We'll move to item 5, a statement by the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership: LGBTQ+ History Month. And I call on the Deputy Minister to make the statement—Hannah Blythyn.

Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Each February, we mark LGBTQ+ History Month. It's a chance to celebrate and commemorate the contribution LGBTQ+ people have made to our communities and our country, to shine a spotlight on and rightly recognise the rich history, lives and experiences of LGBTQ+ people, to reflect on how far we have come and to redouble our efforts towards greater equality.

We can be proud of the progress that’s been made in the struggle for LGBTQ+ equality, from action to prohibit discrimination in goods and services to the end of the pernicious section 28 and equal marriage. In Wales alone, we are embedding LGBTQ+ inclusive education as part of the new curriculum. We have established a gender identity service to help our trans family to be their true selves. We became the first nation in the UK to offer pre-exposure prophylaxis free on the NHS. And we are well on our way to developing a ground-breaking LGBTQ+ action plan.

The freedoms and rights that we have today were hard fought for and hard won, but they are part of our relatively recent history. Within my lifetime alone, we could be fired, we couldn’t be ourselves and serve our country, we couldn’t be mentioned in classrooms, we were dismissed as a lifestyle choice, a curable disease, and an abomination to religion. In fact, when this institution first sat, we could still be denied in law service, somewhere to live and the right to marry the person we love.

In December, it was a privilege to host an event here at the Senedd for World AIDS Day, as we marked 40 years since the AIDS epidemic began. A lot has changed in the past four decades—HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, no longer has the impact it once had, and there is a commitment to eradicating new cases of HIV by 2030. Forty years ago, the gay community faced an avalanche of fear, hostility and vilification—an agonising and unacceptable period of history that was enabled by society, fuelled by the media and legitimised by Government policy and inaction. Yet, sadly, today, we see much of the same language of vilification, fear and othering targeted at the trans community. The difference now is that this Welsh Government stands with our trans community, alongside countless allies and activists.

Not knowing our history risks our future. This is no time to sit back, to not speak out and think the job is done, that rights are won. That’s why we are determined to see through our ground-breaking LGBTQ+ action plan. That’s why it's a key part of our programme for government and our co-operation agreement with Plaid Cymru. And that’s why we are committed to making Wales the most LGBTQ+ friendly nation in Europe. I'd like to thank the LGBTQ+ expert panel for all their support in getting us to where we are today. We are currently analysing the consultation responses to the draft plan, and I look forward to being in a position to publish the plan and put it into practice.

We are determined also to see meaningful and rapid action on that abhorrent practice of conversion therapy. Whilst the UK Government have signalled movement here, I am concerned by the delays to their consultation and the strength of their proposals, particularly regarding consent. I stand by our programme for government commitment to not only use all existing powers to end the practice in Wales, but to seek the devolution of additional powers should UK Government proposals not go far enough.

Despite the progress we have made, we know the sad truth that hate crime is on the rise. The statistics show a 16 per cent increase in recorded hate crimes across Wales compared to 2019-20. Nineteen per cent were sexual orientation hate crimes, 4 per cent were transgender hate crimes. The horrific consequences of hate crime have really been brought home in recent reports of a tragic and terrible incident that took place in the heart of our capital city. 

It's time we made hate, prejudice and fear history. It's time to move forward in common cause to create the more equal, just and inclusive Wales we all want to see. During LGBTQ+ History Month, we pay tribute to the trailblazers; the activists and the allies; the campaigners and the change makers; those who have lived through it and those whose lives have been cut far too short. Thank you. And to everyone who continues to blaze that trail and every LGBTQ+ person in Wales: you are amazing, you are valued and you are making a difference.

Conservative spokesperson, Tom Giffard.

Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. Can I thank the Deputy Minister for making this statement today on LGBTQ+ History Month? I think it's a really important topic and something that I hope we can all work across the Chamber to raise the profile of and aid people's understanding of the importance of this month as well. I'm, like you, very proud to live in one of the most open and tolerant places in the world where people can identify as LGBTQ+, and I'm sure the vast majority of us strongly believe that everyone should be free to live their lives and fulfil their potential regardless of whom they choose to love.

But I think it's important that it's not a cause that we take for granted, particularly internationally, where the picture is often very different indeed. So, whilst foreign affairs are not devolved to the Welsh Government, we still have an international strategy to sell Wales to the world. Can I begin by asking what approach the Welsh Government is taking, via its international strategy, when it deals with countries where homosexuality is illegal or LGBTQ+ rights are not as strong as they are here in the UK?

