Answers to questions not reached in Plenary
06/07/2022Answers are published in the language in which they are provided, with a translation into English of responses provided in Welsh.
Questions For - Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
What discussions has the Counsel General had with the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Justice about the continuation of the Support Through Court scheme at Cardiff Justice Centre?
I raised our concerns about the closure of Cardiff’s Support Through Court office with the new Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice, Lord Bellamy, in June and highlighted that the closure of services that support litigants in person would undermine access to justice in Wales.
What discussions has the Counsel General had with other UK law officers regarding the implications for Wales of potential changes to the application of the Northern Ireland protocol?
The Foreign Secretary, the Rt Hon Liz Truss MP, introduced the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill in the House of Commons on 13 June, without any prior meaningful engagement by the UK Government with the Welsh Government. We are giving the Bill due consideration to understand the implications for Wales.
What legal advice has the Counsel General given to the Welsh Government on steps it could take to tackle rural crime?
The Welsh Government is committed to tackling rural crime and last year appointed the first all-Wales wildlife and rural crime co-ordinator to underline this commitment. The Welsh Government works very closely with the co-ordinator and with police services in Wales on all aspects of rural crime.
Questions For - Minister for Social Justice
What steps is the Welsh Government taking to protect the rights of the deaf community?
The Welsh Government is committed to advancing equality and protecting the rights of everyone in Wales, including deaf people. Work is being undertaken through the disability rights taskforce to ensure that the rights of the deaf community and other disabled people are protected.
What work has the Minister undertaken to ensure that communities in Rhondda are safe?
The Welsh Government is committed to working with the police and other partner organisations to help ensure our communities are safe, not only in Rhondda but across Wales. We continue, for example, to provide significant funding for police community support officers in all of our Welsh police forces.
What is the Welsh Government doing in Islwyn to promote prosperity and tackle poverty during the cost-of-living crisis?
The Welsh Government continues to commit significant investment to a range of policies and programmes to promote prosperity and prevent and mitigate poverty. Thanks to the £150 cost-of-living payment, to date £6,693,000 has already reached the pockets of the eligible households in the Caerphilly area alone.
What action is the Welsh Government taking to protect the rights of older people?
The Deputy Minister for Social Services leads on our rights-based strategy for an ageing society. Building on our co-produced guidance 'Making rights work for older people', Age Cymru is delivering a campaign through multiple channels, including a toolkit for advocates and older people that supports the protection of their rights.