Concise Minutes - Equality and Social Justice Committee


Meeting Venue:

Committee Room 2 (Senedd)

Meeting date: Monday, 19 January 2026

Meeting time: 13.30- 16.30
This meeting can be viewed
on Senedd TV at:
http://senedd.tv/en/15715


Hybrid

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Attendance

Category

Names

Members of the Senedd:

Jenny Rathbone MS (Chair)

Jane Dodds MS

Altaf Hussain MS

Julie Morgan MS

Sioned Williams MS

Witnesses:

Pearl Costello, Food Sense Wales

Hannah Gibbs, Sustain

Chloe Masefield, Bwyd Powys (hosted by Cultivate)

Chris Nottingham, Blaenau Gwent Food Partnership/Tai Calon Housing Association

Janet Hayward, Big Bocs Bwyd

Sarah Germain, Farshare Cymru

Katie Till, Trussell Trust

Robbie Davison, Can Cook - Well Fed

Simon Wright, Cegin y Bobl & Wright’s Food Emporium

 

Committee Staff:

Mared Llwyd (Second Clerk)

Angharad Roche (Deputy Clerk)

Gareth David Thomas (Researcher)

 

<AI1>

1       Introductions, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest

Apologies were received from Mick Antoniw, MS.

In accordance with Standing Order 17.24A, both Jenny Rathbone MS and Sioned Williams MS made a declaration of relevant interest.

</AI1>

<AI2>

2       Access to healthy, nutritious and affordable food: evidence session one

Members heard evidence from:

Pearl Costello, Food Sense Wales

Hannah Gibbs, Sustain

Chloe Masefield, Bwyd Powys (hosted by Cultivate)

Chris Nottingham, Blaenau Gwent Food Partnership/Tai Calon Housing Association

</AI2>

<AI3>

3       Access to healthy, nutritious and affordable food: evidence session two

Members heard evidence from:

Janet Hayward, Big Bocs Bwyd

Sarah Germain, Farshare Cymru

Katie Till, Trussell Trust

Robbie Davison, Can Cook - Well Fed

Simon Wright, Cegin y Bobl & Wright’s Food Emporium

</AI3>

<AI4>

4       Papers to note

Members noted the papers.

Regarding  item 4.5 of the agenda the Committee agreed to write to the Welsh Government reiterating its support for the establishment a Welsh Criminal Justice Observatory.

Regarding item 4.7 of the agenda the Committee agreed to write back to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip to ask for further clarification regarding the welcome ticket.

 

</AI4>

<AI5>

4.1   Correspondence from the Future Generations Commissioner to the Chair regarding the Future Generations Commissioner's stakeholder survey

</AI5>

<AI6>

4.2   Correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip to the Chair regarding the British Sign Language (Wales) Bill

</AI6>

<AI7>

4.3   Correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip to the Chair regarding the Committee's report: “Anything’s Achievable with the Right Support: Tackling the Disability Employment Gap”

</AI7>

<AI8>

4.4   Correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip to the Chair regarding scrutiny of the Well-being of Future Generations Act

</AI8>

<AI9>

4.5   Correspondence from Dr Rob Jones of the Wales Governance Centre to the Chair regarding the Criminal Justice System in Wales

</AI9>

<AI10>

4.6   Correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip to the Chair of the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee regarding the Four Nations Inter-Ministerial Group on Work and Pensions

</AI10>

<AI11>

4.7   Correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip to the Chair regarding welcome tickets for asylum seekers in Wales

</AI11>

<AI12>

4.8   Correspondence from the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs to the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee regarding the most recent meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Standing Committee

</AI12>

<AI13>

5       Motion under Standing Order 17.42 (vi) and (ix) to resolve to exclude the public for the remainder of today's meeting

Members agreed the motion.

</AI13>

<AI14>

6       Access to healthy, nutritious and affordable food: consideration of the evidence

</AI14>

<AI15>

7       British Sign Language (Wales) Bill: order of consideration

The Committee agreed under Standing Order 26.21, to vary the order of consideration for Stage 2 as follows:

Sections 1 to 5, Schedule 1, Sections 6 to 11

</AI15>

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