But we mustn't be complacent here, either, about the picture here domestically. It was only in 1967—55 years ago—that it was illegal to be gay in England and Wales. Thankfully, the shameful section 28 was repealed in 2003 as well, just less than 20 years ago. Thankfully, our recent history has been a lot more positive. Last year saw the removal of the three-month ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood, for example, and now Pride events across Wales form a crucial part of our annual events calendar, COVID permitting, obviously.

Perhaps the landmark change in LGBTQ+ rights in recent years in the UK was the introduction of same-sex marriage, which has literally been life changing for many gay and lesbian couples across the country. Next year will mark 10 years since the Act was passed to legalise same-sex marriage in the UK, so I wonder what plans, if any, the Welsh Government have to commemorate this landmark event next year.

Despite all of the progress and the history in recent years that we've both discussed, there's still much, much further to go. You mentioned statistics, and I've got some of my own. According to a report published by Gallup, eight out of 10 respondents had experienced anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime and hate speech online in the last five years in the UK, and five in 10 respondents had experienced online abuse 10 or more times. Furthermore, hate crimes based on sexual orientation have risen by 13 per cent since 2017, while hate crimes against trans people have more than doubled. Furthermore, almost one in four LGBT people have experienced a hate crime or incident due to their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

I'm sure you'll agree with me, Deputy Minister, that these are really concerning figures. So, what discussions are the Welsh Government having with the UK Government to ensure that this abuse is tackled at its roots and to ensure that Wales is a safe place for everyone? What is the Welsh Government doing to encourage people to report these crimes in the first instance?

Deputy Minister, it's vital that LGBTQ+ individuals experience fair and equal treatment when accessing health and social care services, with staff trained to effectively support patients and service users with specific needs. Therefore, can I ask what discussions you've had with the Minister for Health and Social Services to ensure adequate equality training for the NHS and those working in social services, and to address intersectionality, including issues affecting disabled women, BAME and LGBTQ+ disabled people as well?

You also mentioned in your statement the Welsh Government's LGBT plan, which was launched in July of last year. At that time, my colleague Altaf Hussain rightly mentioned the importance of the Senedd having a clear and ongoing role in the scrutiny of that plan. He asked you to commit to an annual review of the plan in the Senedd. At that time, you said you were open to thinking about ways to involve the Senedd in the scrutiny of the plan to hold the Government's feet to the fire on it. So, six months on, I wanted to ask you what the outcome of that consideration is and whether you'll commit to Altaf Hussain's calls for an annual review by the Senedd of the LGBT plan.

Finally, Deputy Minister, you also mentioned in your statement the fact that there are now gender identity services here in Wales, which, of course, will be very welcome for those individuals who need those services. However, I'm sure you'll find it concerning that there's currently no gender identity clinic here in Wales, which means that those in need have to travel to England at the moment to find one. Two years ago, the Senedd voted to explore the possibility of opening a new gender identity clinic here in Wales, yet Wales remains the only one of the four countries in the UK not to have one. So, whilst the Welsh gender service was creating following a commitment made in 2017, why do so many people still have to make that journey to England to attend a gender identity clinic?

Can I thank the Member for his contributions? It's good to see you back and looking so well and I think that was a very considered and thoughtful response to what is a really important topic, and it's right that we as Members come together this time of year to celebrate the rich diversity of our nation and, like you say, how far we have come. But you're absolutely right: we cannot take that progress for granted, because progress is not inevitable, and the progress has happened because people were prepared to fight for it and to take that forward. And you touched on some of the things I said in the statement about how recent some of this history is, and we shouldn't forget that and lose sight of it.

And, at the same time, we recognise there is still more to do here in Wales. There's more to build on, so hopefully the action plan will offer us a good guide to that and a good barometer of how we take that forward, and I'm more than happy to commit the Welsh Government to having an annual review, making sure it comes before this Senedd. I think that's really important, not just to make us accountable, but that actually it's a living, breathing plan; it's not something to be put on a shelf, it's something to actually change people's lives, hopefully.

On the Pride events across Wales and how that's changed over the years, I've said to people in here before that I've been to Prides all over the UK—London, Liverpool, Manchester, Cardiff—but the one that moved me the most was the one that went through the market town in my home constituency, where I grew up, and just seeing people going about their ordinary shopping at the market, stopping, clapping and joining in. It was a really moving moment, and it does show you how far we've come and the importance of bringing different communities together as well in those safe spaces.

