: I'd like a Government
statement—or maybe some advice, really. I've stated several times
that a child with learning difficulties alleged abuse in
care—[Interruption.] I've no idea why there's a sarcastic noise
from my right, from a Labour Assembly Member. I'll say it again: a
child with learning difficulties alleged abuse in care. My
information is as follows: he was not taken to a place of safety;
he was not given an advocate; he was not spoken to by a child
protection officer, a child protection specialist; he was told off.
The written record I've seen says that he was told off. The written
record that I've also seen states that the child did not change his
mind on what had happened.
On Friday, I wrote to the children's commissioner, I wrote to the
chief constable of South Wales Police, I wrote to Cardiff county
council and I wrote to the public services ombudsman, because,
when I named the company on social media, a now adult who used to
be a child in care with the same company made allegations of
assault against him—he said that he had witnessed two other
assaults, one allegedly perpetrated by the convicted paedophile
Liam Brown. Now, the point is that these children were supposedly
all in the care of Priority Child Care Ltd. Now, I've written to
the South Wales Police, I've written to the children's
commissioner, I've written to the council, I've written to the
ombudsman, I've raised it here several times to the point of a
gasp, almost, from my right there, of disapproval.
So, I want a Government statement because I'd really like to know
what am I supposed to do? What is this child's family supposed to
do? Who is listening? All I've had off South Wales
Police—actually, nothing; I've written to them twice. The
children's commissioner, I had an acknowledgement. The ombudsman,
I've just had an acknowledgement that seems to have popped up on
my screen now. This is a really, really serious matter. This is
supposedly our national Parliament. I'm raising it here. What on
earth is going on?
(Minister for
Finance and Trefnydd): Well, the issue that Neil
McEvoy describes is obviously, clearly, a very serious one, and
the individual who disclosed on social media that they had been
the victim of abuse certainly should make those concerns known to
the police in the first instance, and I see that Neil McEvoy has
made those concerns known to the police, which is obviously the
appropriate first step.
Neil McEvoy raised some similar questions about child
safeguarding in a recent business statement, and I did indicate
that the Minister with responsibility for social services would
be writing, setting out the approach to safeguarding, and I'll be
sure that your comments this afternoon are taken into
consideration as that response is prepared.
