chamber. Llywydd, black lives matter. 2020 will be a year that will be burnt into the collective consciousness with the COVID-19 pandemic; however, we here in this place can ensure that 2020 is also remembered for the year that we collectively said, all of us, that enough is enough when it comes to racism. Black lives truly do matter, but words are cheap and actions are not.

In the communities of Islwyn and throughout Wales we have seen the concerns manifest that black, Asian and minority ethnic groups are disproportionately contracting and dying from COVID-19. The First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, has led assertively in constituting his BME COVID-19 advisory group. The report of the socioeconomic sub-group, chaired by the eminent Professor Emmanuel Ogbonna, is an important body of evidence-based work, focusing on the fact that available statistics suggest that British BAME groups are up to two times more likely to die from the disease than their white counterparts. It is right that we do this as a nation and that we accept the facts that we find.

The report's finding that race inequalities exist in Wales does not surprise me or many others in this place, but it is a sobering thought for all to consider, especially those deniers, as we've just heard, in the factions of residue of some Brexit and UKIP opposite. I could not and cannot believe their denial of the facts, of the evidence, and am actually appalled at the language used and world view proudly displayed in the amendments to this debate. My advice is for people watching this debate to read the amendments set out. But, if you deny climate change and if you deny expert health and science evidence, I know that you would deny racism in Wales. 

In 2020 in Wales, our proud country, the experiences of our citizens continue to be affected by their racial profile. It is a fact. We must do better, and we will do better. I note that the Equality and Human Rights Commission's 2018 report, 'Is Wales Fairer?', highlighted that race inequality persists in Wales, with race hate crime still being too prevalent. In education, attainment gaps, the report notes, are also sadly evident. BAME groups are also under-represented in apprenticeships. And the question is: why?

So, I do applaud the inquiry of the Deputy Minister and Chief Whip, Jane Hutt, who has committed the Welsh Government to developing a race equality plan for Wales. Thank you. We need those answers. Wales needs those answers. The report recommends, and I also welcome, the Welsh Government's proposal of an independent racial equality champion for Wales, the production of the race equality strategy for Wales, and the establishment of the race disparity unit within the Welsh Government.

I have campaigned all my life for racial equality, as have many others in this place, and the death threats I have had from far-right groups, and media abuse, has been, at times, part of life. So, racial hatred is very alive and deeply seated and it is actively being bred from far-right groups across the UK, Europe and in Wales. So, now is the time to act.

But, leading into the Senedd elections now, it is time for political parties and certain newspapers and press outlets to stop racist language and inference used in party campaigning, as evidenced during the Brexit campaign. Who can ever forget Nigel Farage standing in front of a black and white photo of a refugee queue from the 1940s?

So, now is the time to act, and I know that my party and Jane Hutt leading this debate and the Welsh Labour Government are totally committed to ensuring racial equality, a fairer Wales, and making real in our country that black lives matter. These are not words, these are actions. Thank you, Llywydd.

Before I call on the Deputy Minister to respond to the debate, I just want to say that I offered you, Neil McEvoy, the opportunity to speak if you were to ungag yourself and put down your offensive prop. You chose not to do that, and therefore I deem it that you have not agreed to comply with my—[Interruption.]—not agreed to comply with my request earlier on, and that you were out of order to do so. I've now decided to move on to the Deputy Minister—[Interruption.] Okay. Speak then, Neil McEvoy.

Diolch, Llywydd. I—

No, no. Jane Hutt, I have a degree of kindness that's come upon me and I've offered Neil McEvoy the right to speak, even though he has broken at least three Standing Orders during this debate. But in the interests of goodwill, I ask Neil McEvoy to make his contribution.

Okay. Diolch yn fawr. I stand here as the first ever Welsh-born elected Member of this Senedd. Many people probably wouldn't know that because it's never been reported. I live racism every day of my life. Many of us—so many of us here—have common experiences, not in this Chamber, of people of colour around Wales. 

I put forward some serious amendments—positive amendments—to try and take things forward. The amendments were accepted by officials but they were, at the very last moment, withdrawn by the Presiding Officer. So, forgive me here now for talking about the irony of this—that we have a discussion on race and racism and how to combat it and the only MS of colour here able to put an amendment had his amendments removed.

The first amendment was from Camilla Mngaza. I'm really thankful to Camilla. Her daughter Siyanda reported a hate crime, but it was never investigated. What Camilla wanted was an amendment—updates to race equality impact assessments, mainly so that there would be more diverse decision makers, and it would be wonderful if we had more diverse decision makers in this building.

The other amendment urged the UK Government to add a module on race and class to the Grenfell inquiry. Another amendment talked about the victims of the Windrush scandal living in Wales. The boxing legend Steve Robinson, his father was affected by the Windrush scandal. What we wanted the Government to do through the amendment was to encourage the UK Government to speed up its progress on compensation. What we also wanted was a review of the implementation of the Lammy review in Welsh prisons and in Wales in the criminal justice system.

But today, in this Parliament, if I can call it that, the only Member of colour able to put an amendment, which is me, I had my voice taken away. For me—

For clarity, Mr McEvoy, you are speaking; your voice has not been taken away. I have allowed you to make all these points during this debate, whether amendments were selected—and for the information of all Members, all amendments tabled today were not selected, not only Neil McEvoy's but those offered by others as well. As the Business Committee knows and as Members know, we are in extraordinary times of a hybrid Senedd, and I have said on many occasions that I will proactively now be looking to select or not select amendments for the proper conduct of a hybrid Senedd and its voting. You are perfectly entitled to make all the contributions relating to those amendments, as you are doing, but it was wholly in order for me not to select any amendment for the purposes of this debate. It is not their content; it is for the proper conduct of a hybrid Senedd and its voting process that these amendments today, amendments in the past and amendments in the future will not be selected. Please carry on with your comments; you are perfectly free to do so.

