Plenary

Thank you, Llywydd. There is one change to this week's business. The debate on the legislative consent motion on the Armed Forces Bill has been extended to half an hour, in recognition of the interest shown by Members. Draft Plenary business for the next three weeks is shown on the business statement, which is available, as usual, to all Members electronically.

I'd be grateful if, when budget deals or statements are made in the future, that they're made to the Chamber, and not to the press in advance.

But on to—. I request a statement, if possible, Trefnydd, from the Minister for education, based on AI and coding. There's a new study that's coming out that shows Wales quite low, behind other parts of the UK, in terms of where we are with coding in our schools. Given that it's going to be a huge part of young people's futures, would the Government come forward with a statement to tell us what their plans are to get children up to date with the future, like other nations?

Thank you. On the first point, you will be aware that those processes will be followed in relation to the budget, and there will be an opportunity for everyone to express their view on the supplementary budget once again. Nothing has been broken in terms of the ministerial code in terms of what happened today; this is how Parliaments work. If Reform were a party that is serious about the future of this Senedd, and wanted to seriously discuss getting the best settlement for the people of Wales, you'd understand how parties collaborate in this Chamber and beyond.

In terms of AI, it's hugely important that we are alive to the advantages and risks related to AI, and I know that this is an issue that the Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy does take as an issue of great importance. There will be updates, and, as you know, the Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy is taking questions in this Senedd next week.

Trefnydd, while the Welsh Government has rightly highlighted support for households facing energy bills, businesses across Wales are also grappling with energy costs themselves and rising overheads. Will you request a statement, please, from the Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy on the effects of higher energy prices on Welsh businesses and what further action the Government intends to take to support those firms throughout all of those pressures?

Thank you. I will certainly make the Cabinet Minister aware that you've raised this issue. Of course, the Cabinet Minister for Finance is present here, and you'll be aware of some of the steps that have already been taken by this Government to support businesses. Obviously, if there are any specific businesses that you are concerned about, then it's always important that Members do raise these concerns with the Ministers, but I will certainly make him aware of what you've raised.

Trefnydd, I'd be grateful if we could have a statement from the Welsh Government on its overview of local authorities across Wales. A special investigation by the Cambrian News in my constituency has unearthed a number of troubling concerns regarding Ceredigion County Council and its purchase of Llettytwppa Farm, including questions over governance and oversight, allegations of conflict of interest, and the use of significant sums of public money for a project that reportedly has attracted only a small number of students.

Now, I believe that, given the serious nature of the concerns, it's vital that there is a statement from the Welsh Government outlining what oversight mechanisms are available to ensure proper governance and accountability of local authorities in Wales, and to confirm whether the Welsh Government believes any further investigation is warranted in this particular case. The people of my constituency need assurances that public funds are being spent appropriately by the local authority and that decisions are being taken transparently and appropriately. So, I'd be grateful if a statement could be issued by the Welsh Government on this important issue as soon as possible.

I thank the Member for raising this issue. I don't know, from what you've outlined, if you have written to the Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning; clearly, she is in the Chamber and will have heard your comments. You will also be aware that there are formal processes to be followed in relation to any concerns, including with the ombudsman, if concerns have been expressed. I hope that the Member will raise these concerns through those appropriate channels, so that what has been set out can be looked into if there are concerns.

British job losses from AI last year were twice the international average. I'm particularly concerned about the impact of this on younger people and particularly entry-level jobs. We already have one of the highest amounts of young people in Wales not in education, employment or training. I'm also concerned about how we ensure that the gains from AI are spread equally across our communities in Wales and not just felt in the pocket of big businesses. We know that there is generally concern among people in Wales with AI. In my constituency, there's been huge pushback against a data centre in Pontyclun, which will have little, if any, benefit for the local community, and I know this isn't unique just to my constituency. So, I wonder if the Government would make a statement on its strategy towards AI, including mitigating job losses, the development of data centres and also ensuring equitable gains from AI as well.

Certainly. You will have heard the Cabinet Minister talking about the advantages, but also the risks, of AI, and, certainly, there is a recognition, in terms of a number of sectors, when it comes to those risks to jobs that could be lost entirely, or skills. For example, in my portfolio, in terms of music, actors and so on, there are a number of concerns. We're also looking at what the advantages are, and we want that advantage. The Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy is in Boston this week, meeting business investors and the diaspora community. So, we are looking at the opportunities and the jobs that could come from AI as well, so that it's not just extractive, as we are seeing. Certainly, I will raise the fact that two Members—perhaps more by the end of this session—have raised AI with me, in order to ensure that we do update you and also engage with Members as this work goes ahead.

Trefnydd, I'd like to request a statement from the First Minister on the Welsh Government's overseas offices—the network of 20 offices across 11 countries, with an annual running cost of around £4.7 million. Members from more than one party have asked since 2021 for office-by-office costs and benefits, most recently David Mills, on 6 October. The Government has said it cannot break them down. In February, the Government told the Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee it would not release office-by-office investment results, citing data protection and Office for National Statistics rules, and offered only network-wide figures. A Senedd committee has also reported that written information on the wider £58 million international budget was frequently incomplete and unclear, with irreconcilable amounts. Will the Trefnydd ask the First Minister to make a statement on this?

I think it is very important that the Member should reflect on which Government you're referring to. You're talking about the Labour Government in your contribution there, whereas we are a new Government, in post since May. So, many of the questions were raised through scrutiny—and I was a member of the committee that undertook that scrutiny work—of the previous Government. Work is ongoing, and is being led by the First Minister, in terms of a new international strategy, which is looking at all of the offices, and looking at how we as a Government engage internationally too. He's been very clear that he wants us to be a Government that engages on the international stage because of the benefits to Wales of doing so. As the work on the strategy is updated, of course, there will be opportunities for Members to be questioning the First Minister and to be engaging and scrutinising.

