210 contributions on record. Newest first, by sitting day. Page 4 of 6. Counted by Siambr
Diolch. I attended the launch of the Disasters Emergency Committee's appeal for Venezuela earlier today. People across Wales donate generously to these appeals, recognising the urgency for those in need. I confirm that the Welsh Government will be providing £50,000 to support the humanitarian aid effort.
Diolch am y cwestiwn ychwanegol.
Thank you for that supplementary question.
I also heard Miguel this morning on Radio Wales. It was truly heartbreaking, wasn't it, to hear him talk about his family? He couldn't actually carry on, could he? The interview was so effective, really, at signalling to us all how quickly life can change, in the blink of an eye, and the devastation that's been rained on the people of Venezuela: those two earthquakes, back to back, of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, which struck so close to the capital city, where there is a large population; the second earthquake was the strongest to hit the country in more than a century. Venezuelan authorities have declared a state of emergency, with more than 2 million people estimated to have been impacted by the disaster. So, this is a major humanitarian crisis.
The Welsh Government funds the Disasters Emergency Committee, DEC Cymru, to support the co-ordination of fundraising efforts in Wales when they react to disasters like this. It brings together leading organisations in the UK to raise funds for overseas emergencies, it co-ordinates an effective humanitarian response, getting that aid quickly to people who need it in the most cost-effective manner. So, making a donation to the DEC ensures that funding reaches those most in need in the most effective way possible. So, I would encourage everyone who can donate to do so through the DEC website.
Diolch yn fawr, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Hoffwn i ddiolch i Beca Brown am gyflwyno'r cynnig pwysig hwn ac i bawb sydd wedi rhannu profiadau personol mewn ffordd mor rymus, yn enwedig Sarah. Diolch yn fawr am dy ddewrder ac am rannu dy wybodaeth di gyda ni.
Rydyn ni wedi clywed profiadau etholwyr a hefyd wedi clywed am brofiad mewn Llywodraeth—rhywun fel Lynne, sydd wedi gweld pwysigrwydd y gwaith o fewn Llywodraeth sydd angen cael ei wneud ar hyn. Mae'n gwbl glir i fi o glywed y drafodaeth yma heddiw. Gaf i ddweud rhywbeth hefyd am safon y drafodaeth heddiw? Mae'r cyfraniadau i gyd wedi bod nid yn unig yn rymus, ond yn hyddysg a hefyd yn cynnig ac yn codi cwestiynau ymarferol a defnyddiol. Dyma beth ddylai trafodaeth a dadl yn y Senedd yma fod.
Mae'n gwbl glir, fel y dywedais i, bod angen inni weithredu ar brofiadau niweidiol yn ystod plentyndod. Mae corff mawr o dystiolaeth gyda ni o Gymru ac o weddill y byd, ac rydym ni wedi clywed sôn amdano fe y prynhawn yma. Mae'n dangos y cysylltiad cryf yna rhwng profiadau niweidiol yn ystod plentyndod a chanlyniadau gwael wedyn drwy gydol bywyd. Mae hynny ar draws y meysydd polisi—ar draws addysg, ar draws iechyd ac iechyd meddwl, ar draws tai, ar draws gwasanaethau plant, y system gyfiawnder, fel y soniodd Jane Dodds. Dwi'n cydnabod hefyd y gwaith sydd angen ei wneud o ran atal tlodi a hefyd y pwyslais sydd angen ei roi ar hawliau plant o ran polisi.
Thank you very much, Dirprwy Lywydd. I'd like to thank Beca Brown for tabling this important motion and everyone who has shared personal experiences in such a powerful way, particularly Sarah. Thank you so much for your bravery and for sharing your knowledge with us.
We've heard the experiences of constituents, and we've heard about experiences in Government—somebody like Lynne, who has seen the importance of the work within Government, the work that needs to be done on this. It's clear to me from hearing this debate today. May I say something, too, about the quality and standard of the contributions to the debate? All of the contributions have been not just powerful but informed and have provided information about practical responses, useful responses. That's what such a debate should be like in this Senedd.
It's quite clear, as I said, that we need to take action on adverse childhood experiences. There is that large body of evidence from Wales and from elsewhere in the world, and we've heard mention made about it this afternoon. It demonstrates that strong link between adverse childhood experiences and poor outcomes throughout life. And that is across policy areas—across education, health, mental health, housing, children's services, the justice system, as Jane Dodds mentioned. I recognise, of course, the work that needs to be done in terms of poverty prevention and the emphasis on children's rights when it comes to policy.
