Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 5 - Tŷ Hywel. View directions

Contact: Rhys Morgan 

Media

Senedd.TV: View the webcast

Transcript: Transcript for 20/09/2021 - Equality and Social Justice Committee

Items
Expected timing No. Item

(13.30)

1.

Introductions, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest

Minutes:

1.1 The Chair welcomed Members to the meeting of the Equality and Social Justice Committee.

 

1.2 In accordance with Standing Order 34.19, the Chair stated that she had determined that the public were excluded from the Committee’s meeting in order to protect public health but that the meeting would be broadcast live on www.senedd.tv.

 

1.3 The Chair stated that if for any reason she dropped out of the meeting, the Committee agreed that Vikki Howells MS would become Temporary Chair in accordance with Standing Order 17.22.

 

1.4 Apologies were received from Sarah Murphy MS and Ken Skates MS. Jack Sargeant MS and Vikki Howells MS attended the meeting as substitutes. There were no declarations of interest.

 

 

 

 

(13.30 - 15.00)

2.

Scrutiny session with the Minister for Social Justice

Jane Hutt MS, Minister for Social Justice

Claire Bennett - Director, Communities & Tackling Poverty

Jo Salway – Director, Social Partnership and Fair Work

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

2.1 Members received evidence from the Minister for Social Justice and the Deputy Minister for Social Partnerships.

 

2.2 During the session, the Minister agreed to write to the Committee on the following points:

·         The resettlement of Afghan refugees in Wales, with a focus on the number of people needing housing, the type of accommodation secured and the support services that will be provided.

·         Progress of the proposed residential women's centre in Wales.

·         The outcomes or the progress of gender budgeting.

 

(15.15 - 16.00)

3.

Debt and the pandemic - Advice organisations

Gwennan Hardy, Senior Policy Officer, Citizens Advice Cymru

Peter Tutton, Head of Policy, Research and Public Affairs, StepChange

Jason Roberts, Debt Adviser, Speakeasy Law Centre

 

 

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

3.1 Members received evidence related to debt and the pandemic.

(16.00 - 16.15)

4.

Papers to note

Supporting documents:

4.1

Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee Fifth Senedd Legacy Report - March 2021

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

4.1a Members noted the report.

4.2

Correspondence from the Auditor General for Wales to the Chair regarding the work of Audit Wales - 9 July 2021

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

4.2a Members noted the correspondence.

 

4.3

Correspondence from the Llywydd to the Chair regarding the committee timetable - 14 July 2021

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

4.3a Members noted the correspondence.

 

4.4

Correspondence from the Chair of the Finance Committee to all Committee Chairs regarding the Welsh Government draft budget - 16 July 2021

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

4.4a Members noted the correspondence.

 

4.5

Dwr Cymru Vulnerable Customer Workshop Report - 25 March 2021

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

4.5a Members noted the report.

 

4.6

Correspondence from Gwenith Price, Deputy Welsh Language Commissioner to the Chair regarding considering the Welsh language in the Committee’s work - 19 July 2021

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

4.6a Members noted the correspondence.

 

4.7

Correspondence from the Chair of the Children, Young People and Education Committee to Committee Chairs regarding priorities for the Sixth Senedd - 20 July 2021

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

4.7a Members noted the correspondence.

 

4.8

Correspondence from Director of RNIB Cymru to Committee Members regarding RNIB’s latest research into the voting experiences of blind and partially sighted people - 23 July 2021

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

4.8a Members noted the correspondence.

 

4.9

Correspondence from Victoria Winkler, Director, Bevan Foundation to the Chair regarding child poverty and protecting migrants' rights - 23 July 2021

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

4.9a Members noted the correspondence.

 

4.10

Correspondence from the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to the Chair of the Work and Pensions Committee regarding universal credit uplift - 5 August 2021

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

4.10a Members noted the correspondence.

 

4.11

Correspondence from Altaf Hussain MS to the Chair regarding the challenges that people with sight loss face daily in Wales - 11 August 2021

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

4.11a Members noted the correspondence.

 

4.12

Correspondence from Pippa Cotterill, Head of Wales Office, Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists Wales to the Chair regarding speech, language and communication needs of young people in the youth justice estate - 1 September 2021

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

4.12a Members noted the correspondence.

 

4.13

Correspondence from the Minister for Social Justice regarding the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan - 10 September 2021

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

4.13a Members noted the correspondence.

 

(16.15)

5.

Motion under SO17.42(ix) to exclude the public from the remainder of the meeting

Minutes:

5.1 The motion was agreed.

(16.15 - 16.30)

6.

Consideration of evidence - scrutiny session with the Minister for Social Justice

Minutes:

6.1 Members considered the evidence received under item 2 and agreed to write to the Minister and Deputy Minister.

(16.30 - 16.45)

7.

Consideration of evidence - debt advice organisations

Minutes:

7.1 Members considered the evidence received under item 3.

(16.45 - 17.00)

8.

Consideration of childcare and parental employment scoping paper

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

8.1 Members considered the scoping paper on childcare and parental employment and subject to minor changes, will agree the paper electronically.