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

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:08 pm on 30 November 2021.

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Photo of Jane Hutt Jane Hutt Labour 6:08, 30 November 2021

Thank you, Laura Anne Jones, and I have responded particularly to the issues around the needs of children and families and parents and carers of autistic children. The statutory code of practice on delivery of autism services is crucial to that, but I think a lot of the needs of disabled children have to be met through the working together not just of local authorities and health boards, but with regional partnership boards to ensure that those services are provided. It is important that we look to the social services and well-being Act for support for children and families, and I think we have to also work with the third sector. The Carers Rights Day last week, for example, gave some funding to the Family Fund to support low-income families with seriously ill or disabled children.

So, there's a range of ways in which we're supporting families with disabled children and disabled children themselves. But certainly, this is a cross-Government issue; it is for the education Minister as well. It's good to see that this is something where we can use the legislation that we have, the powers that we have, and that we can use this, and I'm sure that this will be reflected in the disability rights taskforce.