Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire politician Sam Kurtz highlighted a ‘fiery’ debate in the Senedd today
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00:00Do you support the calls which have been made by many people, including those victims, that we do need to listen carefully to?
00:08Do you support the calls for a new UK-wide inquiry into grooming gangs and child exploitation as well?
00:19We know that people up and down Wales are talking about this issue.
00:23They need assurances that both the Welsh and the UK governments, along with the police and social services,
00:28are doing all that they can to prevent young girls in Wales from becoming victims of grooming gangs.
00:34They want to know that justice will be served against the perpetrators of these crimes.
00:38But they can only have those assurances if we know the full extent of the problems that we have here in Wales
00:44and the actions which are being taken by everybody to address them.
00:48So can I ask you, in addition to that first question which you didn't answer,
00:53what communications has the Welsh Government had with the police, with Welsh local authority social care departments
01:00and with other stakeholders regarding grooming gangs operating here in Wales and the estimated number of Welsh victims?
01:08And will you publish the correspondence between the Welsh Government and those organisations
01:14in order to prevent any allegations that might be made of a cover-up?
01:19I can see what's happening here. I'm disappointed, but I will answer your question.
01:24The Welsh Government fully supported the previous independent inquiry into child sexual abuse.
01:32We are, on the back of that, developing a 10-year strategy for preventing and responding to child sexual abuse.
01:41The author of that report made it very clear that her interest was in making sure
01:47that the recommendations of that report were actioned, and I can assure you that several of those recommendations
01:54have already been implemented here in Wales.
01:58First Minister, you've talked about a 10-year action plan. People want, of course, rapid action.
02:04There have been recommendations made to the Welsh Government.
02:08I asked you two specific questions. You haven't now answered the second question,
02:12which was about what correspondence has taken place between the Welsh Government, Welsh police forces,
02:18Welsh local authorities and other stakeholders about the extent of these issues,
02:23because people need those assurances.
02:25Now, it's very clear to me that you're not able to provide those assurances today,
02:30and that, I'm afraid, is a national scandal.
02:33We know from media reports that young girls have been recruited by grooming gangs here in south Wales
02:41before being gang-raped and then trafficked to Telford, Hereford and Blackpool.
02:49One victim has even said that she was strangled, she was threatened with a knife
02:56and her home was threatened with being burnt down.
03:01She was then raped, I'm afraid to say, First Minister, a thousand times.
03:06She didn't know the number of perpetrators, because there were so many.
03:10I do need you to come to your question now.
03:12You are being overly descriptive and, I think, verging on not being totally respectful of the victim at this point.
03:21So, can you tone down the rhetoric slightly?
03:25I'm afraid I'm simply reading facts.
03:28No, you're not.
03:31The use of language in this place needs to beó
03:38making sure that you are keeping well away from inflaming any kind of discrimination
03:45or inciting any kind of discrimination.
03:48You were doing very well, Darren Miller, with your first two questions, in avoiding that.
03:53In your third one, you've become overly descriptive and I need you to now reflect on that
04:00and just ask the question again, please.
04:02I'm not seeking to inflame anything.
04:05I'm glad you confirmed that.
04:10Now, carry on with your question.
04:12So, we know that some of the things which have been described by victims have been absolutely sickening.
04:19We know that those things have taken placeó
04:22Young girls in Wales have taken place in terms of recruitment by grooming gangs in Wales.
04:27Darren Miller, I ask you for your question.
04:30So, we need to know that these thingsówe don't have another Rotherham or Rochdale on our doorstep.
04:36Darren Miller, you're skipping to your script now and you're not listening to my advice.
04:40If you do not ask your question in the next 10 seconds, I'm going to ask you to sit down.
04:45I did not expect to have to do this to you in your first few weeks as leader of the Welsh Conservative Party in here.
04:52My question is this.
04:54Given that you oppose a UK-wide inquiry,
04:57given that we haven't had the assurances which I've sought from you today,
05:01and given the extent of public concern,
05:03will you now commission a Wales-wide inquiry into child sexual exploitation by grooming gangs here in Wales?
05:12Darren, I've got to say I'm really disappointed in you.
05:14I wasn't expecting you to take on that kind of approach.
05:20This is something, I think, where we've got to remember the victims and remember them in a way that will be supportive.
05:28I don't think what we've seen in the past few days has been a place where they would feel supported.
05:37Now I can make it clear to you that I have asked questions about to what extent this is an issue.