Turning to the recommendations that we should build on implementing the public health communications that have been recommended in the BAME advisory group, I fully accept that recommendation, as I said yesterday, and we are continuing to ensure that we get it right about how we message and how we work with disadvantaged groups, and that we get those communications right. That's why our disability equality forum is so important, and the accessible communication group can learn from those with lived experience, disabled people, who join us to tell us how we should get this right.

We've worked with Public Health Wales to ensure that their coronavirus information pages are translated into over 100 languages, and distributed through our networks. And also, our nation of sanctuary website is providing translated information for refugees and asylum seekers. I mentioned yesterday our funding of the BAME helpline outreach workers in each health board for working with BAME citizens, and also recognising this is about building trust and everyone having access to relevant support and advice.

So, your report covers so many policy areas but education is key, and has been mentioned in the debate. It's clear that many learners have not progressed as much as they might and that some have been impacted more seriously than others. To address this, as you know—you've said in the report—the education Minister announced an investment of £29 million to recruit, recover and raise standards to ensure schools and pupils have the support they need.

I fully accept the need for better data on equalities. We've taken steps to improve the quality of data on ethnicity and coronavirus mortality through the implementation of the e-form, including for health workers. And we will continue to work with partners in the NHS and social care to encourage better recording of equality data in both staff and wider health records, and overcome the reluctance some citizens have in providing information. And we are actively working with agencies such as the Office for National Statistics and Public Health Wales to provide new insights into the data that we hold. Fundamentally—and again mentioned yesterday—our emerging plans for a race disparity unit will strengthen our capacity and capability to act on what the data is telling us.

Understandably, the review of the Welsh public sector equality duty was temporarily halted during the pandemic, but in a similar way, of course, PSED reporting obligations were suspended for six months by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. But we are restarting that work, building on the work already under way to improve the findings and the publication of employment and other equalities data. And the findings of that research to strengthen the equality and human rights in Wales will be an important source of evidence for the PSED review work. 

We are fully committed to the priorities and ambitions for a fair work nation set out in 'Fair Work Wales', and accept the recommendations of the committee that we secure a values-led recovery by adopting additional fair work measures. I do want to mention advice services, the single advice fund that is helping to meet increasing demand for access to advice services, which is crucial in terms of tackling poverty; £8.2 million grant funding has been awarded to providers, including specialist services on welfare benefits, employment and discrimination. 

A couple of final points before I finish. I think the point about the discretionary assistance fund and your recommendations about it are important, because since 2013 we've made over 370,000 awards, with more than £66.4 million being spent in grant funding supporting the most vulnerable people. I think the flexibilities to the discretionary assistance fund during the pandemic have been key, and I know you welcome them; they've been responsive to people's needs. Currently, 66 per cent of the fund relates to emergency payments. And we are in the process of establishing a VAWDASV commissioner group that will support more strategic and sustainable approaches to commissioning VAWDASV services, including children and young people services across Wales.

Members have mentioned recommendation 38. I welcome the fact that you are asking us to lobby the UK Government for the lifting of the no recourse to public funds restrictions and that you're joining the Welsh Government, because we are advocating for changes to the immigration system and we welcome your support. But we have had no response to the Counsel General's letter, as we say in response to the recommendation, urging the Home Secretary to lift the restrictions during the COVID-19 crisis. But it is the Welsh Government that's responded to improve support for those with no recourse to public funds. But the committee can help us in that lobbying of the UK Government, and our Welsh Conservatives, indeed, can do that.

The pandemic has brought into sharp relief the inequalities in our society, and Welsh Government's commitment to reducing these inequalities and to eradicating child poverty has not wavered, and we're continuing to work to achieving our goals. And next week I look forward to making my statement on the hate crime framework that we're developing—indeed, it'll be National Hate Crime Awareness Week. I know that the issues that you've brought forward in your report will be addressed not just by myself as Minister for equalities, but by every Minister in the Welsh Government. I thank you and your committee, Chair, for producing this very important report for us in the Senedd in these very challenging times. Diolch yn fawr.