4. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to improve disabled people's access to public services? OQ59000

Thank you, Jenny Rathbone. As part of the disability rights taskforce, the Welsh Government has set up a working group to focus on access to services. This working group is integral to driving forward changes to improve access to all services in Wales.

Thank you, Minister. We both attended the Royal National Institute of Blind People event last week here in the Senedd, and we heard patients from four different health boards provide a catalogue of woe about their struggle to get the services that they need and deserve. These testimonies were backed up by a recent survey by the RNIB, which indicated that one in three blind or partially sighted people had missed an appointment or had their health affected because they didn't receive information that was accessible to them. Over half received information about their healthcare from their GP in a format they couldn't read, and even more surprisingly, over one in 10 had been asked by their GP surgery what their preferred communication method is, and how they would like to receive information. The all-Wales standard for accessible communications and information for people with sensory loss was written in 2003, and communication methods have obviously blossomed since then, so I wondered if you could tell us, Minister, what work the Government is doing to update them and ensure that health boards are implementing them in all their work.

Thank you very much, Jenny. Of course, it was really important to be there at the RNIB event—and I think many others joined us—and to speak to the director of the RNIB about these very points of evidence that you've given us. But, I thought what was most important about the event was the panel of people with sight loss who gave their lived experience of accessing healthcare information. But what was also good was that we did have officials there from the Welsh Government's health equality team who also attended, and it's important that those lessons are learnt from people at the front line. So, just to assure you that we're engaging with health board communication leads through the normal course of business of delivery of services, and therefore, we're flagging up all the needs to update health guidance for health boards regarding how they contact and interact with blind patients. That's the value of that kind of interaction they had on that day.

And the all-Wales standard for accessible communication does ensure that the communication and information needs of people with sensory loss are met. So, that is a standard that now is going to be monitored much more closely, because they have a duty—it's a commitment to equalities—and the forthcoming duty of quality as well, in terms of services. But we will be taking this forward in the taskforce, as I've described their role, in terms of the disability taskforce, which is co-chaired with a disabled person, and is taking forward accessible communications particularly.

Although the blue badge scheme in Wales does not lie within your portfolio, removing the barriers for disabled people does, and the current blue badge scheme in Wales is creating barriers. I've been contacted by numerous constituents with a range of physical and neurodevelopmental conditions, whose blue badge parking permit applications or renewals were declined by local authorities quoting Welsh Government eligibility criteria. This states, amongst other things, that the local authority's decision on eligibility is final—there is no appeals process—causing applicants huge distress and requiring my intervention to have their applications reconsidered.

When I sat on the 2019 Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee inquiry into the blue badge scheme in Wales, we received joint written evidence from charities including Tenovus Cancer Care and Macmillan Cancer Support. They expressed disappointment when many of the committee's evidence-based recommendations in our subsequent report were rejected by the Welsh Government. Although the Welsh Government did refer to a review of eligibility criteria and guidance documentation, and the then Minister for Economy and Transport said that he had requested that officials work closely with local authorities to strengthen consistency in their approach to handling rejected applications, Tenovus Cancer Care have written stating that they regretfully report no change to implementation of the scheme, and the issues reported to the committee in 2019 persist. What actions can and will you therefore take accordingly?

Diolch yn fawr, Mark Isherwood. Thank you for that evidence on the implementation of the blue badge scheme, and the feedback that you've given. I certainly will be—. It's not my portfolio, but this is about taking forward access to services, and that includes all services' objectives. So, I will be taking that back to look at those issues.