Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:04 pm on 7 June 2022.
Minister, I very much look forward to scrutinising this Bill at Stage 1 in the Equality and Social Justice Committee. I think it's a very exciting Bill.
I wanted to look at the public procurement aspects, and particularly the reporting duties on public bodies and Welsh Ministers in relation to socially responsible procurement. I just want to query why only socially responsible procurement, because the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 obviously isn't just about social responsibility. And as public bodies prepare to invest many millions of pounds, quite rightly, in the healthy eating habits of children as we roll out the universal free school meals programme, what role do you expect this Bill to play in ensuring that this particular additional procurement strengthens a prosperous, cohesive and resilient Wales, fundamental to the foundational economy objectives, as well as, of course, making an important contribution to a healthier Wales?