Can I call for two statements today, please? Can I have a statement in relation to the noise assessment work that needs to be done on the A55 in the Llanddulas area from the Deputy Minister for Transport? This is a priority area for noise reduction. Residents in that community have lived with lots of noise from the A55 for many years. We've been told that a noise assessment is going to be done, but there's no indication as to the timeline for that work or when any follow-up work might be completed, in terms of capital investment for noise barriers. So, I think it is something that I would like an update from the Minister on.

Secondly, can I call for a statement from the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care in relation to medical speciality training for next year? I've been contacted by a group of doctors who are internationally trained, who have many years of experience in the Welsh NHS and want to go on to further their careers, but their experience in the NHS is not currently recognised within the framework as giving them priority access to that training. I do think this is something that the Welsh Government could take action on to address some of the gaps in our workforce in the NHS, and I'd be grateful for a statement.

Thank you. The Deputy Minister for Transport is here in the Chamber. What I would ask you to do in terms of the A55 is to write to him, and I'm sure that there will be an update for you on that.

In terms of the second statement that you request, I will raise this with the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care. Since you have met specifically with members of the workforce, then I think it would be a good idea for you to write to him as well, because it is important that they get that response. I understand, from what you say, that you have written, so I will ask him to ensure that he writes back to you.

Can I ask for a statement from the Deputy Minister for Transport on Network Rail's plans to close the railway between Holyhead and Chester for four weeks in January to carry out repair works along the line? This is a line that thousands of people rely on, and therefore the impact that this will have on passengers in Bangor Conwy Môn and north Wales will be significant. However, many people who use these services regularly remain unaware of the disruption that lies ahead. I'm pleased to see that Network Rail has now published further information about the work, but I would like to request a statement from the Deputy Minister outlining the support that the Welsh Government can provide between now and January to spread the word, ensuring that local residents are aware of the situation and have the opportunity to make alternative travel arrangements. Thank you.

I thank the Member for raising this issue. I appreciate that this will cause temporary disruption in terms of the service for travellers while the railway is closed. The Deputy Minister for Transport has already published a written statement. If there are any additional concerns, then I would encourage you to write to the Member. He is here, of course, and he will have heard what you've raised. But, just to reassure you, the Welsh Government is engaging with Network Rail and Avanti and Transport for Wales through network north Wales meetings, and Transport for Wales and Avanti are completing detailed plans for bus replacement services during that closure period as well.

Business Manager, can I ask for a joint statement from the Deputy Minister for social care, the Minister for local government and the Minister for education on the pupil development grant for children looked after? The issue I raise is complicated and cuts across multiple portfolios. A recent Estyn report highlighted concerns about the current PDG-CLA funding arrangements. Corporate parenting responsibility remains with the placing authority, but the receiving authorities are required to provide support from their own PDG-CLA allocation. Estyn also reported existing arrangements did not always operate effectively, including inconsistent information sharing and joint working, particularly when learners move between settings, services and local authorities. So, can I have a statement on how the Welsh Government intends to address these issues highlighted in Estyn's report? Diolch.

I thank the Member for that question. In terms of a statement, it's not the norm to have a joint statement in that way. We do work across Government, of course, and certainly, if you were to write to the Ministers with specific questions, then you would receive that response. But, clearly, the Cabinet Minister for education leads on the pupil development grant, but there is close collaboration between Ministers where there is that overlap. What is important is that we do have that co-operation, because what we're trying to do is to always respond to Estyn recommendations. There is work, of course, for the relevant scrutiny committees in this Senedd and the cross-party group to be looking at such issues, to ensure that implementation is as it should be and that recommendations made by Estyn are progressed.

Prynhawn da, Drefnydd. I want a statement, please, on the services for women, in particular in rural areas, when they face domestic violence. Last week, two cases in Wales were in our media. In Carmarthen, James McKenna was jailed for 24 years for the attempted murder of his ex-partner, whom he stalked and stabbed repeatedly as she walked her dog. And secondly, there's the really tragic case in Prestatyn, of mother of four Samantha Phythian, who was pregnant and found dead in a burning van. All of these cases, along with the cases of women who are living in rural areas that I represent, show how hard it is for those women to get the services and the responses they need. Could you please give us an update and a statement, and perhaps from the Minister as well, on services for women who face domestic violence and what you're doing to develop these and ensure that they reach everybody? Diolch yn fawr iawn.

I thank the Member for raising this issue, which received a lot of attention in the press last week, and I would like to say how brave those people who are speaking out about these things are, and it is terrible to hear about that suffering. The Deputy First Minister is here and will have heard what you've raised, and I would like to give you that assurance that we do acknowledge this, that the recent review of the national VAWDASV strategy has noted rural inequality as a key theme in terms of this work. Now, as the new national strategy is developed, I hope that the fact that we have identified this as something that is needed and deserves further attention—. As that review work continues, along with the feedback received, you will have an opportunity, as will others, to scrutinise the Deputy First Minister in relation to that work and to input as well.

Trefnydd, I would like a statement from the Government regarding the threat to our most valuable industry, tourism. In Carmarthenshire, tourism earned, in 2024-25, £724 million, employing over 6,600 full-time employees. This is vital to Wales's economy, and we need to listen to the challenge it is facing. I believe this Government doesn't appear to be listening. A whole raft of taxation and regulation is having a serious impact on these businesses. Let's talk about the visitor levy, a tourist tax that is placing another burden on the industry. We are now faced with plans to turn Wales into a giant energy park, with hundreds of enormous wind turbines and pylons in our most beautiful countryside that attracts millions of visitors. Are you aware of the impact? Are you listening to the tourism industry? And what action are you taking to protect it? Diolch.

