Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:47 pm on 7 December 2022.
Diolch. I'll start by thanking the Welsh Conservatives for bringing forward this motion today, and also by thanking the Members for their contributions to the debate. I mean, this is such an important topic, and I know this is something where the concern is shared across the whole of the Chamber.
Welsh Ministers are committed to protecting and supporting the health and well-being of all children and young people in Wales, and the murder of Logan has quite rightly prompted discussion and focus on child protection in Wales. That's why I delivered an oral statement in Plenary last week, following the publication of the child practice review, arising from what is a very shocking event.
As part of my oral statement, I reiterated that I was convinced that now is not the time for an independent review of children's services in Wales, and I do remain of this view. And whilst Members have continued to call for a review, the argument to conduct such a review has simply not been made, in the Government's view. I know that Members have referred to the fact that other parts of the UK have done so, but I think there's no reason for us to do it just because other parts of the UK have had reviews. Services and structures in England and Scotland are different—