As a member of the Equality and Social Justice Committee, I am pleased that this was our first inquiry, and I would like to thank my fellow committee member Sioned Williams, along with the Bevan Foundation's research, for suggesting this, and my colleagues on the committee, the clerks and the whole team that has been working behind the scenes to help us. 

Tackling household debt is incredibly crucial and timely, and it often relates to people who are suffering in silence across our communities in Wales for a variety of reasons. In my own constituency of Bridgend, Citizens Advice services helped nearly 1,000 people with debt issues over the last year, and they've seen a surge in demand over the last few months. In Bridgend alone, Citizens Advice calculated a 74 per cent increase in people seeking help for issues of debt, compared to pre-pandemic figures. Shelter Cymru has told me that vulnerable residents in Bridgend pay nearly £3,000 a month for temporary accommodation. There are people in my constituency whose rent is so high that they are forced into using food banks to feed themselves and their families and are spiralling further into debt. 

There is no denying that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this risk of debt for vulnerable households. I first became aware of issues with this in my community within the first few days of the first lockdown. I had a call from a Bridgend county borough councillor, Jane Gebbie, explaining to me that there were people in their homes in her ward of Pyle and Kenfig Hill who couldn't go to the newsagent to top up their energy or fuel card, so they were sitting in their homes freezing. And the solution that they found for this—the only thing they could do in those initial days—was just to get on the phone to the energy companies and beg them and explain that it was an emergency and get them to send out pre-topped-up cards for people and figure out how to pay for it afterwards, which is what they did. It was a race against time for the volunteers at Talbot community centre in Kenfig Hill to come up with that solution.

And with the expected rises in energy prices, the cut to universal credit and the upcoming national insurance increase, 2022 poses a great threat to the most vulnerable households, as we've heard from my fellow committee members today. I know that the Welsh Government continues to make strong and urgent representations to the UK Government on behalf of those in our community who are suffering, yet time and time again, we see decisions made in Westminster that penalise the most vulnerable and exacerbate conditions like fuel and household debt and poverty. Think tanks, as has been said today, have labelled 2022 as the year of the squeeze, and for many people that's the reality of the situation that they're in. From single parents to low-income households, those with disabilities and renters, how much more pressure is going to be put on them to stay afloat? Every £1 deducted in Westminster, every price increase on a food shop, is yet another shove into debt. The Welsh Government accepting all 12 of the recommendations by the committee is essential if we are to protect so many vulnerable households over the next coming months. The discretionary assistance fund and the one-off winter fuel support scheme providing a payment of £100 to eligible households are examples of the way in which those who govern in Wales are protecting the most vulnerable households in our community.

It was also vital to hear evidence from credit unions during our inquiry. I am a proud and longstanding member of Bridgend Lifesavers Credit Union, with over 5,000 members. Together, we are members of a worldwide group of financial co-operatives dedicated to improving the financial well-being of millions of people. There are no third party shareholders. Credit unions also pass any surplus profits made directly back to us and our community, and the staff are financially sympathetic. They don't just look at somebody like they're a credit score. This is why I am particularly pleased with the Minister's acceptance of and response to recommendation 12, to promote affordable credit sources among those at heightened risk of debt over the next six months. And some positive news today is that the Talbot community centre in Kenfig Hill that I mentioned earlier on, which did so much for people during the COVID pandemic who were getting into debt, they will be opening a credit union branch in the coming weeks, and this is going to save people in my community money and empower us and keep the money circulating within our community to benefit the many. 

I want to end by thanking everyone who provided evidence to us in this inquiry. Many are the voice of the people who are struggling. Debt can often come with feelings of incredible shame and denial, and you listen to people often working within systems that are very powerful and with bureaucracy that can be incredibly slow. Your dedication to helping people is really making a difference in people's lives.