Well, tourism is hugely important for the Welsh economy, and the Member, I'm sure, will be aware that there are a number of challenges that have been faced by that sector, including the cost-of-living crisis. People have less money in their pockets. There is also the impact of Brexit, which has had an impact on the number of visitors to Wales and to our communities. You're referring to an area that is not implementing the tourism levy at the moment and referring to that as a barrier, and I don't really understand that. We have to look at the facts as they are. Every area will have its own challenges. We also know that there are opportunities that come with some of the things that are in train. But what we are committed to is ensuring that we work with Visit Wales to sell Wales to the world, that we want to ensure that tourism can prosper and that we support those businesses. It is central as regards what was in our manifesto and to the work that we are looking at on a cross-ministerial basis. As a Government, I, as Minister with responsibility for culture and sport, also believe that we're not taking full advantage of the tourism related to our history, our culture, and the opportunities that comes with major events such as the Tour de France and the Euros in 2028. Therefore, tourism is hugely important to this Government and we are working on a cross-ministerial basis on it.

Trefnydd, I'd like to request a statement on transport accessibility for blind and partially sighted people from the Deputy Minister for Transport to understand what more can be done to ensure everyone can travel safely, confidently and independently. Last week, I had the privilege of spending the morning with Rachel from the Royal National Institute of Blind People and her guide dog, Flick, as we attempted to walk from the bus station in Wrexham to the train station. I was provided a pair of goggles to help me understand Rachel's visual impairment. What struck me was the daily challenges facing people with sight loss in navigating their surroundings and accessing public transport. Access to public transport is essential for people to maintain their independence, access healthcare and stay connected to their communities. It's important that buses, trains and transport infrastructure are accessible, and that people with sight loss feel safe when travelling, certainly to avoid any risk of isolation. So, I'd be grateful for a statement from the Deputy Minister to highlight the work undertaken by the Welsh Government to ensure that blind and partially sighted people can access this transport as easily as possible. Thank you.

Thank you. The Member is quite right, this is a very important issue. I'm sure that all of us have had constituents getting in touch with concerns or who haven't been able to use public transport because they don't feel safe and don't feel that they can access services that are appropriate for them. Certainly, the Deputy Minister for Transport is present and has heard what you've raised, and he has expressed to me that he's willing to bring an update to Members through a written statement.

Trefnydd, I would like to request an urgent Government statement on the independence, accountability and powers of Care Inspectorate Wales. When social services fail, accountability cannot be optional. Section 150 of Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 sets out clear statutory grounds for intervention where a local authority fails, or is likely to fail, in the exercise of its social services functions. Section 152 then gives Welsh Ministers the power to intervene where statutory conditions aren't met. Yet, Care Inspectorate Wales exercises its functions on behalf of Welsh Ministers. That raises a serious question about whether professional independence goes far enough. Families affected by serious failures deserve a regulator whose structural independence is beyond question, with powers necessary to expose systematic problems and ensure they are acted upon. Will the Government, therefore, bring forward an urgent statement setting out precisely how it will ensure that Care Inspectorate Wales can make decisions independently of Welsh Ministers, while remaining fully transparent and accountable to the people of Wales and the Senedd? Diolch.

I thank the Member for raising those concerns. I don't know if you have written to the Cabinet Minister expressing those concerns—it's difficult for you to provide all of those details when you only have a minute to speak. But if there are concerns that we need to take into account, then of course we as a Government will do that. So, I would ask you to write to the Minister.

Business Minister, can I please request an urgent statement from the Welsh Government about the proposed closure of the three junctions alongside the M4 in Newport? All residents know that shutting down junctions 27, 26 and 25 on the M4 would be disastrous and cause nothing but chaos and mayhem across the city, with traffic being pushed into already congested routes. Now, news of the Government's junction closure plans has sparked anger and uproar in Newport, with constituents inundating me and other MSs with e-mails, calls and also letters. The message is clear: they want the Government to keep their hands off our motorway junctions. And I've spoken to numerous constituents living near junction 27 who've told me that they're seriously considering moving and selling up because they just can't handle what's going to be coming their way. And it's not just residents and businesses who have serious concerns over the Government plans. Gwent police and crime commissioner has warned that these closures could pose a serious risk to our emergency service response times, going forward. The Government has insisted that it will listen to the concerns and voice of those directly impacted by these plans, but we haven't heard how exactly this is going to be achieved. So, an urgent statement from the Government outlining its plans, how it's going to be consulting with residents, businesses and emergency services, as well as others, and when this work will start, is urgently needed by us all. Thank you.

I hope that the Member heard the oral statement last week. I don't think there has been a lack of opportunity to scrutinise and to ask the Minister questions. So, I don't think that a statement so soon after that is appropriate, in particular because, let's bear in mind, of what was noted, which was that we're now going to be looking at considering the evidence, understanding the different facts and options, and working towards solutions that improve journeys whilst supporting communities, businesses and the broader economy. So, as to all of the concerns that you have set out, that's exactly what will be happening now: listening.

I'm sure as well that the Member—like all Members here, I hope—wants to see this Government taking action. We have seen 27 years of a lack of action and a lack of solutions, so we have to move forward with this work. The engagement work is happening at the moment, and everyone with concerns has an opportunity to be part of this. It was announced last week that there would be more updates and opportunities for people to be engaging. So, I hope that we will be able to unite behind the fact that the Minister has outlined a way forward finally, and there will be an opportunity for those who have concerns to express those. But we do have to see a solution. I'm sure the Member agrees with me on that.

