Written question WQ86412

Abuse and harassment have no place in society. No-one should be the subject of harassment, including those who have chosen to commit themselves to representing their communities. Unfortunately, unacceptable behaviour is becoming a regular occurrence and each one of us has a duty to call it out.

We are working with the WLGA and One Voice Wales to ensure councillors have access to advice to maintain their personal resilience and well-being. As part of this, I will shortly be issuing updated statutory guidance to principal councils on training and support for councillors.

I am holding diversity in democracy workshops in December with stakeholders and partners. One of the areas I intend to explore is what actions we can collectively take to support councillors who are the subject of abuse and what we might do to engage the public and explain the important roles councillors undertake on their behalf.

There is no single solution to these issues, but it is important to work on both preventative measures to stop this behaviour happening; and in parallel to ensure support is in place for those who are subjected to this abuse and harassment.