, Plenary
Debate on the Petitions Committee Report, 'A Warmer Winter: P-06-1326 The Senedd should scrutinise the prepayment meter scandal in Wales'
Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. At the end of last year, the Petitions Committee published its report titled, 'A Warmer Winter'. The report made a series of recommendations to the Government and other stakeholders to ensure that energy companies would not and…
, Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language: Tata Steel
There will be memories of the 1980s, when the Conservatives didn't take the steel industry seriously then, and what happened in my community. What's happening in Port Talbot is very similar now. It's absolutely devastating news, and it will be felt in steel…
, Plenary
Business Statement and Announcement
Trefnydd, over the weekend, we saw the JD Welsh Cup come back to where it belongs—back across the border to Cymru, with Connah's Quay Nomads Football Club as champions, a fantastic achievement from all those involved at the club, and left one proud club…
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
General Scrutiny
Thank you. Before I hand back, just to say, Chair, this isn't just about steel capacity in the UK; this is about the life chances and livelihoods of all those families in Port Talbot and elsewhere, and it's about time someone takes the First Minister's lead…
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
General Scrutiny
I’m grateful for the First Minister’s ongoing support for the steel industry. Workers are still going in under the difficulties that they face and the stress that they and their families face, because they understand the importance of the industry. I’m…
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
Care-experienced children
I'm conscious of the time we have, Chair, so I'll hand back.
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
Care-experienced children
Quite.
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
Care-experienced children
Thank you, Alistair. I'll move on to corporate grandparenting, which, again, is perhaps something that local authorities aren't aware of in terms of their duties there. I was stunned during the time of the Petitions Committee inquiry, where many…
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
Care-experienced children
Thank you. I think, in all the evidence that committee members of the Petitions Committee heard, was the need for the children's voices to be heard, and we have some of them in the room today. As part of that implementation group, how are those children's…
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
Care-experienced children
Thank you. On the point of the corporate parenting charter, I think it's called, both the children and young people's committee in the extensive inquiry they did, and the Petitions Committee, came to the same recommendation that all public bodies in Wales…
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
Care-experienced children
Yes. I'm grateful, Chair. First Minister, you said to John Griffiths earlier on that too many people go into the care system and that you share the view of the former First Minister, but when children do enter the care system, the latest figures show—. I'm…
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
Care-experienced children
Diolch.
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
Care-experienced children
Yes. Thank you, First Minister. Just finally, Chair, on this point. The evidence and the evaluation are clear. Do you have a timeline for when the final report on the evaluation will be? And included in that—. We've heard the voices of care-experienced care…
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
Care-experienced children
I thank the First Minister for that. Is the evaluation of the pilot—? And we've seen interesting reports of evaluation: we've seen stories where individuals have gone on to own their own home, they've gone on to be paramedics, because of the, in their words…
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
Care-experienced children
Thank you for that, First Minister. If we can move on to questions around the basic income for care leavers pilot, others may have different views in this room indeed, but I think the pilot was a bold and brave decision by Welsh Government at the time. I…
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
Care-experienced children
I'm grateful, Cadeirydd. Prif Weinidog, I'll just take you back to one of the answers to James Evans, where you referred to the Bill forthcoming around eliminating profits from care and allowing not-for-profit providers to operate in Wales. That was a…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Private rented sector: Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning
Thank you. I'll leave it there, Chair.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Private rented sector: Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning
Thank you, Chair. I'm just interested in the Minister's encouragement to visit modular builds, for the committee to go and see those in action. I'm very interested in modular homes and not only how they might address the challenges that we have in the housing…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Private rented sector: Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning
Okay. Thanks for that clarification. Chair, just one final question?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Private rented sector: Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning
Okay. Thank you. I'll move on to just a question around data. Would you be able to give us an update on the business case for the annual survey on housing and housing conditions, and is there a particular timeline that the Welsh Government is working to?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Private rented sector: Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning
Thank you. I would agree—the level of resource local authorities now have due to the severe nature of cuts and of funding and other areas is detrimental, and it does have the impact that we're seeing today. Would you also agree it's not just the level of…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Private rented sector: Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning
Thank you. Just before I move on to the regulation sector, I should support your comments on the leasehold reform Bill. Chair, the Petitions Committee will be reporting in the coming months on our inquiry, and I know Hefin David's been quite vocal on that…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Private rented sector: Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning
Thanks, Cabinet Secretary. Is the Welsh Government therefore having conversations with the shadow Cabinet in anticipation of a general election, which I think is needed, and a change of Government?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Private rented sector: Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning
Well, Chair, I'm not often silent—[Laughter.]—but the Minister has stunned me this morning. I'm grateful for the Minister's response and recognition to the importance of the pet-friendly policies there. It's a shame, really, that the UK Government haven't…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Private rented sector: Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning
Diolch, Cadeirydd. Good morning, pawb. In the previous Senedd, Chair, I spent an evening in Chester—I've spent many an evening in Chester, but I spent this particular evening in Chester raising money for a local homeless charity and, albeit across the border…