Good afternoon, Trefnydd. Since questioning the First Minister on NHS dental care last week, I have had countless constituents and people across Wales get in contact. One said that they have waited unsuccessfully since 2019 to get back on an NHS list, now facing £800-plus for root canal treatment. Another says they finally secured NHS care, only to be restricted to emergency treatment due to the new dental contract. Another says their practice has gone private, demanding £264 a year just for membership fees. This is the reality of your fundamentally flawed dental contract. A new dental school is welcome, of course it is, but it is the contract that needs reworking, and this Government needs to listen, as I said last week, to practising dentists to make the contract fit for purpose. A lack of NHS dental care is now a national emergency, and I believe this requires an urgent statement on the floor of this Senedd or a debate to address this. Diolch.

I thank the Member for raising these issues. You will have heard the First Minister's response last week, who also recognised the concerns expressed to him by constituents, and I'm sure we will all have received similar comments. The First Minister also outlined the review of the contract, which is exactly the issue the Member raised. You will be aware that the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care has questions next week. So, there will be an opportunity to question him further on this issue then, and I will make him aware that you have raised the issue today.

Thank you, Llywydd. I would like to request a statement from the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care on how they are working to eradicate scabies in Wales. Over the last month, we have seen two hospitals close wards due to the presence of Norwegian scabies. The number of cases of scabies in Wales has increased from 1,300 in 2018-19 to over 12,000 cases in 2023-24. This is deeply concerning and is causing patients significant discomfort and making people think twice before going to hospital. Urgent action needs to be taken to eradicate this horrific disease.

Bit of a long one that one, sorry.

Thank you very much to the Member for that question, and her wonderful Welsh, if I may say so. In terms of the issue that you raised, clearly this is a concern. And the issue of scabies was raised with me last week too. We will all have seen in the press and media those concerns expressed. I gave an assurance last week in terms of the steps that we are taking and our expectations of health boards in terms of disease control. Certainly, I will also ensure that the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care is aware that a second request has been made for an update on that work. He will be answering questions next week, but I will see whether he thinks it's appropriate that there should be a further written statement on this issue.

Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Today, I am updating Members on the next steps regarding the Glyndŵr National Park (Designation) Order submitted to Welsh Ministers by Natural Resources Wales in January of this year.

Following careful consideration of the designation Order, the evidence assembled by Natural Resources Wales, the representations and objections received during the designation process, and the associated impact assessments, I have reached a provisional view in respect of the question of whether to confirm, confirm with modifications or to reject the designation Order. I am currently minded not to confirm the designation Order, and consequently minded not to proceed with a public local inquiry at this stage. Not confirming the designation Order and not proceeding with a public local inquiry will mean that no new national park is established at this time.

I do want to be clear with Members that this is not a final decision. Before reaching a final decision, I intend to provide a short opportunity for everyone with an interest in this proposal to make further representations in respect of the provisional view that I have reached.

Members will be aware that the previous administration asked Natural Resources Wales to assess the case for a new national park. Following an extensive programme of evidence gathering, engagement and consultation, NRW concluded that the area comprising the proposed Glyndŵr national park did meet the statutory tests for designation, and submitted the designation Order to Welsh Ministers.

Since then, a significant volume of evidence has been gathered. Over 400 responses were received during the notification period. These reflected a variety of views, with many respondents supporting the proposal and many opposing it. Significant objections were also submitted, including objections from every one of the five local authorities in the area. There were strong feelings in favour and strong feelings against. Many have highlighted the potential benefits: these include opportunities to enhance nature recovery, strengthen climate resilience, provide strategic leadership for landscape management, and support recreation and sustainable tourism. The evidence presented by NRW identifies a number of opportunities in these areas.

At the same time, important questions have been raised throughout the process relating to affordability, funding requirements in the future, value for money, governance arrangements and potential impacts on local communities, infrastructure, energy developments, housing and the Welsh language. These concerns have been raised by local authorities, businesses and land managers.

In reaching my provisional view, I have carefully considered these issues. I have considered the findings of the regulatory impact assessment and integrated impact assessment prepared by officials. That analysis highlights both possible benefits and significant uncertainties. The regulatory impact assessment estimates establishment costs of over £11 million and identifies ongoing costs associated with establishing and operating a new national park authority. It also notes uncertainty in the evidence base.

As I have already noted, all five local authorities in the area objected to the designation. While I have carefully considered all representations received, I do recognise the importance of understanding the views of these local authorities, which already play a role in delivering many of the outcomes that are sought through designation and which would be important partners should a national park ultimately be established.

I therefore consider that there is great value in continuing to maintain a strong focus on enabling those existing designations and partnerships to deliver for nature, climate, cultural heritage, recreation and local communities, while continuing to pursue the objectives identified through the Glyndŵr park designation process through other mechanisms. For example, we are taking practical action to restore nature and build climate resilience across the north-east. Through the Welsh Government’s national peatland programme, significant restoration work has been delivered within the Clwydian range and Dee valley national landscape, including at Llandegla moor site, which is of special scientific interest, bringing around 120 hectares of peatland into a more favourable condition.

The evidence demonstrates that many of the challenges identified by Natural Resources Wales are already being addressed through this Welsh Government's current programmes. These include our work on biodiversity recovery, peatland restoration, nature networks, the sustainable farming scheme, including Ffermio Bro, climate and nature action, sustainable tourism and wider rural investment.

Importantly, these policies are already delivering real outcomes for communities, farmers and the environment. Ffermio Bro, our bespoke sustainable farming scheme for designated landscapes, is supporting farmers to deliver practical action for nature recovery, climate resilience and sustainable land management. Farmers at Llangwyfan farm are restoring hedgerows to reconnect ancient woodland and improve woodland management to strengthen habitats for native flora and fauna. This is helping to create a more connected and resilient landscape. It therefore appears to me that the objectives identified through the designation process may be delivered through alternative mechanisms, without establishing a new national park authority and without incurring the ongoing financial commitments that the designation would require.

