'Fiery' debate at the Welsh Senedd

Tindle News

Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire politician Sam Kurtz highlighted a ‘fiery’ debate in the Senedd today

Transcript

00:00Do you support the calls which have been made by many people, including those victims, that we do need to listen carefully to?

00:08Do you support the calls for a new UK-wide inquiry into grooming gangs and child exploitation as well?

00:19We know that people up and down Wales are talking about this issue.

00:23They need assurances that both the Welsh and the UK governments, along with the police and social services,

00:28are doing all that they can to prevent young girls in Wales from becoming victims of grooming gangs.

00:34They want to know that justice will be served against the perpetrators of these crimes.

00:38But they can only have those assurances if we know the full extent of the problems that we have here in Wales

00:44and the actions which are being taken by everybody to address them.

00:48So can I ask you, in addition to that first question which you didn't answer,

00:53what communications has the Welsh Government had with the police, with Welsh local authority social care departments

01:00and with other stakeholders regarding grooming gangs operating here in Wales and the estimated number of Welsh victims?

01:08And will you publish the correspondence between the Welsh Government and those organisations

01:14in order to prevent any allegations that might be made of a cover-up?

01:19I can see what's happening here. I'm disappointed, but I will answer your question.

01:24The Welsh Government fully supported the previous independent inquiry into child sexual abuse.

01:32We are, on the back of that, developing a 10-year strategy for preventing and responding to child sexual abuse.

01:41The author of that report made it very clear that her interest was in making sure

01:47that the recommendations of that report were actioned, and I can assure you that several of those recommendations

01:54have already been implemented here in Wales.

01:58First Minister, you've talked about a 10-year action plan. People want, of course, rapid action.

02:04There have been recommendations made to the Welsh Government.

02:08I asked you two specific questions. You haven't now answered the second question,

02:12which was about what correspondence has taken place between the Welsh Government, Welsh police forces,

02:18Welsh local authorities and other stakeholders about the extent of these issues,

02:23because people need those assurances.

02:25Now, it's very clear to me that you're not able to provide those assurances today,

02:30and that, I'm afraid, is a national scandal.

02:33We know from media reports that young girls have been recruited by grooming gangs here in south Wales

02:41before being gang-raped and then trafficked to Telford, Hereford and Blackpool.

02:49One victim has even said that she was strangled, she was threatened with a knife

02:56and her home was threatened with being burnt down.

03:01She was then raped, I'm afraid to say, First Minister, a thousand times.

03:06She didn't know the number of perpetrators, because there were so many.

03:10I do need you to come to your question now.

03:12You are being overly descriptive and, I think, verging on not being totally respectful of the victim at this point.

03:21So, can you tone down the rhetoric slightly?

03:25I'm afraid I'm simply reading facts.

03:28No, you're not.

03:31The use of language in this place needs to beó

03:38making sure that you are keeping well away from inflaming any kind of discrimination

03:45or inciting any kind of discrimination.

03:48You were doing very well, Darren Miller, with your first two questions, in avoiding that.

03:53In your third one, you've become overly descriptive and I need you to now reflect on that

04:00and just ask the question again, please.

04:02I'm not seeking to inflame anything.

04:05I'm glad you confirmed that.

04:10Now, carry on with your question.

04:12So, we know that some of the things which have been described by victims have been absolutely sickening.

04:19We know that those things have taken placeó

04:22Young girls in Wales have taken place in terms of recruitment by grooming gangs in Wales.

04:27Darren Miller, I ask you for your question.

04:30So, we need to know that these thingsówe don't have another Rotherham or Rochdale on our doorstep.

04:36Darren Miller, you're skipping to your script now and you're not listening to my advice.

04:40If you do not ask your question in the next 10 seconds, I'm going to ask you to sit down.

04:45I did not expect to have to do this to you in your first few weeks as leader of the Welsh Conservative Party in here.

04:52My question is this.

04:54Given that you oppose a UK-wide inquiry,

04:57given that we haven't had the assurances which I've sought from you today,

05:01and given the extent of public concern,

05:03will you now commission a Wales-wide inquiry into child sexual exploitation by grooming gangs here in Wales?

05:12Darren, I've got to say I'm really disappointed in you.

05:14I wasn't expecting you to take on that kind of approach.

05:20This is something, I think, where we've got to remember the victims and remember them in a way that will be supportive.

05:28I don't think what we've seen in the past few days has been a place where they would feel supported.

05:37Now I can make it clear to you that I have asked questions about to what extent this is an issue.

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