Part of Questions to the Deputy Minister and Chief Whip – in the Senedd at 2:41 pm on 15 December 2020.
I thank Huw Irranca-Davies for that important question, because the pandemic has led to an unprecedented level of engagement with all our stakeholders, including reaching out to young people, but also to many of our equality fora and groups. I mentioned the race equality action plan, and that has enabled me to meet with many young people through the Ethnic Youth Support Team, Race Council Cymru and the wonderful Privilege Cafe. I think we need to link members of the Bridgend Youth Council to many of those fora to enable them to have their say.
I have met with young people from Bridgend recently, and they are formidable in terms of their commitment, particularly around those issues relating to equality and LGBTQI+ rights. So, I hope that they will also be able to inform the research and consultation that we're undertaking with the race equality action plan, but also on the LGBT+ action plan, and the work that we're doing in strengthening equality and advancing human rights in Wales, where we are, obviously, moving forward with not just research, but looking at legislative models, which I would hope they could engage with. But I would very much like to meet with the Bridgend Youth Council.