Looking ahead, I believe there will be further opportunities to secure these outcomes through the Welsh Government's work, through our climate and nature action plan, our culture strategy, our proposed rural-proofing and environmental sustainability duty, which will strengthen the consideration of environmental sustainability, climate resilience and rural impacts across public sector decision making. I will also consider whether existing arrangements for national landscapes can be further strengthened, alongside other integrated approaches that support nature recovery, sustainable land management and thriving rural communities.

Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Cabinet Minister, we've only known each other for a few months, but during that time I've found you to be a reasonable man, and quite frankly, we have political differences, but I know that, as I do, you have the best interests of the people of Wales. So, as such, your statement on a proposed new national park for Wales is welcome. In this instance, nobody in this Chamber needs convincing that the Clwydian range, the Dee valley and the wider area covered by the proposal contain some of the finest landscapes in Wales; they're absolutely fantastic. However, that is not the issue; the issue is determining whether a new national park with associated new powers and costs is the right answer.

Cabinet Minister, I applaud your recognition that there remain too many unanswered questions to confirm the designation Order or to conduct a public inquiry at the moment. We know that Natural Resources Wales believes the area meets the statutory test for designation. However, we also know that serious concerns remain. Numerous opposition points have been raised by stakeholders. Denbighshire has maintained its objection. Flintshire has raised concerns surrounding costs, duplication of planning, amongst others. These concerns matter because this isn't simply about drawing a line on a map, is it? People live within these lines. They farm, they run businesses, they raise families, and basically they're entitled to know what this proposal will actually mean for their lives and livelihoods. That's paramount. They deserve absolute transparency.

So, Cabinet Minister, I appreciate your commitment to pausing proposals in light of the continued uncertainty. Your recognition of the affordability question and what makes commercial common sense for Wales is welcome. These proposals intersect with Wales's best financial interests and the heart of Welsh communities. The important question now is what will happen afterwards or to these proposals.

You've made it clear that your statement today is not a final decision, and have committed to giving an opportunity to those with an interest in these proposals to make further representations. But after the four weeks' extended consultation period, what will happen next? You have committed to ensuring officials will analyse the representations and provide further advice; however, the representations of the interested parties must be listened to—not simply heard, but listened to. Because if local government, communities and other interested parties are to feel confident in the proposals, they must be confident that their views have been listened to and are capable of influencing the final decision.

Indeed you can. In light of today's statement, Cabinet Minister, I am confident that the correct steps have been taken to ensure Welsh voices have not just been acknowledged but been listened to. Thank you.

Thank you to the opposition spokesperson for his comments. My intention, Dirprwy Lywydd, is not to get into immense detail in my responses, because we are now in a phase of listening. I have set out the rationale for why I will be listening over the next four weeks before I make my final decision. But the points are clearly well made by the opposition spokesperson, and I thank him for those comments.

I thank the Cabinet Minister for his statement, but this is a disappointing and, I would add, weak statement from the Minister that demonstrates two things: firstly, a lack of ambition from this Plaid Cymru Government and, secondly, a divide on the Government side when it comes to environmental issues. I think people watching will be surprised to learn that Plaid Cymru, a party that says it wants to tackle the nature emergency, is not progressive when it comes to the environment or on improving access to nature, and surprised that, rather than taking steps to consult the public and get Glyndŵr over the finishing line, the Cabinet Minister has instead chosen to duck his responsibility with what is effectively half a decision.

We are fortunate in Wales that we have beautiful natural environments, and national parks are a great way of opening up our natural environment so more people can enjoy the beautiful places we have in Wales. In Government, Welsh Labour cherished and protected our natural environment and we recognised the huge potential of a new national park. We were ambitious to press ahead. It was a firm manifesto commitment from us. We launched that public inquiry to take the final steps towards establishing Glyndŵr, which would be Wales's first new national park in almost 70 years. The Campaign for National Parks has said that to not go ahead with a public inquiry, as the Cabinet Minister has laid out, would be a bitterly disappointing retreat from this Government, especially from one that has supposedly committed to the protection and restoration of nature-rich landscapes. So, does the Minister agree that this is a retreat?

In your statement, Minister, you said that many respondents supported the proposal and many opposed it. But can you confirm that a majority of respondents were actually in favour of a new national park? Minister, you also said there's now a short opportunity for interested parties to try to change the Government's position. Can you set out the time frame for people to make representations to the Government about this? What advice do you give to those interested about the most effective way of making their case heard? When can we expect you, Minister, to reach a final decision, rather than today's part decision? And why, Minister, do you now think that a 'short opportunity' is preferable to a proper public inquiry, which would have looked in more detail at the evidence and the arguments for and against Glyndŵr?

Lastly, people will rightly ask why a Government that across every other aspect of public policy is so in favour of reviews and inquiries has decided not to have a public inquiry on this occasion. Can I ask the Minister whether there was any new evidence that prompted his statement today, or was it always the Government's intention to cancel a public inquiry and stop Glyndŵr from progressing? Diolch.

Thank you to the opposition spokesperson for those questions. There are some points of substance there. I've heard the view expressed clearly, which I will obviously take into account, and I will reiterate my request to anyone who has an interest in these matters to write to the Government through the Welsh Government website or through the Royal Mail to offer us their views. I will welcome those views, and I will consider them carefully and reasonably.

It is a period of four weeks, and that is the timetable. It would be my intention, and I have asked my officials, to assess and analyse those representations in short order, because I do not believe that uncertainty helps anyone. I would hope to be in a position to update this Senedd either by Christmas or early in the new year as to the next steps—the next step either being the commissioning of a public inquiry or a rejection of the designation Order.

