3. Statement by the Minister for Climate Change: The Homelessness Action Plan

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:31 pm on 30 November 2021.

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Photo of Laura Anne Jones Laura Anne Jones Conservative 3:31, 30 November 2021

Minister, as the nights draw in and temperatures plummet, community groups such as Pride in Pill in my city, in my region of South Wales East, have been going out on these cold nights providing people with clothing and food in these freezing temperatures, to rough-sleepers. They do an absolutely sterling job and never miss a night going out because of the cold; in fact, it makes them more determined to go out. I'm sure you'll join me in thanking this group and others in my region of South Wales East for all that they do in providing help for those rough-sleepers. When I was out with them myself, I've never seen so many people in the centre of Newport, Minister. It was quite worrying, and these people were housed during the pandemic and now they're back on the street. 

So, I'm just wondering what urgent action you're taking to help those particular people this winter, so they don't have to endure any more cold nights. First Minister—. Minister, sorry—I'll pre-empt that. [Laughter.] Minister, the proposals you've put out today, as my colleagues have said, we welcome. We welcome anything that's going to tackle homelessness, particularly this post-pandemic response that you've made. We all have the same objective and it's good that you've recognised that it needs to be a cross-sector, cross-Government priority.

The proposals that you've put out do require a momentous change and demand incentives because of your Government's utter—