00:00I joined Paul Davis in visiting the Samaritans branch in Haverford West and speaking to volunteers.
00:06This is the only branch south of Aberystwyth and west of Swansea and what was striking in talking to
00:12them about possible changes to the Samaritans was one statistic which in 2024 of the 436 suicides
00:21that took place in Wales 77.2% of those were men and you spoke last week Trevney that the Centre for
00:30Social Justice events kindly sponsored by my colleague Sam Rowland's event titled Lost Boys State
00:35of the Nation and that was a really telling evening and brought forward some of the real challenges
00:41facing men and young men in particular in Wales at this moment so could I please call for a statement
00:47on support for men men's health and men's mental health please. Thank you very much Sam Kurtz and of
00:55course I was pleased to come and speak at that very important event last week the Centre for Social
01:03Justice's report on Lost Boys it was the evidence was very important I was able to say a few words as
01:13as the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice and it's very much a cross government issue as well in
01:18terms of of men men's young men particularly in terms of that focus and men's mental health but you
01:26also draw attention in the start of your question about how important Samaritans is and of course this
01:33is something where I know that the Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing would want to respond to
01:39to that point but if you recall she also actually responded to a short debate a no-name demotion
01:46debate on this and I will again draw this to her attention but I thought there were some very positive
01:53features of that report and the discussion the panel was very valuable.
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