Welsh Labour

Speeches and questions

Speeches and questions in Plenary and in committees, newest first. The Llywydd's and deputies' chairing of Plenary is left out.

1,818 speeches and questions

3 October 2024Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up—Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
Can I just refer back to the evidence that I gave to this committee? The grant is used to support site development, refurbish existing accommodation, which is really important, and I'm sure authorities today recognise that. Actually, a lot of the grant…
3 October 2024Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up—Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
Well, I think this committee will come up with a few recommendations, and I think that sounds like the sort of thing—we want to learn from the evidence from this committee, so, you know, I think we should progress it. It is important, as you will recognise…
3 October 2024Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up—Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
Well, I think it's really, in terms of—. You know, we've got the grant and we're getting to the point where it's nearly been spent for this financial year, which I think we're really pleased about. But, feasibility studies, I think, should be the…
3 October 2024Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up—Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
Well, it's true that we did change the guidance as a result of feedback from local authorities about the fact that they needed to be able to purchase land. In a sense, with the words 'in exceptional cases', we actually want them to be able to use this new…
3 October 2024Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up—Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
Without repeating myself too much, I have had discussions with local authorities in south-east Wales, Monmouthshire, Cardiff, Newport, and there was going to be a proposal that they were going to initiate to work together. So, we were trying to trial that…
3 October 2024Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up—Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
I think it is the National Police Chiefs' Council, which is England and Wales, who've also developed this operational guidance, which is encouraging. Also, of course, this is something where we have a policing in partnership board that I chair, and we…
3 October 2024Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up—Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
Again, in my evidence to the committee, there is a section on crime and justice, which really was trying to respond to that question, Chair, that you've put about the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act, because although we resisted it, it could be…
3 October 2024Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up—Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
Yes. But obviously, that's come out of our just recent analysis. But we'll certainly be very pleased to send you more detail about the different definitions and criteria emerging, and also the emerging temporary arrangements that we've been talking about…
3 October 2024Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up—Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
Absolutely. Of course, I'm pressing my officials to move as fast as we can on procurement of that national assessment, but that doesn't actually stop local authorities taking their responsibilities now, as Ynys Môn has done in terms of that temporary stopping…
3 October 2024Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up—Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
Yes, and perhaps I could just say that obviously, probably, some of us are aware of how there is a travelling pattern. If this can be a relationship with the local authorities so that they know and get some forewarning of when Travellers may be coming, then…
3 October 2024Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up—Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
Diolch yn fawr, Siân. Sarah, do you want to say something?
3 October 2024Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up—Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
I think this is really useful additional context for the inquiry, isn't it, that's come through, and very helpful too that you've had that evidence from local authorities. I don't tend to mention the authorities, but I think Ynys Môn is the one that's…
3 October 2024Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up—Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
It's absolutely clear we need more transit sites in Wales. We have actually got seven transit pitches. As a result of analysing the GTAAs, the accommodation assessments, we can identify now that there are seven pitches, but we need sites. But also, I think…
3 October 2024Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up—Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
Diolch yn fawr, Siân Gwenllian. I gave the example, I suppose, of going to north Wales. In fact, I had a whole tour of Wales to do. I think the first meetings, actually, were with Newport and Monmouthshire. But there were specific needs—and I say this openly…
3 October 2024Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up—Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
Yes. That’s absolutely crucial, and that is part of the expectations, the actions in the 'Anti-racist Wales Action Plan'. So, we’re now working—and I think, again, I’ve made this point in my evidence—to engage with the Gypsy and Traveller community, and…
3 October 2024Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up—Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
So, the pressure is on them, and it's now making a difference, and we hope this is now going to be the way forward.
3 October 2024Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up—Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
The delay has been regretful. We very much regretted the fact that we had that delay, I have to say, in receiving the GTAAs, let alone getting to the point of assessing them. The team is absolutely now up to capacity with skill and expertise coming into the…
3 October 2024Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up—Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
I'll perhaps bring Sarah in, in terms of actually looking at how we review the process, because that's crucial, and we're sharing that with local authorities. Perhaps, Sarah, you could say something about the four themes that we're undertaking, but obviously…
3 October 2024Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up—Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
Thank you very much, Lesley. When you saw the evidence paper that I gave prior to this meeting this afternoon you will have seen that we have made progress. It was essential that we made progress to deliver on the GTAA process. And actually, I have to say, I…
1 October 2024Plenary
Business Statement and Announcement
Diolch yn fawr, Llyr Gruffydd. The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary is meeting with the farming unions on these issues. This very much reflects the responsibilities the Deputy First Minister has for tackling climate change as well, and the seasonal…
1 October 2024Plenary
Business Statement and Announcement
Diolch yn fawr, Mabon ap Gwynfor. It is excellent that the Deputy First Minister is sitting beside me. Of course, knowing his previous experience, ministerially, in a UK Government as Minister for fisheries, I have no doubt that he’s going to go back now and…
1 October 2024Plenary
Business Statement and Announcement
Well, I do hope, Tom Giffard, that you were listening to me earlier on this afternoon when I was responding about what we are doing in the Welsh Government: the fact that I met with Ofgem last week and then we went to the cross-party group on tackling fuel…
1 October 2024Plenary
Business Statement and Announcement
Thank you very much, Jenny Rathbone. I'm glad that this has come up more than once this afternoon in questions to myself, as Trefnydd. I was able to say a few words about the Welsh benefits charter update earlier on in this question session. It's important…
1 October 2024Plenary
Business Statement and Announcement
Diolch yn fawr, Luke Fletcher. Thank you for bringing this back, because obviously, I recall the question to the First Minister and the very positive response that came back about work being undertaken. But I will take this back. All partners need to take…
1 October 2024Plenary
Business Statement and Announcement
—once again, Mark Isherwood, for raising this very important issue.