Unfortunately, in my opinion and that of my party at least, Westminster continues to be largely responsible for the measures that could really help us tackle debt and payment defaults, as well as the increased cost of living. It does concern me a great deal that we have a Prime Minister and a Conservative Government in Westminster that have, time and time again, demonstrated that they don’t care a jot about the most vulnerable people in Wales, by introducing cruel measures that have a disproportionate impact on them, such as increasing national insurance contributions and cutting the universal credit uplift.

But, as we do everything within our power to press for the full devolution of welfare and taxation to Wales, the Welsh Government must do everything within its current powers to address the problems that debt creates for households across Wales. A key way of doing this would be through supporting people in debt to devolved public services, and I was pleased to see Jenny Rathbone talking about council tax in particular. The fact that this is one of the main forms of debt mentioned when people contacted StepChange and Citizens' Advice during the pandemic does mean that we have to tackle this issue. Jenny Rathbone noted that extraordinarily frightening figure, namely that council tax debt had increased to £157 million in 2020-21, which is an increase of £46.4 million as compared to the previous year, the biggest single increase in 20 years.

But our public bodies shouldn’t be creating more debt for people, and I hope today that we can all agree that we should be helping to prevent debt from arising in the first place, or preventing debt from becoming unmanageable. There are things that the Welsh Government could take action on in this regard and ensure that our councils adopt progressive policies to manage debt. Such a policy could ensure that councils identify and support households facing financial problems effectively, as well as preventing some of the cruel practices deployed by bailiffs, and preventing bailiff fees and legal fees from accumulating and increasing for those who are unable to pay them. Citizens' Advice found that a number of their clients had faced difficulties in agreeing affordable council tax repayment plans, and that some had been belittled and intimidated by bailiffs, despite being unable to make repayments or demonstrating signs of vulnerability. This is not right.

I’d also like to emphasise the impact that this has on individuals, something that can’t be overstated, in terms of their physical and mental health. Living in a home without heat as a result of fuel poverty can lead to or exacerbate a number of serious medical conditions such as heart attacks, stroke, bronchitis and asthma, while uncertainty regarding food can lead to malnourishment, which is related to other health issues. Inevitably, therefore, debt, financial uncertainty and poverty often lead to poor mental health, leading people to feel that their lives are entirely out of their control, which can also lead to feelings of hopelessness, embarrassment, guilt, depression and anxiety. The social stigma associated with debt can also lead to individuals feeling isolated, meaning that they keep their problems to themselves to an extent that any support they do receive is inadequate.

We all, therefore, have a responsibility as Members of this Senedd to do everything within our power to support our constituents, and that's why I am today pleased to have this opportunity to contribute to this debate and support the committee’s report. Action and support are urgently needed, and I very much hope that we can send a clear message to everyone suffering as a result of debt that support is available, and that we will do everything we can in Wales to improve their situation.