6. Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Ukraine Humanitarian Response

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:01 pm on 14 February 2023.

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Photo of Jane Hutt Jane Hutt Labour 5:01, 14 February 2023

Diolch yn fawr, Alun Davies. I'll just briefly respond, Dirprwy Lywydd, to say how important it is that we can be held to account for our language, for our tone, for our delivery of that humanitarian response. It was very good that we were out on the steps together, cross-party, to wish you well and the Counsel General, Mick Antoniw, who has led us, hasn't he, in this Chamber. He's led us in our understanding, led us in Government and, I believe, in the Senedd, to understand how we can best and most appropriately respond to reach out and to support Ukraine—people in Ukraine as well as those Ukrainians who come and live amongst us. He's come to many of our meetings that we've had in constituencies, he's communicated, and we want to thank the Counsel General, who is here today, who will be leading your next mission, I would call it, the journey out, leaving on Thursday, with our support, I think, across this Chamber.

I just have to say that the Welsh Government will do everything that we can to respond to the points that you've made today, Alun Davies, and also to recognise that we can help people in Ukraine. We can have that international role, can't we, as a Welsh Government and the people of Wales. We've really raised our understanding of what that would mean with the visit of President Zelenskyy last week. It permeated to us here in Wales. Of course, over the next weekend, I hope Members will join us as we acknowledge through serious prayer and recognition and also through the event we have here in the Senedd. Diolch.