We have to recognise that there's a huge issue with disabled people in terms of the disability pay gap. Recent Office for National Statistics figures show that the disability pay gap was still 9.9 per cent in 2018, earning less per hour than non-disabled people. It's smaller in Wales, the pay gap for disabled people, than the rest of the UK. But we're now, as I talked about, going to have this equality data unit, and we have got the power of the public purse and social partnership approach to fair work practices, which is key to address those issues.

I'm glad you've mentioned the barriers that disabled people face, and I think transport is one area. But with our programme for government commitment, we're improving access to our trains for disabled people. We've committed £800 million to secure new trains, which will provide level boarding and remove the need for passengers to pre-book to ensure station staff are on hand to provide a ramp, and we're also investing over £10 million on three stations on the core Valleys lines. It's all part of the national accessibility for all programme to provide lifts and bridges to ensure passengers with restricted mobility can also better access train services.

I think it's also very important you ask those questions about the actual impact so far of our access to elected office fund, and it's still early days to see the impacts of it. I've mentioned the two people who access the fund and that we're extending it, of course, to town and community councils, which I know that you will welcome. But it's important just to, again, provide the information that people can apply for assistance with additional costs of support to overcome barriers and a lack of readily available adaptive technologies. That can include a whole range of additional costs of support, including assistive aids, equipment, software, training in the use of specialist equipment and software, et cetera, and also personal assistance. These are things that we need to learn about here in the Senedd as well, as in local government itself.

I think it is very important that you mentioned again the appalling impact of COVID-19 on disabled people. I've made it clear, as I did a year ago, when I spoke on the UN International Day of Disabled People. We have very much engaged with our disabled people's equality forum throughout this past 20 months or so of the pandemic. They have given us so much support and advice in terms of how we respond, to meet the needs of disabled people. I think there are issues. You've raised the issue of flexible working; that has provided opportunities as well as threats in terms of possible isolation. But if there's anything the pandemic has taught employers, it's about how to embrace innovation and flexible ways of working, including remote working. So, this has, to a certain extent, levelled the playing field for some disabled people, and it's removed some of the barriers, such as travel. But there's still a lot to be done in terms of tackling some of those stereotypes and preconceptions that exist about the barriers to a disabled person's employment opportunities, and we have to ensure that we look at their environments and their opportunities in terms of work. Because we really do need to have a renewed focus on our goals to reduce disabled people's employment barriers.

I think it's crucially important also, in terms of looking at health and social care, that we recognise that there are ways in which we can support disabled people. The statement made by the Deputy Minister for Social Services last week was very important in meeting the needs of carers, and, of course, we do have our Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2016. Local authorities and health boards have to work together to assess, plan and meet people's care and support needs, including disabled people. And we have provided significant funding to health and social care partners to respond to the impacts of COVID and support recovery, and funding those initiatives and projects that support disabled people through the integrated care fund and grants to third sector organisations. It's important, also, that people are aware of access to direct payments as well, so that people have a voice and control over their care, including the option of direct payments. We have good examples of how local authorities work with people so that they can choose a blended mix of care arranged for them by a local authority and accessing direct care as well.

The £10 million to support unpaid carers of all ages, including those caring for disabled people, for 2022, has been very important, and also the announcement, as I said, last week, by Julie Morgan of the £7 million funding to support unpaid carers. What we have to do today is recognise the UN convention on disabled people's rights—that we actually show, today, across the Chamber, a clear commitment to promoting and protecting human rights. It's embedded in the founding legislation of the Welsh Government. But we have a great deal to do in order to actually deliver on that, and I do believe our disability rights taskforce—and it's a disability rights taskforce—will take us forward.