Please forgive me, Presiding Officer, if I beg to differ, because I'm a democratically elected politician, and I had put forward some very sensible, very positive amendments to be voted upon. You've denied me—perhaps you've given me my voice now, but you've denied me the right, my democratic right, to put forward those amendments and have them voted on. And if you want my personal opinion, the opinion of many people, that is racism in action and it's the—

This is an important debate on racism. You have exercised your democratic right as a Member to table amendments, I also have a role in this Parliament as the Llywydd to select amendments, and I have chosen today not to select any of the amendments for the debate. Some were yours and some belonged to another independent Member as well. Please conclude with the content of your debate.

Thank you. I would conclude by saying that we have real problems in this Senedd. I'm not accepted. If I worked in security, if I worked in cleansing, or maybe catering, I would be accepted, but as it stands now, a brown man with a voice and opinion is not welcome by too many people in this building. And I ask people to consider this: is there any other Parliament in the world where a politician would have been described as a species of animal by an official and then be forced to deal and interact with that official?

And I'll finish on this: is there any other place in the world where a person of colour would have to go accused of something before a committee and not be allowed any witnesses and have CCTV proving that statements were false and yet that CCTV not allowed to be presented to prove innocence and gross exaggeration? This is the Senedd that we are talking about. This is the racism that I deal with in this building. I think I'll conclude my remarks there. I tell you what, I speak for many people out there—many, many people. Diolch yn fawr.

I'd ask the question if there is any Senedd in the world that would have allowed you to have your say after your disorderly conduct throughout this debate. This Senedd, this Llywydd, allowed you to speak and have your say today—[Interruption.]

I now call on the Deputy Minister to respond to the debate. You need to unmute yourself, Jane Hutt.

Diolch, Llywydd. This has been the most significant debate on race that has been held in this Senedd, in a year when we've seen the disproportionate impact of coronavirus on people of colour in Wales, the UK and across the world. I thank all of those who have contributed positively and constructively to this debate. As speakers have said, this is the time for action if we are to call ourselves a humane society, a country that seeks to be a nation of sanctuary, fair play and equality. We must bring all our efforts to bear across this Welsh Government and with our partners to combat the racism and racial inequalities that have been exposed in the past year.

But the key to this is to recognise that we've got to tackle racism in ourselves, in our communities and our institutions if we're going to stand up and be counted in support of this motion. At a meeting of Black Lives Matter I attended earlier this year, after the killing of George Floyd, I drew attention to the words of Baroness Valerie Amos, who said

'We have had report after report, which shows the depth...of racism in Britain.... We need to stop writing reports and actually start tackling it at the root'.

So, this is the message from this Welsh Government motion that I've moved today, and I'm glad it's supported by Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Conservatives. It sends a strong message to our diverse communities that we will take responsibility, led by this Government. 

It is appropriate to be debating this today, as Joyce Watson, our equalities Commissioner said, as we commence Black History Month 2020. At the launch last week, I was able to welcome the move from Black History Month to Black History Cymru 365, with funding from the Welsh Government to support the team at Race Council Cymru to work throughout the year and hear the voices of Windrush elders, Black History Wales patrons, and, as we heard last week, Professor Charlotte Williams and Gaynor Legall, who are leading the work on our curriculum and our audit of monuments and place names. I can confirm that Professor Williams will be reporting on her interim recommendations later this year.

But, like Joyce, I want to also dedicate the motion today, and this debate, to the memory of Patti Flynn, that celebrated jazz singer who died recently after a battle with cancer, known to many of us here in the Senedd. Tributes were given at the Black History Month launch last week, and they were led by Humie Webb. She recalled that Patti lived to see her campaign delivered in her lifetime after a long struggle for recognition, and that campaign resulted in, last November, a plaque in honour of BAME soldiers, servicemen and women finally unveiled at the Welsh National War Memorial, in memory of the BAME servicemen and women who served and gave their lives in conflict and war. Patti herself lost her father and two brothers in world war two.

Last week many of us also took part in the launch of the Race Alliance Wales manifesto. We had speakers from all main parties welcoming the call to 'move from rhetoric to reality for an anti-racist Wales', and that sums up where we want to go and where the people who have spoken today, in support of this motion, want to go. The messages from the steering group from Wales Race Alliance were very powerful, very clear, as Mymuna Soleman has reminded us so often in these months, when we learn more from her Privilege Cafe and from the Black Lives Matter movement that we should use our privilege for good. The Wales race equality panel will take this commitment forward.

And to those Members who've spoken against this motion, I would urge you to go to the Privilege Cafe. I would urge you to listen to the young people, both black and white, in Black Lives Matter across the whole of Wales—from north to south, east to west, we have groups of people, particularly young people, who are committed to the Black Lives Matter movement and committed to making and urging us to make change. But I would also say to those people who speak against this motion: respect the views of those who have the lived experience of being black, Asian, minority ethnic people in Wales, and that's where we will learn and where we will take our commitment.

So, today, finally, we are recommitting this Welsh Government and this Senedd to stand against racism in Wales. And as Professor Raj Bhopal, as the Black Lives Matter leader spoke to us, said:

'Enough is enough. Be the leaders that this country, this world needs.'

And that must be our resolve today. Diolch yn fawr.

The proposal is to agree the motion. Does any Member object? Does anyone object? [Objection.]

Did I see a—? Oh, an objection. Yes, I have seen an objection.

Therefore, we will defer voting until voting time.

Voting deferred until voting time.

And that brings us to voting time. Therefore, there will be a short break now as we move towards virtual voting.

Plenary was suspended at 20:03.

The Senedd reconvened at 20:07, with the Llywydd in the Chair.