9 March 2022 , Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Introductions, apologies and substitutions
Bore da. Croeso. Welcome, Members and witnesses, to this meeting of the Senedd's Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee. We have only one apology for absence from Rhianon Passmore. Do Members have any registrable interests they wish to declare?…
9 March 2022 , Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: Housing
I recently found a speech I gave to a housing audience externally—I'd been invited as somebody who used to work in the sector, I emphasise in the mutual sector and the housing association sector. But I quoted a letter I'd received from the Principality…
9 March 2022 , Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: Housing
I just wanted to comment on your opening comment about the law, and, you're quite right, the housing revenue account system was exactly as you described. Of course, the post-2010 Government then scrapped that in England so councils were able to come to an…
9 March 2022 , Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: Ukraine
I welcome your comments. I've just had an e-mail, actually, from a constituent: 'Is the Welsh Government going to set up a family sponsorship scheme for Ukrainian refugees? I know many people would support and sponsor a Ukrainian refugee family.' I wonder if…
9 March 2022 , Plenary
Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): The Devolution of Policing
Do you recognise that the devolution to Manchester, for example, you refer to, are the powers of police and crime commissioners? We have those in Wales. If you're talking still, however, about merging into a single force and having powers in the Government…
9 March 2022 , Plenary
Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): The Devolution of Policing
Do you agree that, in 1536, the penal systems of every place across the world were treating women and men abominably within the criminal justice system?
9 March 2022 , Plenary
Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): The Devolution of Policing
Do you recognise, as has been debated here, and referred to by the Counsel General, that the UK Government has announced precisely that policy in relation to women—that they should not be in prison, they should be in the community—and that they're funding a…
9 March 2022 , Plenary
Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): The Devolution of Policing
[Inaudible.]—the power to hire and fire chief constables. I'll conclude. Given Labour Welsh Government's record of creeping and often intimidatory politicisation of devolved public services, this is a chilling proposition. [Interruption.] I can introduce you…
9 March 2022 , Plenary
Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): The Devolution of Policing
Yes, and policing must reflect demographic, geographic and historic reality and where crime actually happens and how it moves, not the aspirations or otherwise of certain politicians. The work of the Assembly's sub-committee considering the then proposed…
9 March 2022 , Plenary
Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): The Devolution of Policing
I'll have one intervention.
9 March 2022 , Plenary
Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): The Devolution of Policing
In their evidence to the Thomas Commission on Justice in Wales, the Police Federation of England and Wales stated: 'we had concluded to The Silk Commission that "policing could be devolved" the question of whether or not is "should be devolved" is of course a…
9 March 2022 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
In a written response to me from the Minister for Climate Change six weeks ago, she said, 'Longer term, the Sustainable Farming Scheme will be an important mechanism and source of funding to address habitat loss and species decline, including some of our…
9 March 2022 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
5. What role will the sustainable farming scheme play in species recovery? OQ57743
9 March 2022 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Although local government revenue funding for 2022-23 will increase by 9.4 per cent, there's an element of robbing Peter to pay Paul here, with local authority general capital funding across Wales, and in Anglesey, down 16 per cent. Further, although…
8 March 2022 , Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services: Update on COVID-19
I've been contacted by a constituent stating, 'My husband had his first COVID vaccination in Scotland, second in Wales and booster in England.' This year, he's had two letters with appointments for a vaccination. After he pursued the first, he was told…
8 March 2022 , Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
As I've repeatedly stated here since the UK Localism Act 2011, the Welsh Government has proven strangely averse to implementing its community rights agenda. And although the well-being objectives in the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015…
8 March 2022 , Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
3. What is the Welsh Government policy regarding community empowerment? OQ57740
2 March 2022 , Plenary
Plaid Cymru Debate: Eating disorders
Diolch, Llywydd. That's caught me out a little bit. At the risk of repeating some elements, I'll go forward. But speaking here in January, I challenged the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Well-being over actions to ensure faster and equitable progress…
2 March 2022 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Climate Change
The prospectus issued in 2016 by the Growth Track 360 partnership—a cross-border alliance of business, political and public sector leaders, including the North Wales Economic Ambition Board and the Mersey Dee Alliance—stated that being able to link into HS2…
1 March 2022 , Plenary
& 12. Cynnig Cydsyniad Deddfwriaethol ar Fil yr Heddlu, Troseddu, Dedfrydu a'r Llysoedd—Cynnig 1, a Chynnig Cydsyniad Deddfwriaethol ar Fil yr Heddlu, Troseddu, Dedfrydu a'r Llysoedd—Cynnig 2
Thank you. I had hoped to make a two or three-minute contribution. Obviously, I haven't got time for that, but do you acknowledge—? You refer to the defeat in the House of Lords, and some of the measures that the Lords rejected cannot now be featured in the…
1 March 2022 , Plenary
Emergency Question: The Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Russia is a magnificent country with wonderful people, abominably led into disastrous actions with terrible consequences. But, following the theme of much of the questioning, further to confirmation by the UK Government yesterday that up to 100,000 Ukrainian…
16 February 2022 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services
The Welsh Government has committed to the World Health Organization target to eliminate hepatitis C as a significant public health threat by 2030 at the latest. However, in other countries of the UK, Governments have set pathways to accelerate the elimination…
15 February 2022 , Plenary
Debate: The Police Settlement 2022-23
Would you recognise, in terms of the extra officers, that the promised number is on track to be met by 2023, that Wales has had its full share of that, and that where police forces place those officers is an operational matter for those forces?
15 February 2022 , Plenary
Debate: The Police Settlement 2022-23
As we've heard, funding for the four Welsh police forces is delivered through a three-way arrangement involving Home Office, Welsh Government and council tax, with the Home Office operating a common needs-based formula to distribute funding across Welsh and…
15 February 2022 , Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
I was contacted by many concerned north Wales constituents running legitimate self-catering accommodation businesses regarding the Welsh Government's business support grant, launched following the introduction of alert level 2 restrictions in December. For…