Preventing ACEs is not only critical to the health and well-being of individuals, it's crucial to the well-being of our nation. The cost of not doing so impacts not only the individual in terms of the lost opportunity to enjoy a long, happy, healthy and productive life, but is also felt by families, communities, public services and our economy. One study that looked at the financial cost of ACEs in England and Wales estimated that the annual costs were nearly £43 billion, equivalent to around £1,800 per household per annum. So, as well as a moral obligation, we have an economic imperative to act on ACEs.
As I've previously stated, this Government is committed to ensuring all children in Wales have the best start in life. We know how important this is to our future physical and mental health and well-being and prosperity.
Ac ar ben hynny, rŷn ni'n gwybod pa mor bwysig yw'r profiadau yn ystod y 1,000 o ddiwrnodau cyntaf a'r blynyddoedd cynnar. Felly, o ystyried hyn i gyd, mae'n rhaid inni wneud popeth o fewn ein gallu i helpu babanod a rhieni i ffurfio perthynas gadarnhaol â'i gilydd. Mae'n rhaid i'n plant fod yn ddiogel rhag niwed a theimlo'n ddiogel. Mae angen i ni greu amgylcheddau lle gall babanod a phlant ffynnu, gan osod sylfeini cadarn i'w helpu i gyflawni eu potensial, a meithrin eu gallu i ymdopi'n hyderus â heriau bywyd. Mae angen i hyn ddigwydd yn y cartref, yn y gymuned, yn ein lleoliadau gofal plant ac yn ein hysgolion.
Mae llawer gormod o'n teuluoedd yn parhau i'w chael hi'n anodd. Dyna pam mae lleihau tlodi plant a gwella cyfleoedd bywyd i blant a theuluoedd yn ddau o'r prif flaenoriaethau i mi ac i'r Llywodraeth. Rŷn ni wedi ymrwymo i weithio bob dydd i wella bywydau pobl Cymru, ac mae hyn yn golygu mynd i'r afael â'r materion a'r rhwystrau sy'n gallu atal plant rhag cael y dechrau gorau mewn bywyd, pa un a yw hynny'n deillio o brofiadau o fewn y teulu, profiadau niweidiol yn ystod plentyndod, neu o anghydraddoldebau strwythurol a chymdeithasol, fel tlodi a gwahaniaethu o bob math.
Mae'n ddegawd bellach ers i'r astudiaeth gyntaf yng Nghymru ar brofiadau niweidiol yn ystod plentyndod gael ei chyhoeddi. Arweiniodd canfyddiadau ysgytwol yr astudiaeth honno at alwad drawsbleidiol glir i weithredu, a dwi'n falch o glywed yr un alwad heddiw. Mae astudiaethau pellach wedi gwella ein dealltwriaeth o brofiadau niweidiol yn ystod plentyndod.
And in addition to that, we know how important experiences during the first 1,000 days and the early years are. So, with all of this in mind, we must do everything we can to help babies and parents to form a positive relationship with each other. Our children must be safe from harm, they must feel safe. We need to create environments where babies and children can thrive, laying solid foundations to help them achieve their potential and to develop their ability to confidently cope with life's challenges. All of this needs to happen in the home, in the community, in our childcare settings and in our schools.
Far too many of our families are still struggling. That's why reducing child poverty and improving life opportunities for children and families are two of my main priorities, and priorities for my Government, too. As a Government, we are committed to working every day to improve the lives of the people of Wales, and this means tackling the issues and the barriers that can prevent children from getting the best start in life, whether that emanates from experiences within the family, adverse childhood experiences, or from structural and social inequalities such as poverty or discrimination of any kind.
A decade has now passed since the first study in Wales on adverse childhood experiences was published. The shocking findings of that study led to a clear cross-party call to action. I'm pleased to hear that same call being made today. Further studies have improved our understanding of adverse childhood experiences.
The relationship between experience and outcome is complex. The risk of exposure to ACEs and of experiencing poorer outcomes can be influenced by a wide variety of factors, including various personal characteristics, race, gender, socioeconomic status, often termed as intersectionality. We know that the distribution of ACEs across society is unequal, as is their impact. We know that intersectionality increases the likelihood of experiencing ACEs, but it can also act as a compounding factor. An individual's personal characteristics can increase, therefore, the risk and likelihood of experiencing poorer outcomes related to ACEs. For example, we know that those from a socioeconomically deprived community experience higher levels of ACEs, and those who experience ACEs are at a greater risk of socioeconomic disadvantage in adulthood. That's why it's important our approach is holistic, cross-Government and multidisciplinary. Our approach towards tackling ACEs must be situated in the broader social and economic context of family life and the wider determinants of health, rather than adopting a narrow focus just on parental behaviours.