There is a point raised here about whether we should always turn to a public inquiry or to a 54:46 result on a consultation to guide us as a Government. Fundamentally, it is my belief that Government Ministers must make political judgments. At times, those judgments will be balanced, and there will be people who are proponents of one side or the other, but we have to consider the evidence carefully and come to a conclusion. That is what I have sought to do here, and I have set out a follow-on process that will allow people to make further representations. Diolch.

Well, you have parked the national park. I want to welcome that announcement. It's absolutely necessary, because whilst I support the principle of a national park in north-east Wales, I was not impressed with the proposals that were put forward by Natural Resources Wales, which seem to have gone bonkers with the felt-tip pen, drawing a huge area into the new proposed national park. I did not believe that that represented the opportunity for north-east Wales that it ought to have done. I have always believed that, had a national park been able to be established, it should have been established along the borders of the existing area of outstanding natural beauty in the Clwydian range and the Dee valley. Nor was I supportive of the establishment of a new national park authority, because we all know the democratic deficit that exists in national park authorities, with people who are appointed to them rather than people who are directly accountable to members of the public in those national park areas. That is something that I would hope the Government could reflect on for other national parks in Wales, and whether there may be an opportunity to undertake a piece of work on reform for national parks.

I have to say, I heard the bleating from the Labour Party about this. They had five years to deliver a national park. It was one of the key commitments that they say their party made in advance of the Senedd elections in 2021. We know that they failed to fulfil many of their promises; this was on that long list of promises that they failed to fulfil. And if it was so important to them, perhaps you could have asked for this as part of the budget deal that you've just given to the Plaid Cymru Government. Because you could have extracted a much higher price, frankly, than the peanuts that you seem to have accepted in return for your votes on the supplementary budget when it comes in a few weeks' time.

You've identified the timetable, which is good, because I don't think the uncertainty helps anybody in north Wales, particularly those who were fearful about the implications of a national park. Can you tell me this, though, Minister? You mentioned the cost of the establishment of the national park, the £11.6 million. That money has been provided for, if you like, within the budget, I would assume, over the next few years, has it not? [Interruption.] No. Okay. So, it's not in your thinking, not in your psyche, which seems a bit odd. [Interruption.] The reason I'm asking is because I would still like that investment to flow into the existing AONB, because I do think that protecting our designated landscapes is important. We know that there are issues with the capacity of car parks, the maintenance of footpaths, the need for rangers, if you like, to make sure that our designated landscapes, including AONBs, are properly managed. I do think that there is a need for further resources to be invested in north-east Wales in the Clwydian range and Dee valley AONB. Of course, you would expect me to argue that, as a person who represents that neck of the woods.

I thank the Member for those generally positive comments. As my colleague has highlighted, there was no money allocated in the previous Government's budget for this purpose, which I think is interesting, shall we say. You make some interesting points more broadly about the governance of national parks. It is something that I shall certainly be considering and my colleagues will certainly be considering. The landscape of governance in Wales is potentially more complicated than it needs to be. How we move from here to where we would like to be is another question and I'm sure we will have lively debates in this Senedd around some of those issues. But it is a point well made.

Thank you, Minister. This is the reality of what a new national park would mean: joining together the area from Llangadfan in Powys to Prestatyn, areas that have nothing whatsoever in common. Increasing house prices 25 per cent above the average, according to Nationwide building society, making the situation even worse for our young people. Increasing transport pressures as a result of the enchanting make-believe image of national parks in areas like Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant and Llanddwyn, while doing nothing to improve biodiversity, according to recent studies, compared to areas outside of the park, while costing approximately £6 million per annum, at a time when existing parks have faced funding cuts of 41 per cent, and are under huge pressure, and while our rural services also face constant cuts. Creating a new authority is neither sustainable nor appropriate, and £2.1 million has already been wasted on this by the previous Government. Enough is enough. Could I have confirmation that this Government will not spend a fortune on the next phase of this process?

I thank the Member. I can confirm that we won't be spending a fortune, but recommending that people send their comments via e-mail in the next phase. We won't be spending a great amount of money on the analysis either. That is, we need to make a wise decision on these issues as a matter of urgency.

Cabinet Minister, I really do welcome the decision, actually—although it's only provisional so far—not to proceed with yet another publicly funded authority. Now, you've also acknowledged that existing organisations and bodies can already deliver the same objectives that a national park would do if it was to be introduced, and I'll come to that at the end. But, surely, the evidence in front of us now raises a bigger question, and that is: why was this proposal allowed to progress this far in the first place?

If this does ever proceed, obviously, as was alluded to earlier, it's going to cost £11.6 million just to establish it, plus further ongoing costs, despite objections from every single one of the other affected local authorities. So, I'd like to know, really: how much taxpayers' money has already been spent pursuing this proposal? Also, will you now commit to rejecting it permanently, please, rather than leaving the door open to yet another expensive layer of bureaucracy that local communities neither need nor want?

Now, finally, as I've alluded to just now, you've confirmed that the work of all local authorities can be carried out without them—

So, I'd just like to sort of echo the comment that was made over there, but go further than that, and that is to confirm that, if we don't need these other national park authorities, we should get rid of them all in the first place. Thank you.

I thank the Member for the question. I think allusion has been made to the sum spent by a previous Government on this programme, and I've given a commitment to the Senedd that, over this next period, we will be spending very little indeed in simply assessing the information we get in, and affording an opportunity for people to e-mail us.

I understand the point made that it should be rejected permanently today. I am minded towards that point of view, but, for the reasons I've outlined, I have set out that extra short process, so that interested parties—. Because it is not a matter of consensus, even across this Chamber, but I am minded to make that decision. I have set out the reasons why I am minded to make that decision, but I have also set out a short timescale for reaching that decision.

