Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I welcome the opportunity to open this important debate and move the motion before you. The first inquiry I had the privilege of being a part of as a member of the Equality and Social Justice Committee was on debt and the pandemic. As a committee, we decided that the picture of economic hardship that was clearly beginning to form a year and more into the COVID crisis needed investigating, and actions were recommended to protect the most vulnerable households in Wales from extreme financial pressures. The findings, though unfortunately not surprising, were shocking.

The inquiry found that the rising cost of living was a particular concern for people who took part in our focus groups on debt. Worryingly, many participants agreed that the true impact of the pandemic has yet to be realised, referring to a perfect storm or a tsunami in describing the likely scenario over the coming months and years. In its list of recommendations, the committee calls on the Welsh Government to continue to support people struggling with basic household costs, warning that the full effect of the pandemic is yet to hit home and also warning that more people are falling into debt in order to meet daily essentials, household bills and council tax, and that rising food and fuel prices are set to drive people deeper into poverty this winter. The evidence we heard was stark. The terms used by one witness have haunted me since. They said:

'What really worries me is a potential 30% increase in gas and electricity prices in 2022. That is going to push people into Victorian poverty.'  

Victorian poverty. Plaid Cymru welcomes the recommendation of the committee that the Welsh Government should accelerate the work to bring all social homes up to energy rating A as a result of rising energy costs, and to revise its fuel poverty action plan, as well as the calls for better promotion and support of debt advice services and affordable credit sources among those at heightened risk of debt. We also support the recommendation to explore debt bonfires, as council tax arrears have been shown to be the largest element of household debt and that the lack of a statutory footing for the council tax protocol for Wales sometimes leads to practices that can deepen the level of debt significantly. Our motion today calls for the Government to work with local authorities to clear some of the significant council tax arrears that have been built up over the course of the pandemic, and to look at introducing a duty onto public bodies to prevent debt.