Mae ein rhaglenni yn y blynyddoedd cynnar, magu plant, cymorth i deuluoedd a gofal plant yn chwarae rhan allweddol wrth sicrhau ein bod yn adnabod ac yn atal profiadau niweidiol yn gynnar, yn cynnig cymorth amserol, ac yn adeiladu gwytnwch ymhlith plant a theuluoedd. Yn ganolog i'r gwaith hwn mae Hyb ACE Cymru, y ganolfan arbenigedd ar drawma a phrofiadau niweidiol yn ystod plentyndod, sy'n chwarae rhan allweddol wrth ddatblygu unigolion, gwasanaethau a chymunedau sy'n ystyriol o drawma. O ganlyniad, mae'r hyb wedi bod yn allweddol i'n hymateb i brofiadau niweidiol yn ystod plentyndod. Elfen sylfaenol o waith yr hyb yw codi ymwybyddiaeth a dealltwriaeth y cyhoedd o ddulliau a gwasanaethau sy'n ystyriol o drawma, ac mae'r hyb yn llwyddo i wneud hynny drwy'r ymgyrch Amser i fod yn Garedig. Rwy'n falch iawn bod yr ymgyrch honno wedi cael ei chydnabod yn y cynnig ar gyfer y ddadl.
Mae'r cynnig yn galw ar y Llywodraeth i gryfhau a chefnogi dulliau sy'n ystyriol o drawma ar draws y sector cyhoeddus. Yn y bôn, mae dull sy'n ystyriol o drawma yn ymwneud â charedigrwydd, tosturi, empathi a dealltwriaeth, sef gofyn, fel y dywedodd Beca, 'Beth ddigwyddodd i chi?' yn hytrach na, 'Beth sy'n bod arnoch chi?' Gall hynny drawsnewid bywydau drwy helpu rhai sydd wedi'u heffeithio gan brofiadau newidiol a thrawma i wella, adennill ymddiriedaeth, a meithrin perthynas gadarnhaol ag eraill. Rwy'n siŵr y byddai Hyb ACE Cymru yn croesawu'r cyfle i weithio gyda Chomisiwn y Senedd pe bai'n penderfynu dod yn sefydliad sy'n ystyriol o drawma.
Ond nid hyfforddiant yn unig sydd ei angen. Mae angen newid meddylfryd, diwylliant a ffyrdd o weithio. Mae dod yn ystyriol o drawma yn daith yn hytrach na chyrchfan. Mae'r hyb wedi datblygu ystod eang o adnoddau i helpu sefydliadau a gwasanaethau i ddod yn fwy ystyriol o drawma. Mae hyn yn cynnwys hyfforddiant i godi ymwybyddiaeth sy'n addas i bawb, ynghyd â hyfforddiant mwy cynhwysfawr i’r rhai sy'n cefnogi pobl sydd wedi'u heffeithio gan drawma. Mae hefyd wedi cynhyrchu pecyn cymorth i helpu sefydliadau i ddod yn ystyriol o drawma a phrofiadau niweidiol yn ystod plentyndod. Mae gan yr hyb brofiad helaeth o weithio gyda sefydliadau a gwasanaethau ar draws ystod eang o sectorau i'w cefnogi yn y gwaith hwn.
Our early years programmes, and those on parenting, family support and childcare, play a key role in ensuring we identify and prevent adverse childhood experiences early, offer timely support, and build resilience among children and families. Central to this work is the ACE Hub Wales, which is a centre of expertise on trauma and adverse childhood experiences, which plays a key role in developing individuals, services and communities that are trauma informed. As a result, the hub has been critical to our response to adverse childhood experiences. A fundamental element of the work of ACE Hub Wales is to raise public awareness and understanding of methods and services that are trauma-informed, and the hub manages to do that through its Time to be Kind campaign. I'm very pleased that that campaign has been recognised in the motion for this debate.
The motion calls on the Government to strengthen and support trauma-informed approaches across the public sector. Fundamentally, a trauma-informed approach is about kindness, compassion, empathy and understanding, which means asking, as Beca said, 'What happened to you?' rather than asking, 'What's wrong with you?' This can transform lives by helping those affected by harmful experiences and trauma to heal, to regain trust and to build positive relationships with others. I'm sure that ACE Hub Wales would welcome the opportunity to work with the Senedd Commission if it decided to become a trauma-informed organisation.
