Meetings

5.1 The Committee considered the evidence it had heard in the previous session.

Rocio Cifuentes, Children’s Commissioner for Wales

Tomos Davies, Policy Advisor, Children’s Commissioner for Wales

Children’s Commissioner for Wales Annual Report and Accounts 2024 - 2025

2.1 The Committee scrutinised the Commissioner on her annual report.

2.2 The Commissioner agreed to provide statistics on how many people hear about their service on social media.                                                                                     

2.3 The Committee agreed to send the Commissioner the unasked questions for a written response.

NDM9012 Jane Hutt MS (Vale of Glamorgan)

To propose that the Senedd:

Notes the Children’s Commissioner for Wales’ Annual Report 2024-25.

A copy of the report was emailed to Senedd Members on 14 October 2025.

Supporting documents:

Children's Commissioner for Wales - Annual Report & Accounts 2024-25

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 Heledd Fychan (South Wales Central)

Add as new points at end of motion:

Notes the Commissioner’s call for direct financial support for children in deep poverty, including a Scottish-style Welsh child payment.

Welcomes Plaid Cymru’s commitment to introducing such a payment.

Regrets that the Welsh Labour Government has voted against Plaid Cymru motions for its introduction.

The item started at 17.46

Voting on the motion and amendments under this item was deferred until Voting Time.

NDM9012 Jane Hutt MS (Vale of Glamorgan)

To propose that the Senedd:

Notes the Children’s Commissioner for Wales’ Annual Report 2024-25.

A copy of the report was emailed to Senedd Members on 14 October 2025.

The following amendment was tabled:

Amendment 1 Heledd Fychan (South Wales Central)

Add as new points at end of motion:

Notes the Commissioner’s call for direct financial support for children in deep poverty, including a Scottish-style Welsh child payment.

Welcomes Plaid Cymru’s commitment to introducing such a payment.

Regrets that the Welsh Labour Government has voted against Plaid Cymru motions for its introduction.

A vote was taken on amendment 1:

Amendment 1 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on the motion:

NDM9012 Jane Hutt MS (Vale of Glamorgan)

To propose that the Senedd:

Notes the Children’s Commissioner for Wales’ Annual Report 2024-25.

A copy of the report was emailed to Senedd Members on 14 October 2025.

The motion was agreed.

The motion was agreed without amendment.

Welsh Government response to the Children’s Commissioner Annual Report 2023 - 24

5.1 The Committee considered the evidence it had heard in the previous session.

5.2 The Committee agreed to schedule time in a future discuss meeting the Welsh Government’s response to the Commissioners Annual Report.

Rocio Cifuentes, Children’s Commissioner for Wales

Rachel Thomas, Head of Policy & Public Affairs

Children’s Commissioner for Wales Annual Report and Accounts 2023 - 2024

2.1 The Committee scrutinised the Commissioner on her Annual Report.

NDM8688 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

To propose that the Senedd:

Notes the Children’s Commissioner for Wales’s Annual Report 2023-24.

Children’s Commissioner for Wales’ Annual Report 2023-24

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 Darren Millar (Clwyd West) 

Add as new points at end of motion:

Regrets that around 30% of children in Wales are living in poverty.

Supports the Children’s Commissioner for Wales’ calls for the Welsh Government’s Child Poverty Strategy to have clear targets and measurable outcomes.

Calls on the Welsh Government to work with the Children’s Commissioner to implement the WAVE Trust’s campaign to reduce child abuse, neglect and other adverse childhood experiences by 2030.

Child Poverty Strategy for Wales 2024

Amendment 2 Heledd Fychan (South Wales Central)

Add as new points at end of motion:

Notes that 14 years of austerity under the previous UK Conservative Government has intensified the levels of poverty, and specifically child poverty, in Wales.

Regrets that the Welsh Government in 2016 abandoned the target of eradicating child poverty by 2020.

The item started at 17.43

Voting on the motion and amendments under this item was deferred until Voting Time.

NDM8688 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

To propose that the Senedd:

Notes the Children’s Commissioner for Wales’s Annual Report 2023-24.

Children’s Commissioner for Wales’ Annual Report 2023-24

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 Darren Millar (Clwyd West) 

Add as new points at end of motion:

Regrets that around 30% of children in Wales are living in poverty.

Supports the Children’s Commissioner for Wales’ calls for the Welsh Government’s Child Poverty Strategy to have clear targets and measurable outcomes.

Calls on the Welsh Government to work with the Children’s Commissioner to implement the WAVE Trust’s campaign to reduce child abuse, neglect and other adverse childhood experiences by 2030.

A vote was taken on amendment 1:

Amendment 1 was not agreed.

Amendment 2 Heledd Fychan (South Wales Central)

Add as new points at end of motion:

Notes that 14 years of austerity under the previous UK Conservative Government has intensified the levels of poverty, and specifically child poverty, in Wales.

Regrets that the Welsh Government in 2016 abandoned the target of eradicating child poverty by 2020.

A vote was taken on amendment 2:

Amendment 2 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on the motion:

NDM8688 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

To propose that the Senedd:

Notes the Children’s Commissioner for Wales’s Annual Report 2023-24.

Children’s Commissioner for Wales’ Annual Report 2023-24

The motion was agreed.

9.1 The Committee considered the evidence it had heard in the previous session.

9.2 The Committee agreed to write to the Equality and Social Justice Committee to highlight the issues that the Commissioner raised regarding Child Poverty.

Rocio Cifuentes, Children’s Commissioner for Wales

Rachel Thomas, Head of Policy & Public Affairs

Children’s Commissioner for Wales Annual Report and Accounts 2022 - 23

7.1 The Committee scrutinised the Commissioner on her Annual Report.

7.2 The Commissioner agreed to provide a breakdown by local authority of the number of visits that had been undertaken during this period.

6.1 The Committee considered the evidence it had heard in the previous session. It agreed to follow up in writing some of the issues raised during the session.

Rocio Cifuentes, Children’s Commissioner for Wales

Kirrin Spiby-Davidson, Acting Head of Policy and Public Affairs

Sara Jermin, Head of Communications and Performance

Annual Report and Accounts 2021 - 22

3.1 The Committee scrutinised the Commissioner on her Annual report, Members also asked questions on services for care experienced children and budget priorities.

3.2 The Commissioner agreed to provide the following:

- Details on how widely children and young people were consulted with on the office move; and

- The Commissioner’s response to a Welsh Government consultation on reform for care leavers.

3.3 Due to time constraints, it was agreed that the question not reached would be sent to the Commissioner for a written response.

4.1 The Committee considered the evidence it had heard in the previous session.

4.2 The Committee agreed to write to the Regional Partnership Boards to learn more about their work on mental health with charities.