Although our report notes that since March

'the Welsh Government has taken a number of measures to address the specific or unequal effects on certain groups of people', it also states that many respondents to our inquiry stressed the need for immediate action rather than the production of more strategies, and that

'in drawing up policies and actions that address these issues, there must be real and meaningful engagement with those most affected.'

The Welsh Government's response to our report's first recommendation states that they will

'look to learn the lessons of the past few months to ensure that consideration of impact continues to be an integral part of how decisions are made by the Welsh Government.'

However, as our report evidences, this is more a matter of becoming, rather than continuing to be, an integral part of how the Welsh Government makes decisions. As our report also notes, it is important that decisions by the Welsh Government and other public bodies are

'informed by lived experience to make sure that existing equalities are not entrenched, but addressed.'

In responding to our recommendation 4, the Welsh Government states that when resources become available, public sector equality duty review work will be restarted. However, it is now nine and a half years since the public sector equality duty came into force in Wales, underpinned by specific duties including engagement, involving and consulting people and assessing the impact of policies. Although this duty applies to all listed public authorities in Wales, my casework pre and post COVID is jam packed with examples of public authorities creating further barriers to the real detriment of people with protected characteristics, particularly disability. Failure to resource and prioritise this now will exacerbate inequality during this pandemic and put greater pressure on public resources at every level.

The Welsh Government's acceptance in principle only of our recommendation that it should publish a cross-Government poverty reduction strategy, with targets and performance indicators, is frankly unacceptable. And their statement that they remain committed to developing their approach to anti-poverty policies and programmes in the future would be risible if this wasn't so serious. 

As our report states, we have repeatedly made the case for the need for a cross-cutting, comprehensive tackling poverty strategy, with clear targets, deliverables and milestones that progress can be assessed against, as our Chair has previously emphasised. The Bevan Foundation has stated we need an anti-poverty strategy that clearly sets the steps that the Welsh Government intend to take to reduce the number of people living in poverty in Wales. 

In accepting our recommendation 17, the Welsh Government states that it wants to make it as easy as possible for people to claim devolved benefits, such as free school meals and council tax reductions, adding that they're working with local authorities and other key stakeholders to identify potential solutions. However, it's now almost two years since Community Housing Cymru called for the Welsh Government and local authorities to work with Jobcentre Plus in Wales to co-locate services and enable applications for local authority benefits to be made at the same time as universal credit. The Bevan Foundation has again recently called for the Welsh Government to encourage local authorities to establish a single point of access for free school meals, the pupil development grant access and the council tax reduction scheme. 

In accepting recommendation 37, the Welsh Government state they've set up an accessible communications group, including organisations that have testified to the difficulties those who are deaf or hard of hearing, blind or visually impaired, with learning difficulties or are autistic experienced when trying to access clear and concise information during the coronavirus pandemic. However, one of the organisations that attended told me: 'The meeting was far from accessible for those there. It was honestly like a sitcom on how not to run a meeting with disabled and deaf people and would have been funny in any other circumstance.'

Finally, in accepting our recommendation 38, the Welsh Government states that it is continuing to consider opportunities to improve support for those with no recourse to public funds. However, specialist services are now calling for clarity on how homelessness support for survivors with no recourse to public funds will continue. To be effective in supporting all survivors with no recourse to public funds, the Welsh Government must therefore tell us whether it will agree a sustainable funding model with specialist violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence services and local authorities this Senedd term to ensure safe, secure accommodation. Diolch yn fawr.