, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Governance of fire and rescue services: evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership and Chief Fire Adviser
Diolch. The current framework, whilst we are due for the next iteration of the plan, has stood the test of time well and remains broadly fit for purpose. The intention was for the next iteration of the fire and rescue national framework to reflect those plans…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Governance of fire and rescue services: evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership and Chief Fire Adviser
After.
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Governance of fire and rescue services: evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership and Chief Fire Adviser
As I said before, the commissioners needed to act to seek an interim chief fire officer. That decision was made and then Welsh Government officials were informed.
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Governance of fire and rescue services: evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership and Chief Fire Adviser
In my response to Sarah Murphy, obviously, the decision needed to be taken on an operational basis for an interim chief fire officer to cover operational need, and I'm sure the chief fire and rescue adviser can advise on the rationale behind that. It was a…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Governance of fire and rescue services: evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership and Chief Fire Adviser
Thank you for your question.
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Governance of fire and rescue services: evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership and Chief Fire Adviser
Thanks. So, the budget for—. Actually, one of the tasks that was before the commissioners when they came into post was the need to set the budget for this year because the deadline was looming for that. So, the budget for South Wales FRA was set by the…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Governance of fire and rescue services: evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership and Chief Fire Adviser
Thanks, Sarah. So, I think the first thing to say is that, if we look at the terms of reference for the commissioners, there's a clear, coherent set of terms of reference for them to work to, and one of them was to establish and oversee a senior management…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Governance of fire and rescue services: evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership and Chief Fire Adviser
Thanks, Sarah. So, the commissioners were chosen based on a range of experience, a balance of that experience, background, skills and independence. We wanted to make sure we had a mixture of both fire and rescue and perhaps service operational knowledge, but…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Governance of fire and rescue services: evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership and Chief Fire Adviser
So, with regard to those specific allegations, we were not aware of them before the ITV report came forward. As I've said in the Senedd Chamber before, as soon as that came forward, I met with the chief and the chair of the fire and rescue authority in south…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Governance of fire and rescue services: evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership and Chief Fire Adviser
Diolch, Chair. Just in the first instance, you were referring to the report by ITV that broke in December—
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Governance of fire and rescue services: evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership and Chief Fire Adviser
Yes. I think one of the things is that the governance of fire and rescue authorities has sadly been brought into much sharper focus in the past months alone, regarding, clearly, the really systemic failings highlighted with South Wales Fire and Rescue…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Governance of fire and rescue services: evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership and Chief Fire Adviser
So, I think one of the things that was first brought to my attention in this role would've been the 2018 White Paper. Shall I touch on that? Would that be appropriate?
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Governance of fire and rescue services: evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership and Chief Fire Adviser
Can I start, Chair, by welcoming the work of the committee on this? I think it's really important and, hopefully, it should be really valuable in informing how we move forward in terms of the governance of fire and rescue authorities and fire and rescue…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Governance of fire and rescue services: evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership and Chief Fire Adviser
Yes, sure. I'll ask Liz to go first.
, Plenary
Statement by the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership: HeartUnions Week
Can I thank Huw Irranca-Davies for that very fitting final contribution for today's statement? Absolutely, dwi'n cytuno. I agree with everything he said—that actually, yes, trade unions are important to support workers here in Wales, but it's absolutely…
, Plenary
Statement by the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership: HeartUnions Week
Thank you so much for that passionate and committed contribution. Sarah, I know how committed a trade unionist you are as well. And I absolutely agree with you that we need to work together with trade union movements, with trade union colleagues, to actually…
, Plenary
Statement by the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership: HeartUnions Week
Diolch Mabon ap Gwynfor for that contribution and for recognising the role that collective bargaining plays within workplaces. Clearly, we want to get to a point in Wales where levels of collective bargaining are higher again. Actually, one of the things I…
, Plenary
Statement by the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership: HeartUnions Week
I thank my colleague and constituency neighbour Jack Sargeant for his contribution. I absolutely agree that the rights that we perhaps sometimes take for granted today were not only long called for but hard fought for as well over decades and decades. And…
, Plenary
Statement by the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership: HeartUnions Week
Thanks, Luke Fletcher, for your contribution and for making the good point about how we actually spread that kind of union protection and support in those workplaces that probably have been traditionally harder to reach by their very nature or perhaps how…
, Plenary
Statement by the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership: HeartUnions Week
Can I thank Sam Kurtz for his contribution? It was bizarre to bump into you in another Parliament just yesterday as well. But on the point you make, I think my colleagues who are candidates for a certain position did meet with a delegation who were there at…
, Plenary
Statement by the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership: HeartUnions Week
Diolch, Rhianon Passmore, for your contribution and recognising the role HeartUnions Week has in terms of promoting what trade unions do, not just in the workplace, but in Wales as well. I always like to say that a trade union is not just for HeartUnions…
, Plenary
Statement by the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership: HeartUnions Week
I'll address the final points that you made in your contribution first, before coming to the broader points you made. I'm obviously aware of the position of the FBU and the motion that they passed. Obviously, the appointment was made by the four…
, Plenary
Statement by the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership: HeartUnions Week
Diolch, Llywydd. Don't worry, I'll be much more concise in my response. So, Joel James asked me can I see—[Interruption.] I don't think you'll need to, don't worry. Joel James asked me if I can see the benefit of the Conservative Government's anti-trade union…
, Plenary
Statement by the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership: HeartUnions Week
Welsh Government support for the trade union movement is driven by our firm belief that trade unions are fundamental to fair work. The trade union movement has shaped who I am, and I'm proud to be part of a Government that values the contributions the labour…
, Plenary
Statement by the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership: HeartUnions Week
Thank you. Last week, trade unions across Wales and the UK celebrated HeartUnions Week, an annual event that showcases the vital work of trade unions.
