, Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: Gynaecological cancer
In May, I called on the Welsh Government to develop a bespoke women's health strategy for Wales. Such a strategy should focus on closing the gender gaps in healthcare, providing consistent investment, support and treatment into women's health. But, today's…
, Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: Gynaecological cancer
I welcome this motion before us today, as we note Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month. Every woman in Wales and every woman across the world faces the risk of gynaecological cancer. It increases with age, but it is something that is a risk for everyone…
, Plenary
Debate on petition P-06-1276, 'Extend section 25B of the Nurse Staffing Levels Act (Wales) 2016'
Experiences of the pandemic, of course, only reinforced what we already know about the NHS and the nursing workforce—one that was suffering from staff shortages, low pay, low morale, one that operated in an environment deprived of investment and resources…
, Plenary
Debate on petition P-06-1276, 'Extend section 25B of the Nurse Staffing Levels Act (Wales) 2016'
Thank you for the opportunity to speak in this debate, and I'd like to thank the petitioners, of course, for gathering the names in order to draw attention again to the critical situation that we are facing, in terms of the number of vacancies and the need to…
, Plenary
Motion to approve the Official Languages Scheme for the Sixth Senedd and note the annual report on the Official Languages Scheme for 2021-22
Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer, and I thank both contributors for their contributions—Sam Kurtz and Peredur Owen Griffiths. Just a few comments from me, therefore, to respond. I thank Sam. Yes, it is important that we do as an organisation show…
, Plenary
Motion to approve the Official Languages Scheme for the Sixth Senedd and note the annual report on the Official Languages Scheme for 2021-22
I will now move on to the official languages scheme for the sixth Senedd. Those who are familiar with the official languages scheme for the fifth Senedd will immediately see that we have made a relatively significant change to the format of the scheme for the…
, Plenary
Motion to approve the Official Languages Scheme for the Sixth Senedd and note the annual report on the Official Languages Scheme for 2021-22
Thank you very much, Llywydd. I'm pleased to present the two documents laid before the Senedd today, namely the annual report on the Senedd official languages scheme for 2021-22, and the official languages scheme for the sixth Senedd. Let me turn first to the…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
It's quite right, as I've argued, that we try to exploit the potential of a free port, but what I've called for is honesty about what the risks might be and the need to militate against that. It was disappointing that the Conservatives, including the local…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Mental health inequalities: Evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing and the Deputy Minister for Social Services
Thank you. We'll be able to explore this further in Plenary this afternoon.
, Health and Social Care Committee
Mental health inequalities: Evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing and the Deputy Minister for Social Services
One final question if I may, Chair, again related to the well-being of the workforce, but also very much to the well-being of the patient. I could not, on the day that we discuss a Petitions Committee report on safe staffing, not ask you why is the Government…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Mental health inequalities: Evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing and the Deputy Minister for Social Services
And linked to that also, if we're not providing enough time, if there's so much pressure on the workforce that they can't do training, there are issues there that lead us to think about the well-being of the workforce. There are concerns about the well-being…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Mental health inequalities: Evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing and the Deputy Minister for Social Services
On training opportunities, it's not always the fact that there aren't the opportunities, for example, to teach the workforce additional skills around matters to do with cultural sensitivities, with neurodiversity, all these elements that make a more holistic…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Mental health inequalities: Evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing and the Deputy Minister for Social Services
If I could just run through two or three specific elements related to workforce and training that stakeholders have brought to our attention as areas that need focus. Do you agree with concerns that perhaps we're still not taking advantage of the wider…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Mental health inequalities: Evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing and the Deputy Minister for Social Services
Is that going to be enough to—? It's never enough, but is that enough, do you think, to be able to deliver on the kind of plan that you think is impressive that's been presented to you by HEIW?
, Health and Social Care Committee
Mental health inequalities: Evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing and the Deputy Minister for Social Services
We're coming up to the business end of the budget process, and I'm sure we'd like to help you as a Deputy Minister to encourage the finance Minister to give you the resources that you need to implement a solid plan. How close are you to being able to define…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Mental health inequalities: Evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing and the Deputy Minister for Social Services
I acknowledge the work that is going on, and it was great that workforce planning was made a key part of the 'Together for Mental Health' plan. But when I hear HEIW telling us that they're still working with Government on the priorities, I'd like to think…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Mental health inequalities: Evidence session with the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing and the Deputy Minister for Social Services
Thank you, Chair, and I want to ask some questions about the workforce. I hope that my desk is not going to fall apart as I pursue these questions. I have to say, even though we have recognised for many years how important workforce planning is within the NHS…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
I really fear that we won't see the scrutiny of Welsh Government actions, good and bad, that Welsh people deserve. What we have, having refused a Welsh-specific inquiry, we see Ministers themselves commissioning community health councils to gather public…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Thank you. And the First Minister confirmed in a letter on 15 September that the Welsh Government had asked to be a core contributor to the first module of the consultation. We should have a separate public inquiry for Wales, of course, and my concern is that…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
4. Will the First Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's role in the UK COVID-19 inquiry? OQ58457
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Climate Change
I'd very much like to get Welsh Government's help in protecting the ancient woodland at Penrhos coastal park in Holyhead. Permission was given around a decade ago to build a holiday park there; I don't think that permission should have been given then…
, Health and Social Care Committee
COVID-19: Evidence session with Welsh Government
Thank you. Thank you, Chair.
, Health and Social Care Committee
COVID-19: Evidence session with Welsh Government
Okay. Thanks for that. Just one last question from me, and I think it's to Frank Atherton again. We have a new public health emergency, I guess, in Wales, which would be the cost-of-living crisis and how that is affecting everybody. Has that, in reality…
, Health and Social Care Committee
COVID-19: Evidence session with Welsh Government
Picking up on your comment there, saying wearing masks is still the sensible thing to do, we have lived for two and a half years with really strong public health messaging, and those public health messages—the frameworks—have been dismantled in a way…
, Health and Social Care Committee
COVID-19: Evidence session with Welsh Government
I'm really grateful to you for that. We very much appreciate, as a committee, I'm sure, any updates on the work that is done on that, and I speak as a co-chair of the long COVID cross-party group here in the Senedd as well. We've gone off on a bit of a…
