During Spokesperson’s Questions to Labour’s Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Dr Altaf Hussain MS, raised concerns about the lack of progress within the report published by the Welsh Government’s Future Generation’s Commissioner. Dr Hussain highlighted that even though the Welsh Government has delivered free school meals and improved recycling rates, these things would have happened regardless of the act.
Dr Hussain was critical of the Future Generation’s Commissioner for his focus on Net Zero and failing to outline plans that have benefitted children and reduced child poverty rates. In the 10 years since the introduction of the well-being of Future Generations Act children are facing hardship, hunger and poor living conditions and according to the Commissioner’s own stats 21% of all people in Wales live in relative poverty and a staggering 29% of children live in poverty. According to the Trussell Trust research released this morning 420,000 people in Wales, including 110,000 children, are facing hunger and hardship, living well below the poverty line.
Commenting after Spokesperson’s Questions, Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Dr Altaf Hussain MS, said:
“The UK Labour Government’s net zero goals risk further impoverishing future generations by driving up energy costs for hardworking families in Wales. Their relentless obsession with net zero, paired with proposals like Ed Miliband’s regional energy pricing scheme, will unfairly burden Welsh households while failing to address the underlying challenges we face as a nation.
“If Labour truly cared about future generations, they would oppose regressive policies that disproportionately impact families across Wales.
“Despite attempts by Governments at both ends of the M4 to paint a glossy picture, the outlook for future generations in Wales remains bleak.”
