, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
I welcome that much has been done in north Wales with the limited funding, with the extension of minor injury units in our community hospitals, a new orthopaedic hub that's being built this year, and we've got the medical school in north Wales. But it's…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice
Can I just—? There's one thing I'd like you to take up with the local government and housing Minister, okay? Some of the sites they rent from councils—the council sites, as well. They're not given the same priority as social housing, so they've reported…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice
Can I just have two minutes, just quickly?
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice
With another committee, we visited some sites, and they're very often on the outskirts, not in communities or where they can have access to community provision. On one site, they just wanted a play area—they asked for a play area and the local authority used…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice
Are you talking to local authorities to increase the bids?
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice
Yes. Could you provide me with an update regarding any bids that have been received and when they will actually be given out to local authorities to provide sites? What are you doing to address the lack of progress with them?
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice
It's just about the Welsh benefits system. The Welsh Government has established a steering group. Do you know when this is expected to be completed, the plan, when it's supposed to be getting into place? And also, the First Minister's leadership manifesto…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice
Okay. But it's an issue that needs looking at as to how it's tied up.
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice
Poverty issues seem to have grown as people have changed from the old benefits system of tax credits to the universal credit system, and they seem to not be able to have as much in benefits any more. And then, they're not able to access other grants. And…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice
I think that's what people want to see more of—that benefit coming forward. Regarding ensuring that there's advice, the single advice fund has been really helpful for voluntary councils, but they are struggling, I know, to deal with all the calls that are…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice
We have huge windfarms off north Wales, don't we, and they have funding. So, it's making sure people can access that funding as well, whether it's through councils or through voluntary organisations and citizens advice bureaux. They could be used, couldn't…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice
Climate change.
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice
I'm just asking questions about fuel poverty and having warm, energy-efficient homes as well. So, very often, you see adverts popping up on Facebook saying, 'You can apply for this funding and that.' It's complicated as well, isn't it? But heating a home is…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice
No, I'm not saying that. I'm not. Sorry. I'm not saying that; all I'm saying is: how can we get them out of that poverty? Because, in this document, it says that we need to put more money in people's pockets. I get that. That's going to take a while, but how…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice
I know I'm going off on a tangent here, I'm sorry, but I was keen to know how it's measured, you see.
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice
Because, earlier, we talked about access to culture, to sport, for disadvantaged communities. When we did that—. I was on the culture committee, and access to sport for a disadvantaged community was access to that play area, and having a leader in that…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice
Sorry. I'm new to this committee. What is the measure of child poverty? Is it low-income households or is it access to food, to play, to good education, to a warm home? Are they being measured in different ways in Scotland than here, or—?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Group 8: Publication of notices (Amendment 33)
We did discuss this at committee, and—[Inaudible.]—which is appreciated. But I pointed out that the notices, even with my glasses on, I couldn't read them. They were so small and at the back of the paper, not where people might find them very often. And this…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Inquiry on waste - evidence session with the Federation of Small Businesses
Thank you.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Inquiry on waste - evidence session with the Federation of Small Businesses
I'm interested to hear about using pubs for the collecting of DRS, because I know that shops were concerned about space, weren't they? I know that Iceland was concerned, when they were looking at rolling it out in Scotland—having space in their…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Inquiry on waste - evidence session with the Federation of Small Businesses
I suppose, with that four-nation approach, then, it's quite good to learn from what's happening in Ireland as well, so—.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Inquiry on waste - evidence session with the Federation of Small Businesses
Thank you. Regarding the delay of the deposit-return scheme and the extended producer responsibility, has that had an impact on businesses, do you think? What's the feeling there? Do you think that they're concerned about it, or concerned about recycling…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Inquiry on waste - evidence session with the Federation of Small Businesses
Are many businesses using local authorities? Because they're set up for the municipal waste, aren't they, for household waste collections, and I think they were concerned about adding businesses to rounds and having enough vehicles and enough collectors. Is…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Inquiry on waste - evidence session with the Federation of Small Businesses
Regarding workplace recycling, what's been the experience of that for small businesses?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Inquiry on waste - evidence session with the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management
Would it be used just for England to catch up first, where Wales has already invested, so Wales won't see the benefit? That's my concern.
