4. Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Eradicating racism and building an anti-racist Wales

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:06 pm on 22 June 2021.

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Photo of Jane Hutt Jane Hutt Labour 4:06, 22 June 2021

Well, I'm very grateful for that question from the Member. The Welsh Government does provide funding every year to TGP Cymru to deliver the Travelling Ahead project, which provides advice, advocacy and support for participation to Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities in Wales. And we do have a stakeholder group, which we work very closely with, particularly over the pandemic, tailoring our public health responses for these vulnerable communities, but also engaging with those communities to look at the recommendations for tackling racial inequality. But I think a really important point made is about the fact that we can learn so much more from our Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. I'm sure that Mabon's aware of the Romani Cultural and Arts Company. They've recently produced—and that's supported by us—a Gypsy, Roma and Traveller LGBTQ spoken archive resource, because, obviously, there are connections, intersectional connections as well, in terms of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month as well as Pride Month. We've got a competition running during Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month with community cohesion teams across Wales. In fact, they're designing masks, with young people engaged. And I'm very pleased to say that Professor Charlotte Williams has engaged through the groups that we're working with. They're looking at the inclusion of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller culture and values within the curriculum and school support mechanism, because it is with our children and young people that we will start to make that difference.