But it's not just about training. We need to change mindsets, culture and ways of working. Becoming trauma-informed is a journey, rather than a destination. The Hub has developed a wide range of resources to help organisations and services to become more trauma informed. This includes introductory awareness training that is suitable for all, as well as more comprehensive training for those who support people affected by trauma. The hub has also produced a toolkit to help organisations become informed in regard to trauma and adverse childhood experiences. The hub has extensive experience of working with organisations and services across a wide range of sectors to support them in this work.
But I do recognise—and I want to finish with this, Dirprwy Lywydd—the importance of taking a cross-Government, system-wide, holistic approach to tackling childhood adversity and trauma, guided by the evidence and best practice. A commitment to working in an ACE and trauma-informed way is already embedded within Welsh Government policies, programmes and strategies, but I will continue to encourage and push for this as new policies and programmes are developed, and to ensure good practice is continued and shared. Diolch.
Diolch yn fawr, Lywydd. Rwy'n gwrthod y cynnig sydd ger ein bron heddiw. Nid oherwydd bod y Llywodraeth hon yn amharod i drafod mudo, integreiddio, ceisio lloches—ac mae ceisio lloches a mudo yn rhywbeth gwahanol—neu bwysau ar gymunedau. Rŷn ni'n fwy na pharod i wneud hynny. Ond oherwydd bod y cynnig yma yn ddim mwy na slogan yn lle trafodaeth ddifrifol ar adeg pan fo Cymru angen atebion ymarferol. Mae 'scrap the nation of sanctuary' yn swnio'n syml, ond dyw e ddim yn ateb o unrhyw fath. Mae'n dweud beth ddylai fynd, ond yn dweud dim byd am beth ddylai fod yna i gymunedau Cymru, i'r bobl sy'n chwilio am noddfa, i'r gwasanaethau cyhoeddus sy'n gweithio i'w cefnogi.
Gadewch i fi ddweud yn glir beth mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn gallu ei wneud a beth dyw Llywodraeth Cymru ddim yn gallu ei wneud. Achos mae'n amlwg i fi, o gyfraniadau Reform, nad ydych chi'n deall hynny o gwbl. Dŷn ni ddim yn gallu penderfynu ar statws mewnfudo unigolyn. Dŷn ni ddim yn gallu gwneud unrhyw benderfyniadau am geisiadau am loches. Dŷn ni ddim yn gallu penderfynu pwy sy'n cael ei leoli yma yng Nghymru, faint o bobl sy'n cael eu lleoli yma, nac i ba gymunedau y maen nhw'n mynd. Penderfyniadau Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Gyfunol yw'r rheini, ac mae'r Aelodau gyferbyn yn gwybod hynny'n iawn. Ond mae'r cyhoedd yn haeddu gwybodaeth onest am hyn. Maen nhw'n haeddu'r gwirionedd.
Dyw'r cynnig yma ddim yn gallu newid y nifer o bobl sy'n cael eu lleoli yng Nghymru na ble maen nhw'n cael eu lleoli, ond fe fyddai'n diddymu'r cymorth sy'n galluogi pobl i integreiddio i ardal a diwylliant newydd, cymorth sy'n helpu pobl i ddysgu Cymraeg neu Saesneg, gwella eu sgiliau a'u gwneud yn fwy parod i weithio neu ddeall ein systemau ni a'r hyn sy'n ddisgwyliedig ohonyn nhw gan eu cymdogion. Byddai'n diddymu'r gwaith sy'n cael ei wneud i feithrin perthynas a helpu cymunedau i gyd-fyw yn well, gan fanteisio ar fuddiannau mudo. Byddai'n diddymu'r cymorth sy'n cael ei roi i weithio gydag awdurdodau lleol, sefydliadau gwirfoddol a chymunedau i sicrhau bod unrhyw bwysau ar y gymuned yn cael eu deall ac yn cael sylw priodol.
Dyw'r cynnig hwn ddim yn sôn am roi unrhyw beth arall yn ei le. Dyw cael gwared â chymorth ddim yn gwneud i'r heriau yma ddiflannu, ond mae'n eu gwneud yn llawer anoddach i'w rheoli ac yn llawer drutach i'w datrys yn nes ymlaen. Oherwydd heb y math yma o gynllun, byddai mwy o bobl yn debygol o fod yn ddigartref ac yn anghenus, byddai'r peryglon diogelu yn gallu cynyddu a'r gwasanaethau cyhoeddus yn gorfod delio â phroblemau mwy cymhleth a mwy costus. Dyna'r gwir amdani. Nid arweinyddiaeth fyddai hynny, ond troi cefn ar gyfrifoldebau.
