8. Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: International Day of Disabled People

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:51 pm on 30 November 2021.

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Photo of Huw Irranca-Davies Huw Irranca-Davies Labour 5:51, 30 November 2021

Just a few brief comments in welcoming the statement today, and recognising as well that many actions are being taken right now as we speak by Welsh Government and by other agencies to respond to the many findings and recommendations of the 'Locked out' report. But that's very much to the heart of what I want to ask the Minister. In the work that she is carrying out and the work that the disability rights taskforce is carrying out, how is she going to prioritise the myriad, the extensive range of findings and recommendations that the 'Locked out' report did? These covered all of the things that have been covered today within the statement, all of the things that have been covered in the questions by other Members, and many other aspects as well, including not simply putting human rights legislation into law, but access to justice, impacts of the pandemic, but also before the pandemic on safe and affordable travel for people with disabilities, access to health services and social services in Wales, mental health and well-being, economic poverty, accessible housing, work and employment, which you've just touched on, and access to public life and public space as well. So, my question is on that issue of prioritisation, because you cannot do everything as once, but everything needs chasing.

Related to that, what are the areas that the Minister thinks are the most difficult and most challenging for the disability rights taskforce that are going to take the longest time and the most unravelling to find a solution to? And, Minister, I wonder if you could just answer one other very short question. You talked about the ability of people to determine their own packages of care, including the use of direct payments. We know there are some local authorities who have really good practice on co-producing those packages using direct payments, and allowing the freedom of the individual to use direct payments to produce their own. There are others who are not so good. Is that one of the quick wins we can do to make sure that all local authorities are using the flexibility that an individual might demand by using direct payments?