Diolch yn fawr. I'm pleased to open today's debate on the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee's report on inequality and the COVID pandemic. I would like to start by thanking all those organisations and individuals who, despite the many pressures placed upon them by the pandemic, took the time to share their views and experiences. Our report and our 44 recommendations were very much rooted in this evidence.

Of course, no section of society has been spared the impact of the pandemic, but the very stark reality is that it has been the individuals, households or communities that have the least who have borne the brunt of it—whether that be mortality rates, reduced income or impact on mental health and well-being. Everybody has been affected by the pandemic, but while for many of us the difficulties can be managed, and even some of the sharper edges of the discomfort rubbed off, this is not the case for those who are already the poorest and the most disadvantaged. The pandemic has laid bare those inequalities that have been present in our society for far too long. So, I think it's very apt that in our report we quoted the words of the Secretary General of the United Nations, who said that while we are all in the same sea,

'it's clear that some are in superyachts while others are clinging to drifting debris.'

As I said, we made 44 recommendations, and I'm very pleased that the vast majority have been accepted—34 out of the 44 accepted in full, seven accepted in principle, one accepted in part—and only two rejected. The recommendations cover a wide range of areas from policy development, data, citizen engagement to education, benefits, fair work, accessibility and health and social care. I cannot seek to do justice to all of those in the time available to me, so I'm going to focus my comments today primarily on poverty. 

It is worth noting that we published our report in what now feels like a very different stage in the pandemic, in that all-too-brief interlude as the initial lockdown restrictions were eased, but before the resurgence of the virus that has led to almost half of us in Wales being back under some form of localised restrictions. We said in the report that as well as helping to inform the plan for recovery, we hoped our findings could help the response to any further waves of infection, so that the same mistakes are not repeated.

As a committee, we have been calling for a cross-Government tackling-poverty strategy, underpinned by clear targets and data, since 2017. This report was the third time we have made this recommendation; first, in our Communities First report, where it was rejected, and then in our report on making the economy work for people on low incomes, when again it was rejected. So, I'm pleased now to report some progress, in that this time it has been accepted in principle, but I do believe the accompanying commentary to that acceptance in principle could have been fuller and more convincing, in terms of its content and its detail.

We know strategies on their own will not solve the problem of entrenched poverty in Wales, but a clear, strategic approach with targeted actions, focusing on those who are either in poverty or most at risk of falling into poverty, is the only way we can be assured of knowing that the right actions are being taken at the right time and in the right places.

We know the Welsh Government does not have all of the levers necessary to eradicate poverty in Wales, and only a few weeks ago I spoke on the need for further devolution of benefits, but this is why it is so important that the Welsh Government uses all of the tools available to it. It has to maximise the impact of every single action; it needs to have the data and evidence to enable it to evaluate and monitor success and, where necessary, to change tack.

Our committee has not been alone in calling for this strategy; others, including Oxfam, agree with us. In its response, the Welsh Government cites the review into tackling-poverty programmes, but does not provide any detail of the steps that the Government has agreed to take, so I would ask the Minister to tell us what actions will be taken to maximise the incomes of families and, also, individuals.

One of the ways in which the Welsh Government provides support is through the discretionary assistance fund, or DAF. As the head of Oxfam Wales told us,

'If I was in financial crisis today, I would not put the phrase "discretionary assistance fund" into Google.'

She added that not enough people were aware of it. This is a long-standing issue, as we noted in our report, so it is surprising to see the Government describe it as a recognised brand. While we welcome the additional support that is being provided through the pandemic via the DAF, is the Welsh Government really confident that everybody who needs the support offered by it is accessing it?

The pandemic should and must act as the catalyst for us to finally address the inequalities that are far too prevalent in Wales, not just to help with recovery from the pandemic, but to build a fairer and more equal country into the future. I now look forward to hearing contributions from across the Senedd and the Deputy Minister's response. Diolch yn fawr.