You raise an interesting point, and maybe I may make some positive points about the previous Government here. The financial context that we face is clearly an issue. I think, if we were in a position, if we were back in the halcyon dates of public sector growth in spending between 1997 and 2005, we might be having a different discussion here. I'm sceptical about layers of bureaucracy generally, but if the financial position was different—. I think that is an issue.

I also think—and it is something that I'm hoping to bring to my role, and colleagues are hoping to bring to their role—that we have, as a Senedd, and as a Government in past years, sought out major pieces of legislation, major new initiatives, without following through every time on working out what the outcomes will be for people in communities right across Wales. And if we can bring that focus back to outcomes and to making an improvement to people's lives, we can improve housing, the Welsh language, businesses, tourism, sustainability, in a more integrated way. So, I think there is an opportunity there to bring things together across Government.

As I've set out, I am not persuaded that that requires a new national park in the Glyndŵr area, as of today. I've offered that opportunity for people to make further representations, and I welcome all comments on that point. Diolch yn fawr.

Well, what a disappointing statement. Anyone who has walked along the Berwyn mountains, as I have done, will know how unique and special an environment it is: Cadair Berwyn, Llyn Lluncaws, Pistyll Rhaeadr, Cyrniau Nod, to name just a few places. These are wild, remote areas, which deserve to be known better amongst the people of Wales and beyond.

Just yesterday I chaired the cross-party group on outdoor activities, where there was a unanimous view around the table on how vital and underappreciated access to the countryside is. We know what the RSPB have said about Wales being one of the most nature-deprived countries in the western world, and we heard earlier, even from the Reform Member, about the importance of tourism to our economy. So, why take this decision? There is no mention of doing this in your manifesto. I don't wish to downplay the real concerns that exist around these proposals, but the place to explore them, surely, is through a public inquiry. I'd like the Minister to explain why he doesn't believe that a public inquiry is the right format for this, because it looks to me that, at this Government's first test on its ability to protect nature, it fails spectacularly, and has instead entered into some sort of unholy trinity with the Tories and Reform. Your progressive credentials look failing to me, Minister.

I have to admit that I'm slightly disappointed by the comments made by my colleague behind me there. I am one who has enjoyed the Berwyn range—I've run in the Berwyn mountains on occasion. I do acknowledge and agree with the Member on the points that he's made on the importance of our natural areas and the opportunity that we have as a Government to improve that. There are a number of strategies that I've highlighted in my statement today that will do exactly that: sustainable tourism, sustainable rural communities, prosperous rural communities. Those are the opportunities that we have in taking steps across Government to make improvements. That's what I want to do, and that's what's at the forefront of my mind as I move towards a decision on these issues.

Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. As a north Powys resident, I welcome the Minister's announcement today. I think he's reached a sensible conclusion, albeit provisionally, and I'm sure my constituents in the affected area will also welcome this announcement. All five local authorities, remember—all five local authorities—objected to this proposal, and there have been very real concerns from farmers, businesses and local communities.

In my role as Chair of the Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee, I'm particularly conscious of the financial pressures facing public services. Indeed, only yesterday we were examining the serious financial difficulties facing the NHS in Wales. At £11.6 million, just to establish another national park authority, before we even consider the ongoing costs, we have to question whether that's the best use of public money. Nobody's suggesting we shouldn't protect our countryside, but, surely, we should make better use of the arrangements we already have, rather than creating another layer of bureaucracy. So, Minister, can you reassure those communities that their concerns will be properly reflected in the final decision, and tell us how quickly that decision will be made once the four weeks are up? Diolch.

I thank the Member. I can give that reassurance to communities. I can give that reassurance to everyone who will be submitting comments during that four-week period. I have committed to the Senedd to aim to give a final decision by Christmas, and that is my commitment to the Senedd. I believe that minimises the risk of uncertainty and disruption that these proposals have created to communities right across the area affected.

Thank you very much, Dirprwy Lywydd. The summer of 2026, as we all know, was the warmest on record in Wales, and the drought conditions affected large parts of the country. But now we are entering the winter period, and climate change will bring wetter winters and heavier rainfall, and we are operating in an increasingly complex environment. And so we are working closely with partners to prepare for the months ahead.

Climate change is increasing both the likelihood and the severity of emergencies. This places growing pressure on our emergency responders and our risk management authorities. I'd like to thank those emergency services, Natural Resources Wales, the local authorities and others for their dedicated efforts to help keep our communities safe throughout the year.

For example, this year Natural Resources Wales updated flood risk mapping at eight river locations across Wales. They also delivered improvements to their live flood warning service. NRW flood warnings and severe weather warnings are now available on a greater number of third-party digital platforms. This will therefore, of course, increase the visibility of NRW flood warnings, supporting public awareness.

As a Government, we have made almost £5 million of revenue funding available to local authorities for flood risk activities. Across Wales, they are preparing for the winter months. This includes assessing key assets, jetting drains and managing vegetation to reduce blockage risks. They are also reviewing emergency response arrangements to ensure that they remain effective.

Our national security and resilience team continues to monitor and assess all risks over the winter, including winter weather. It works with resilience partners to ensure that there's a shared understanding to support informed resilience planning across Wales.

This year, as always, our preparations are grounded in the lessons learned from previous storms. Last November, storm Claudia brought significant rainfall across Wales. The storm impacted almost 400 properties in Monmouthshire alone. Some locations saw flood depths of more than 1.5m. Communities, infrastructure and essential services were disrupted.

I understand how devastating flooding can be for households and businesses. In August of this year, I visited Milford Haven, where I heard first-hand from residents affected by flooding and discussed plans for a new flood scheme to better protect their properties. It was a powerful reminder of why this work matters.

