Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:36 pm on 21 June 2022.
Minister, thank you very much for your statement today. I just wanted to say a little bit about local authorities in Wales and the important role that they have, and ask if you would agree with me that Newport City Council are actually doing a lot of good things at the moment and making real progress on these issues. I know they're fully committed to supporting the Welsh Government's LGBTQ+ action plan, and they have very strong links with communities across the city of Newport, and they have a Pride staff network within the authority, which I think is really delivering results in terms of their internal organisation, but also linking out then to the community.
They've been working with Pride in the Port, and I was pleased that you mentioned them earlier. There will be a march in Newport in September, the first Pride march organised by Pride in the Port, with the local authority in support. There are lots of activities now throughout the local community, the raising of the Progress Pride flag by the council leader and Pride in the Port to celebrate Pride Month. There's an awful lot actually going on at the moment, including an event and a safe space at the Riverfront Theatre, which was created, again, to take forward these activities—to send the right messages. Obviously, you want to work closely with local authorities in Wales, Minister, and I wonder if you would confirm what I hope is the case, that Newport City Council is showing a good example at the moment and doing lots of promising things.