I thank you for that answer, Trefnydd. A large number of stakeholders have suggested that the devolution of the administration of welfare could provide an opportunity to create a more compassionate system. The older people’s commissioner, for example, said the Scottish approach helped shift perceptions away from those of stigma and burden around the system. Devolution to Wales could allow us to do the same.

The Wales Governance Centre, as I’m sure the Trefnydd is aware, has examined the financial implications to Wales of devolving the same package of benefits that have been devolved to Scotland, and they found no evidence to suggest that devolution of these powers would be fiscally unsustainable. In fact, they said, dependent on the Barnett mechanism used and the nature of the inter-governmental agreement, the Welsh Treasury could stand to benefit considerably from the devolution of welfare powers.

If the Welsh Government is keen to support and protect the most vulnerable in our society, then I would press on the Government to look to push for devolution of the administration of welfare in the first half of this term. We can’t afford to wait for a more progressive Government to become available at the other end of the M4—we can change people’s lives and we can protect people right here, right now, from this place, and I would hope that the Welsh Labour Government would share that ambition as well.