You touched on the rise in hate crime and we've heard recent events as well, and I think one of the things that's really important that we do is to actually raise awareness at the same time, as well as making sure people report these crimes, that we raise awareness of what a hate crime is, and it takes different forms: it could be a horrific vicious attack, a physical attack, but it could be words as well. I think I've said in here previously that very recently, myself and my wife were on the receiving end of a hate crime and that person—. It was recognised as being a hate crime, just somebody who thinks it's okay to get in touch and basically tell you that you're going to hell and you need to have conversion therapy and things like that. I think it's really important that we do talk about it and recognise what it is, and that's why we've supported the Hate Hurts Wales campaign. I know my colleague Jane Hutt has regular meetings with the police forces from across Wales, and we also support Victim Support Wales, so the special project in terms of how they can support particularly people who have been victims of LGBTQ+ hate crime. And we're keen to take forward the recommendations and press the Law Commission's recommendations to make hate crimes for sexual orientation an aggravated offence like it is for other hate crimes as well.

Plaid Cymru spokesperson, Sioned Williams.

Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. I'm grateful to the Deputy Minister for her statement and I'm very pleased on behalf of Plaid Cymru to record our support for LGBTQ+ History Month and our ongoing commitment as a party to ensuring that the voices of LGBTQ+ people are heard, their experiences are recognised and their contributions to our communities and our nation are celebrated. I'm also pleased, through our co-operation agreement with the Welsh Government, that Plaid Cymru is helping to ensure through the LGBTQ+ action plan that the rights of LGBTQ+ people are promoted and supported, calling too for the powers needed to be devolved, so that we can enable Wales to be one of the safest nations in Europe for LGBTQ+ people in line with the aim of the plan.

Having the powers to improve the lives of and to safeguard trans people in Wales is crucial if we are to ensure fairness and to put an end to prejudice and inequality. Plaid Cymru and the Government are agreed in terms of our support to ban conversion therapies. Some recent statements by the Equality and Human Rights Commission on the process of amending the legislation have caused concerns in the LGBTQ+ community here in Wales, across the UK and internationally. It is good, therefore, to hear the Deputy Minister confirming the stance of the Government on the banning of conversion therapy and the changes to the Gender Recognition Act 2004 as a result of this disappointing development, and Plaid Cymru echoes this. We cannot trust in a Tory Westminster Government, which is reactionary and corrupt, when it comes to dealing with inequality and securing fairness.

The theme of this year's LGBTQ+ History Month is art. The power of art to challenge societal norms to which Welsh artists have made a notable contribution is, of course, well recognised. And gay, lesbian, trans, queer and non-conforming ideas and images have been part of artistic culture for millennia, but the long history of prejudice often drove artists to conceal their inspiration, their message and their beliefs, and even their own identity. LGBTQ+ activism from the late 1960s onwards gave a new power and impetus to this art. And our cultural institutions and Welsh public art must recognise and celebrate the reach and power of art to open minds, to promote inclusivity and celebrate diversity. What is the Welsh Government doing to ensure this?

As well as celebrating during LGBTQ+ History Month, this month is also a time for reflection, as you said, on the struggle for rights, recognition and equality, which is ongoing in Wales and beyond. We know that it can take up to four years in some parts of the UK to see a gender specialist, and there are currently 13,500 people on this waiting list. But could the Minister provide equivalent Wales-only figures, and could data on LGBTQ+ healthcare provision in Wales be more widely available and accessible to the public?

Another worrying development, as we have heard from both you and Mark Giffard—Tom Giffard, sorry—is the steady increase in LGBTQ+ hate crimes over the past few years. I'm sure we've all been horrified—and you made reference to it, I think—by the shocking allegations heard in the murder case of Dr Gary Jenkins who was brutally killed here in Cardiff. The most recent hate crimes statistics show also clear links between peaks in hate crime and the easing of various periods of lockdown restrictions. So, I'd like to know how the Welsh Government has accounted for this. Has the Government channelled any further resources, support or funding towards supporting victims of hate crime or their prevention? And could the Deputy Minister provide a timescale of when the LGBTQ+ action plan will be completed and ready, which wasn't really clear in her statement, given these worrying rises in anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes?

The tag line for this history month is 'the arc is long', from the famous quotation by Dr Martin Luther King Jr:

'the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice.'

We have seen far too often that bending that arc is a matter of will. It is not inevitable, and we in Wales must continue to ensure that legislation and policy play their part in the long battle that challenges hate and persecution and which forges change, allows progress and creates equality. Diolch.

Diolch. Can I thank Sioned Williams for the passionate and emotional contribution? I really welcome your support and the way we can work together on common cause and common ground on this. You picked up from the statement and talked a lot in your contribution about the legislative and policy change, but you talked about the power of art as well. Over the years, we've seen huge cultural change in terms of the representation of LGBTQ+ people in the media. When I was growing up in north Wales, I could never have dreamed that you'd just watch whatever programme and there would be positive representation on there. That is really important and we can't underestimate just how important it is to have visibility in all realms of public life, whether it's culture and art, politics or across the piece.