Thank you, Llywydd. I reject the motion before us today. Not because this Government is unwilling to discuss migration, integration or asylum-seeking—and asylum-seeking and migration is a different thing—or community pressures. We are more than willing to do that. But because this motion is no more than a slogan, rather than a serious discussion at a time when Wales needs practical answers. 'Scrap the nation of sanctuary' sounds so simple, but it isn't a solution of any kind. It says what should go, but it doesn't say anything about what should be there for Wales's communities, for the people who are seeking sanctuary, and for the public services that work to support them.
Let me state clearly what the Welsh Government can do and what the Welsh Government cannot do. Because it is clear to me from Reform's contributions that you don't understand that at all. We can't decide an individual's immigration status. We can't make any decisions regarding asylum applications. We can't decide who is placed in Wales, how many people are placed here, nor in which communities they are placed. Those are decisions for the United Kingdom Government, and the Members opposite know that quite well. But the public deserve honest information about this. They deserve the truth.
This motion can't change the number of people placed in Wales nor where they are placed, but it would abolish the support that enables people to integrate in an area and into a new culture, support that helps people to learn Welsh or English, improves their skills and makes them more ready for employment, or that helps them understand our systems and what is expected from them by their neighbours. It would nullify the work that is being done to foster relationships and to help communities to live together in greater harmony, realising the benefits of migration. It would remove the support that is provided for collaboration by local authorities, voluntary organisations and communities to ensure that any pressures on communities are understood and receive due attention.
This motion makes no mention of putting anything else in its place. Getting rid of support does not make these challenges just disappear, but it makes them much harder to manage and far more costly to resolve later on. Because without this kind of scheme, more people would be likely to become homeless and in need of help, the safeguarding risks could increase and public services would have to deal with more costly and more complex problems later on. That is the truth about this situation. That would not be leadership, but an abrogation of responsibility.
Because the real question is this: when people arrive in Wales, as determined by the UK Government, how should the Welsh Government respond? Do we support efforts by communities and public services to understand and manage any pressures and foster cohesion, or do we step back and allow problems to escalate? This Government chooses to act and make a difference.
I've visited communities, spoken to local authorities, voluntary organisations and front-line workers, and I've heard directly from people about the experiences that brought them here—experiences of conflict, of trauma, of loss that few of us can begin to imagine. And I've also seen what happens when support is in place—people rebuilding their lives, people learning, working and contributing, people becoming part of their communities.
It's already happening. This isn't theoretical. Children arriving in Wales are learning Welsh, integrating into their local communities, making friends and feeling proud to be part of their new communities. Leyla, a single mother who arrived seeking sanctuary, has built My Sister's House into a successful Kurdish food business in Cardiff that brings people together and supports the local economy. The team behind Coffi Kava in Caerphilly have created a thriving cafe that blends cultures, provides jobs and offers a welcoming space for the wider community, bringing together Welsh and Ukrainian influences.
These are real, current examples of the contribution people seeking sanctuary are making across Wales. Have the Members on the Reform benches visited or seen the impact of any of these initiatives in their own communities? These aren't isolated stories; they're the result of a consistent approach that supports integration and strengthens our communities. It means supporting local authorities, schools, health services, advice providers and communities to manage change well. It means preventing destitution, reducing pressure, helping people understand their rights and responsibilities.
This is not a policy for one group over another; it's a policy for cohesive communities. We see that in how communities across Wales have responded, whether to people from Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria or elsewhere. What kind of nation do we want to be—one that responds with respect, solidarity and fair play, or one that turns away and allows division to take hold?
And I just want to address what was said about the Christian faith, as a church elder myself. Cytûn, Churches Together in Wales, has said the call to love our neighbour has never stopped at a border, and the welcome of the stranger as a neighbour is one of the clearest of our Christian obligations.
Llywydd, this Government will continue to act responsibly, will continue to support communities across Wales. And as for the shameful accusation of virtue signalling, not only are you lacking in compassion, you are historically illiterate. After the horrors of world war two, Britain and its allies helped establish the principle that refugees deserve a fair chance to seek asylum. It was ensured that the statement 'never again' was manifested in international law. Never again would backs be turned when people deemed illegal—deemed illegal—stripped of their citizenship and their rights, dehumanised and persecuted, such are the Jewish people of Europe—. Backs would never be turned again. That legacy must be protected. When we say 'never again', we must mean it, we must live it, we must never undermine it. For those reasons, I urge Members to reject this motion and agree the amendment. [Applause.]
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