8. Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: International Day of Disabled Persons

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:01 pm on 29 November 2022.

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Photo of Jane Hutt Jane Hutt Labour 5:01, 29 November 2022

Thank you very much indeed, Vikki Howells, for those two important questions. The elections and the outcome of those elections are important. In fact, this is something that I share responsibility for with the Minister for Finance and Local Government; she is specifically looking at this in terms of our diversity elected office fund and our diversity and democracy programme, and I know that she's got—. A survey has been undertaken of councillors from the last election. The delivery of the access to elected office fund for Wales—the pilot of that—was very important for these last elections. It did actually help the elections last June, in 2021—it was available—and the 2022 May elections this year.

But also, interestingly, Disability Wales is managing the fund, and it received 21 applications from candidates standing in the Senedd last year, but also principal council and town and community council elections this year. I understand that six of the individuals who received the support were successfully elected, all to community councils. These are only very, very early steps, and there is a review of the arrangements that we're undertaking, looking at positive aspects—feedback, again, from disabled people. But I think we now have a commitment—. Well, we clearly have a commitment to our programme for government to explore extending that access to elected office fund. Wales has got to be represented, hasn't it, in all levels of democracy, by all the people of Wales, and disabled people have got to be there, so we must make sure that we further this. We're holding workshops this December to look at this and to learn, again, from disabled people about the fund and access.

You raise a very important point about access to health services. I've mentioned the disability taskforce, and we have a working group, as I mentioned, a work stream on access to services, and that includes communications and technology. So, this is critically important for your constituent accessing GP services. Because of this statement today, I will feed this back and raise this issue, not just through the working group with disabled people, but directly to the Minister for Health and Social Services.