On the points you made around data and provision, obviously I don't have that information to hand, but I'm more than happy to take that up following this and to see what we can do to build on that and to take that up with the Member as well. In terms of the action plan, it's being summarised and collated, and I'm hoping that we'll be able to bring that before this Senedd very, very soon, but I will endeavour to update Members and keep them updated as we progress, because, like you say, I'm very keen to get the plan going and to actually start to implement some of those actions. But we're not going to wait just for the plan to be published; we are still trying to take forward a number of actions and a number of elements of the plan.

You touched on conversion therapy and we're very much committed to taking forward those programme for government commitments. Myself and Jane Hutt met with the Minister for Exports and Minister for Equalities, Mike Freer, shortly before Christmas to stress our points on that conversion therapy ban and how we wanted to see it go further, and our concerns around the element of consent as part of that as well. We are still keen, at the same time, to run that very closely to seek those powers if we need them, but at the same time actually looking at what we can do to take action now. I do hope to have, perhaps, an announcement for Members during LGBTQ+ History Month along those lines as well, to trail an announcement that I can't yet make. But, hopefully, we will be able to do something more by the end of the month.

I welcome the Member's support for this and look forward to working together, like you say, to keep that progress going; it's not inevitable and it falls on all of us to continue that arc.

Finally, Joyce Watson.

Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Thank you for your statement, Minister. Your own history of promoting equality speaks for itself. Wales's LGBTQ+ community has in you the most dependable ally in Government. Your recent decision to renew the equality and inclusion funding programme is a good example of your commitment to that. This Senedd, too, can be proud of its record and status as the No. 1 workplace for LGBTQ+ employees in the country, something I know that the Commission team were determined to achieve.

LGBTQ+ history month is, of course, about celebrating achievements like those and the progress we've made as a society, as well as remembering the sacrifices and the battles that got us here today. But it's time to take stock, too, and to look at how we can make a fairer future. So, where are we today on that arc of justice? There are two big issues now: conversion practices and protections for LGBTQ+ asylum seekers. The UK Government is currently consulting on banning conversion therapy and that consultation closes this Friday. Campaigners are concerned that it could allow those who received—and I quote—'informed consent' from their victims to evade justice. We can't allow that loophole to stand; people cannot consent to abuse. It looks like Scotland will enact an immediate and total ban on these practices, and I should hope that this Senedd and the Welsh Government will call on the UK Government to ensure that the same applies here.

On asylum seekers, Minister, the written statement that you issued at the end of last year flagged your concerns about the inadequate protection it offers LGBTQ+ individuals. Despite being put through tests to prove their sexual orientation or gender identity, asylum seekers routinely see their claims rejected by the Home Office, often wrongly as it turns out, because almost half are then successfully challenged on appeal. Yet, the proposed new law would actually increase the burden of proof—

Joyce, you need to conclude now.

I've got one final sentence. Homosexuality remains illegal in around 70 countries, and 11 of those still operate the death penalty. What discussions are you having with the UK Government to end that heinous crime?

Can I thank Joyce Watson, not just for her contribution today, but her contribution and long track record of being a steadfast ally to the LGBTQ+ community in Wales and beyond? No, we can't do it on our own, we need those allies as well, and I very much appreciate everything that Joyce has done in this place and beyond as well. 

There's very little I could disagree with in terms of what Joyce said there. I completely share the concerns around how far the conversion therapy ban, as is proposed in the consultation, is going. As I said to Sioned Williams, this is a point that we have made to the UK Government, and we'll continue to press and to look at what we can do within Wales within our existing powers, should we actually need to press for further powers to do the right thing by the LGBTQ+ community in Wales. Because you're absolutely right about the concern around the fact that you can't consent to abuse. We're very concerned about the kind of coercive nature of conversion therapy as well and the impact it has on somebody's life, their physical and mental well-being. That cannot be underestimated.

I very much share your concerns around the position—I think it was in a statement that the Minister for Social Justice put out—with regard to how LGBTQ+ asylum seekers are treated. It's not just in terms of being able to be assessed at that first point; actually, we've been working very closely with organisations in Wales as well about actually making sure that LGBTQ+ asylum seekers are in appropriate accommodation when they come here as well. That is another concern. So, we're working very closely with organisations such as Glitter Cymru to see how we can use the devolved levers that we do have here to make sure that LGBTQ people are protected and feel safe here in Wales.

Perhaps I could end on a slightly more positive note. I welcome the comments Joyce Watson made around continuing the equality and inclusion programme, and we also hope to bring in our pride fund as well. That's not just about supporting events, but it's actually supporting LGBTQ work in communities right across the country.

Thank you, Deputy Minister.