, Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: Winter fuel payment
Formally.
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
Can I thank John Griffiths for raising this and for demonstrating this throughout his term of serving Newport East, indeed, to promote the opportunities and the benefits of sport, and the outreach of sport, particularly in our most disadvantaged communities…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
Thank you for the question. Through our continued support for Sport Wales, who, in turn, fund national governing bodies and organisations such as Disability Sport Wales, we're delivering on our programme for government commitments to support and develop…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
Well, we do have an opposition debate very shortly—and, rightly—on this issue. It is important that you also, hopefully, will take responsibility for ensuring that we do promote the take-up of pension credit. Can I just be very constructive? I'm not going…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
Diolch yn fawr, Darren Millar. I have written to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. Receiving pension credit is the key to unlocking winter fuel payments, and we are working with the UK…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
No, we can't put politics aside after 14 years of austerity. I remember that 2010 austerity budget—I was actually the finance Minister—and the shock that it was going to have. Cutting benefits, that was one of the main ways that they were going to recoup the…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
Well, thank you, James Evans. I'm sorry, but we can't put politics aside, can we, in terms of why we are in this situation and why the new Labour Government in Westminster is in this situation—this regrettable situation?
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
Thank you for the question. We are ensuring that people in Wales, including pensioners, claim every pound to which they are entitled. Our 'Claim what's yours' Advicelink Cymru helpline is helping pensioners to find out and access financial support, including…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
Diolch yn fawr, Peredur. Again, additional points of view from across the Chamber on the record today in terms of concerns raised. I think that it is for the Arts Council of Wales, particularly, as our arm’s-length body, to engage with local authorities. I…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
Well, views have now been expressed across the Chamber in terms of the situation with Blackwood Miners' Institute. I think the only thing I would want to add, acting Presiding Officer, is that officers at the Arts Council of Wales are monitoring the situation…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
Well, thank you very much, Rhianon Passmore, for raising this beyond the particular concerns that you have got, which are expressed across this Chamber, about Blackwood Miners' Institute, to that more strategic question about the future of our arts and…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
Diolch, Rhianon Passmore. All Welsh Government funding for the arts is channelled through the Arts Council of Wales, under the arm’s-length funding principle. To date, in 2024-25, the Arts Council of Wales has allocated £148,568 of funding to individuals and…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
The situation that has arisen in terms of Blackwood Miners' Institute has been raised with me, and I've discussed it with many Members over the past few weeks—I think Delyth Jewell, Hefin David, Rhianon Passmore, all Members in the region and in their own…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
Diolch yn fawr, Alun Davies. Wales's arts and culture sectors are absolutely critical—they're an integral part of our society and nation's well-being. As you know, the mechanism for funding is direct funding to support the arts and culture sector, the arts…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
Diolch, Alun. The Welsh Government will continue to work closely with the arts and culture sectors in Wales to ensure that they receive sufficient funding.
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
Thank you for that supplementary question, Jenny Rathbone. In fact, the very words that you said, that we need to prevent more people going into prison, were the opening words of James Timpson today. I hope many other Members across this Chamber will meet…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
Thank you very much, Altaf Hussain. I know you have taken this up on many occasions and have been part of the Equality and Social Justice Committee’s inquiry on women’s experiences in the criminal justice system as part of your role. The deaths in custody at…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
Thank you for the question. We welcome the decisive action the UK Government is taking to address the capacity issues in prisons. We will continue to work with the UK Government to support people in custody and assist with their rehabilitation.
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
I absolutely agree that we have to move forward in terms of tackling that unacceptable level of debt. As you will know, and across this Chamber, I've called for a social tariff to be implemented. I'm also very concerned about the price rise cap that Ofgem…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
Well, thank you for that also very important question in terms of this cross-Government responsibility that we’ve got. Obviously, this is something on which I’m working very closely with all my colleagues in Welsh Government from health and social care. And…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
Thank you for that question, and it is important that we look at our Warm Homes Nest scheme, as I’ve already mentioned—£30 million a year to tackle fuel poverty for home owners and households renting from private landlords. Because this is where eligibility…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
I can't believe the cheek, I would say, that's coming over. Yes, you're now in opposition in Westminster, but you were in power for 14 years of austerity, where you stripped so many of the benefits of pensioners. [Interruption.] Actually, I'm quite happy to…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
An important follow-up question indeed. I was very pleased to receive a letter from the Rt Hon Liz Kendall MP—she's the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions—only this week, in response to my correspondence, my letter, to her earlier in the summer, to ask…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
Well, it’s very interesting that we’ve had quite a lot of discussion about this, of course, yesterday with the First Minister, and I’m delighted that we’ve got questions and also a debate this afternoon. I think it is important that we debate this in this…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
Thank you very much, Gareth, and also thank you for drawing attention to Emmerdale. I confess that I don't watch Emmerdale, but, actually, it is important. On a serious level, the media has to take a responsibility. It is through many of our so-called soaps…
