, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Culture and the new relationship with the European Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government (8)
And the importance. Sorry, Chair—
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Culture and the new relationship with the European Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government (8)
This grant funding seems so important. We met with the gaming industry last week; we did a visit. And the money from Creative Wales is just so important to get them going, so not to access this European funding is, you know—.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Culture and the new relationship with the European Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government (8)
You said earlier that there have been lots of Secretaries to deal with in the UK Government. So, is that instability an issue? So, you’re not able to knock on the doors, are you, or bang on the doors and say about joining Creative Wales. We heard…
, Plenary
Legislative Consent Motion on the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill
We discussed this Bill at committee, but I was really alerted to having the national underground asset register being added to it, and, apparently, it was added at the very last minute, so I was a bit concerned why it was added last minute. I have written…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
There is a lot of positivity happening as well in the NHS—a lot of people are being seen, and I welcome investment in north Wales, with the new orthopaedic unit being built, well-being hubs, investment in community provision, and extended hours to minor…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Childcare follow up inquiry: Ministerial evidence session
[Inaudible.]
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Childcare follow up inquiry: Ministerial evidence session
Thank you. It's just going back to improving quality of provision. We heard evidence from Nordic countries, including Estonia, where they have really highly qualified staff, up to degree standard, and I think that goes back a long way in Estonia especially…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Childcare follow up inquiry: Ministerial evidence session
I'm a member of the women cross-party group and we heard a presentation on building the economy through care—women are very often carers. By investing in care, you're investing in women and you're investing in people, basically. And I just thought that was a…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Childcare follow up inquiry: Ministerial evidence session
We were really interested to learn about qualifications, because you want providers to be well qualified to look after children, but we're also interested, I think, in transferable qualifications, as well—we were discussing earlier that an early years teacher…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Childcare follow up inquiry: Ministerial evidence session
Thank you. My questions are on workforce issues. We've touched on them already—issues with recruitment and retention in the childcare sector. Professor Chris Pascal of the Centre for Research in Early Childhood suggested the Welsh Government could require…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Childcare follow up inquiry: Ministerial evidence session
Thank you, Chair. I just want to go back to the integrated approach to early education and care. I know that, in some authorities, it's delivered through the social healthcare sector, and in some it's delivered through education, so I just want to ask: are…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Road map to Bus Reform - evidence session with English transport authorities
And school transport.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Road map to Bus Reform - evidence session with English transport authorities
So, you cover an urban area. Wales has huge rural areas. Passengers often say the biggest thing for them is a friendly bus driver, who will help them with bags on and off, who they know they can trust to get them where they need to go to, or maybe link to the…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Road map to Bus Reform - evidence session with English transport authorities
And walking safely, and feeling safe walking at night or wherever.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Road map to Bus Reform - evidence session with English transport authorities
Do you include walking in that as well? Because I think, when we look at integrated transport, we're looking at cycling to train stations or getting a bus to rail, but I think walking is really important to be taken as part of the consideration as well, and…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Road map to Bus Reform - evidence session with English transport authorities
Yes, bus passes for schools.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Road map to Bus Reform - evidence session with English transport authorities
And then they can procure bus passes to operate on your franchised routes, then. I was just wondering how it works.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Road map to Bus Reform - evidence session with English transport authorities
And just lastly, on school transport and learner travel, is that different? Are you involved with that? Is that separate?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Road map to Bus Reform - evidence session with English transport authorities
And if an operator wants to change a route that's not part of your franchise, then they have to register that with the transport commission, as they do in Wales.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Road map to Bus Reform - evidence session with English transport authorities
How long are your franchising contracts in place for? Are they for one year or three years or—?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Road map to Bus Reform - Technical briefing
That's it—106. Yes, in Chester, they've just done it. So, using 106 planning gain, they give them a bus pass for one year to use public transport. So, that was something that was good.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Road map to Bus Reform - Technical briefing
And planning 6 funding.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Road map to Bus Reform - Technical briefing
And linked to that, town and community councils, some of them have funding in their precept and could help support, but they don't have—. Some of them are so small, so they don't have the expertise, so they might have to buy into a service, if that was the…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Road map to Bus Reform - Technical briefing
That's good. Okay. And my other question is specific challenges for rural areas, really. So, later we're talking to organisations from urban areas, and where I've seen franchising work—well, London kept it, didn't they, and Manchester and Liverpool are…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Road map to Bus Reform - Technical briefing
And health is an untapped resource, I think, because to assist with the ambulance service, or where there isn't public bus transport to take people, but it's essential, you could use your taxi contracts and your school—. When school buses and minibuses aren't…
