, Plenary
Questions to the Senedd Commission
Thank you for that response, Llywydd. Clearly, our democracy has progressed a great deal, even since 2016, with young people of 16 and 17 years of age now having been given the vote in Senedd elections, but it appears that other aspects have made retrograde…
, Plenary
Questions to the Senedd Commission
2. What progress has the Commission made towards fulfilling the recommendations of the digital news and information taskforce's report? OQ59164
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Economy: The Innovation Strategy
I would like to talk a little bit in more detail about how the strategy will mitigate the impact of the withdrawal of UK structural funds on Welsh universities specifically. You just mentioned the warning that we've had from Swansea University that up to 240…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Economy: The Innovation Strategy
I'd like to declare an interest, namely that my husband is employed by Swansea University.
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Debt and the cost of living: Evidence session with the Minister for Social Justice
Thank you, Chair. Yes, we heard that there is certainly good practice happening in some pockets, and we heard from Well-Fed and from Flintshire County Council about that. But, Trussell Trust, in their evidence this morning, called for a national plan to…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Debt and the cost of living: Evidence session with the Minister for Social Justice
Thank you. And one final question—. A constant theme in our focus groups as a committee has been the challenges faced by households that are digitally excluded, and how they get access to support schemes. How can you ensure that those households' needs are…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Debt and the cost of living: Evidence session with the Minister for Social Justice
Thank you. The Minister mentioned the Welsh fuel support scheme, and we heard that 11 local authorities in Wales were ensuring that that financial support was going straight to the pockets of those who were eligible for it, but that the other authorities…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Debt and the cost of living: Evidence session with the Minister for Social Justice
Thank you, Minister. Of course, how are you going to ensure that the charter works? That is, does it need a statutory basis in order to ensure that the local authorities do comply with what you describe as your vision?
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Debt and the cost of living: Evidence session with the Minister for Social Justice
Thank you, Chair. You've done some work on developing a charter that develops principles for the means-tested grants that make up the Welsh benefits system. And you've been exploring how a single point of access to an integrated system could work. Could you…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Debt and the cost of living: Evidence session with the Minister for Social Justice
No, the calendar year.
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Debt and the cost of living: Evidence session with the Minister for Social Justice
Thank you, Chair. Could I just come back to the Warm Homes programme? You've said that, in terms of the next iteration, which will be led by demand, there will be no gap between the current programme and the next programme, so when exactly will the next…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Debt and the cost-of-living crisis: evidence session 4
Thanks, Chair. I'd like to ask you for a bit more detail. You mentioned there about reviewing the discretionary assistance fund. You mentioned in your written evidence that you'd like to see a kind of Wales emergency fund being established. You mentioned…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Debt and the cost-of-living crisis: evidence session 4
No, Jenny. You asked the question I was going to ask about turning people away.
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Introductions, apologies and substitutions
I'm also a member of the Bevan Foundation and a member of the credit union in Neath.
, Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: Habilitation training for sight-impaired children
Diolch, Llywydd. Plaid Cymru welcomes this debate today, and we will be supporting the Conservatives' motion, and that's because it's clear that many of our young people and children in Wales with vision impairments are being failed in the sense that they are…
, Plenary
Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): Education Maintenance Allowance
The cost-of-living crisis is going to do exactly what the COVID crisis did. I've heard so many witnesses to inquiries held by both of the committees of which I'm a member—equalities and social justice and children, young people and education—repeat this, or…
, Plenary
Topical Questions
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd, and thank you for letting me come in on this. The chief executive of Neath Port Talbot council wrote to me regarding the possible devastating impact of the Government’s decision around this on a number of local bus services, and I just…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Ukraine Humanitarian Response
Minister, do you agree that the terms used by those in power when discussing refugees especially and all those marginalised in our society count, because language has consequences? And we saw this in Knowsley this weekend—despicable and potentially terrible…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Ukraine Humanitarian Response
We are a nation of sanctuary.
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Ukraine Humanitarian Response
As we approach the anniversary—the grim milestone, as you called it—of the illegal and barbaric invasion of Ukraine, I want to echo your thanks to people all over Wales who have provided sanctuary to people from Ukraine. When we in Wales say, 'Refugees are…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: Further Education Digital Learning
Thank you for the statement, Minister, and we welcome this investment in digital skills, particularly in light of the fact that there is increasing demand for digital skills in the jobs market, and this is demand that isn't currently being met, with a lack of…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Debt and the impact of the rising cost of living: evidence session 3
Thank you. Nicola, you mentioned this new loan scheme; it's a new idea, it's successful. Are there any other examples of good practice, or good ideas by other organisations in Wales, or beyond, or internationally, that you would like see supported and rolled…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Debt and the impact of the rising cost of living: evidence session 3
Thank you. Thinking now more about the long term, what should the Welsh Government prioritise in developing a sustainable response to the challenges that have emerged as a result of cost-of-living pressures?
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Debt and the impact of the rising cost of living: evidence session 3
Thank you. Does Karen have a comment on that, and perhaps what the Welsh Government should be doing in relation to that? One of the things they've said in the budget is that they're going to provide funding for the discretionary assistance fund—of course…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Debt and the impact of the rising cost of living: evidence session 3
Thank you, Chair. Citizens Advice has called 2023 a debt crisis year. Of course, a number of support schemes available from the UK Government and also from the Welsh Government are coming to an end, for example, the support for energy bills, which we've just…
