Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Social Justice – in the Senedd at 1:47 pm on 4 May 2022.

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Photo of Jane Hutt Jane Hutt Labour 1:47, 4 May 2022

Diolch yn fawr, Sioned Williams, for those important questions. I'm sure you would join with me, as you have already expressed, in our disgust with the way the Prime Minister responded yesterday—disgust with the way that he talked about people without any understanding of what people's lives were really like. He couldn't answer the question when asked, 'What do you think about someone who is actually only able to have one meal a day and who travels in a bus in order to keep warm with their free bus pass?' But it's crucial that we do what we can in the Welsh Government.

On our winter fuel support scheme, we're now with the local government elections, and as soon as those are through, we will get the latest figures on the take-up of the winter fuel support scheme. We're going to extend eligibility, and we will, of course—we've just been talking about pensioners—be looking not just in terms of those on pension credit, but wider eligibility in terms of the take-up. Because I want to make sure that we can get that funding straight into the pockets of those who need it through this terrible crisis in terms of fuel poverty.

Also, next week, I'm having a meeting—a round-table—on tackling food poverty as well, because this is all part of the cost-of-living crisis, to look at what we can do, and to understand the ways in which foodbanks and those organisations who are tackling food poverty are also engaging with tackling fuel poverty as well, and looking at ways in which fuel vouchers, for example, can also be part of the way in which we'll support. I would just say on Citizens Advice, it's so important, the role that they play in terms of Claim What's Yours for every benefit, which is on UK benefit take-up. But we are pressing them.