So, let me highlight some of the ways in which we will, as a Government, support our communities and partners. We are giving flood-affected communities a stronger voice through a new independent Welsh flood forum. The new forum will support communities recovering from flooding and will strengthen preparedness and resilience for future events. It will be based on the successful model implemented in Scotland, and I can confirm that the forum’s steering group met for the first time last week. It brought together people with lived experience of flooding and partner organisations. Collectively, they will help shape a new national support network for flood-affected communities.

We will also shortly appoint additional members to the flood and coastal erosion committee, ensuring it can continue to provide independent advice to Welsh Ministers and, in so doing, help us to shape future policy.

Thank you for your statement, Minister. Natural Resources Wales has warned of a higher risk of flooding this year than last year, with one in seven homes and businesses in Wales at risk. People are being told to prepare, but what your Government has outlined today just doesn't cut it, sadly, and fails to reassure those affected by flooding year on year. We already know where the flooding will be. Communities are already doing everything they can to prepare, but I do agree that there does need to be greater awareness of tools that are available to alert to flood warnings. But, across the border, the Government has set out £4.2 billion for flood defences and also set out what emergency resources they will provide, including 260 mobile pumps, 250 km of temporary barriers and so on. Welsh communities deserve that level of clarity. So, my first question is: where is the detail in the statement, Minister?

At the end of the day, it'll be no surprise to anyone here that there will be a lot of rain in Wales this winter. Call it what you like: El Niño, the end of the world, whatever, but what we do know is that there will be weather that will cause floods this year. What we're trying to establish in Wales is how prepared are we for storms like this, like the devastating storm Claudia. Why is it that communities such as Skenfrith that have been severely flooded four times in six years still don't qualify for urgent funding, when there's a clear need for it? Why is it that our precious rural villages across Wales have to build, for example, an extra 20 to 200 houses to satisfy the Government's criteria to get the urgent help that they need and deserve? I've stood in my wellies with residents time and time again, year after year, who've had their businesses or family homes destroyed over and over again. Why is it that they lose out?

Reform will protect rural Wales and ensure that communities like Skenfrith won't be expected to shoulder the burden of repeated flooding in areas where successive Governments have failed to invest in proper flood defences. And to that end, Minister, can you make your position clear now on how funding will be allocated for flood defences, please?

Minister, do you know what's missing from this statement? And I'm genuinely shocked that it's missing from the statement. There's no mention of flood risks that now have been created from the recent wildfires. Trenches were built, landscape was disrupted on the mountains, and now, that, potentially, will channel water downhill towards urban areas, affecting homes and businesses, for example, in Blaenavon. Yet, in Blaenavon, the commoners there have not seen a penny from Welsh Government to reduce the flood risk—no funding, no practical guidance. So, you say in your statement that

Well, I was minded to thank the spokesperson for her response, but I do rather feel that it doesn't appreciate what is already happening. You know, £85 million is a significant chunk of Welsh Government funding towards flood schemes. We know that there are 273,000 properties at risk of flooding, and we know as well that 270 separate locations will benefit from capital investment through the schemes that are being proposed. There's a current window open for those local authorities to bring forward schemes that they wish to pursue in the next financial year—that window closes at the end of this year—whilst, at the same time, there are schemes there to support communities in the interim, whilst those schemes are being developed. So, the lead flood authorities will know this, and we are working closely with many of them.

You referenced Monmouthshire. I have met with the leader of the council and officials at Monmouthshire, and we know that £445,000 is being provided for the Woodside scheme in Usk, a further £178,000 for works on four local flood management interventions, alongside £389,000 for further projects as well. But we know that there's more to do, and we are pursuing options, working with other partners, Natural Resources Wales, and others as well.

Schemes such as the sustainable farming scheme will play their part. You will be familiar with the fact that there is over £100 million allocated for the optional and collaborative tiers of that scheme. The collaboration at that landscape scale, catchment scale, is exactly the kind of intervention that we want to encourage and that we will hope to invest in, through this scheme. And you mentioned wildfires—I'm glad you did, because it is a consequence of climate change, something that you don't recognise—and there is a summit, as you well know, happening on 27 October, to consider, discuss, reflect and pursue these exact schemes moving forward to the future.

Thank you, Cabinet Minister, for your statement here today. We all know it's devastating when a home or business is flooded and that, because of climate change, far too many people across Wales, including in my constituency of Pontypridd Cynon Merthyr, have been hit hard by flooding over recent years.

I recently met with Natural Resources Wales to discuss flooding and what more can be done to keep our communities safe. Their warning yesterday of intense weather this winter will cause real concern for families who are at risk from flooding, especially those who've seen their homes destroyed in the past. NRW also warned that one in seven homes and businesses are at risk from flooding, and, of these, just 27 per cent are signed up for flood alerts. So, it's right that the Government tries to get ahead of this winter's wet weather and helps ensure that families are as prepared as they can be. So, I want to start by asking you, Cabinet Minister, about what the Government is doing to inform households about the practical steps that they can take to prepare for flooding. As residents in my constituency have seen first-hand over recent years, flooding can happen very quickly and leave families with little time to react. So, having these plans in place is crucial. So, what are you doing, Minister, to increase that 27 per cent figure from Natural Resources Wales, so more people are alerted as soon as their home is at risk? And what arrangements are in place to ensure that local authorities, NRW and the emergency services are working together to identify the communities that are most at risk of flooding?

I also want to ask about funding for flood defences. In Government, Welsh Labour delivered the highest-ever level of investment in flooding, with more than £377 million committed to flood risk management over the last Senedd term. That investment meant that 52,000 properties were protected from flooding, helping to safeguard homes, businesses and communities across Wales. For this last financial year, we invested that extra £85 million, including almost £43 million in capital funding for new schemes across Wales.

There's a great example of this in my constituency that was referred to in your statement, where Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council is carrying out a major flood alleviation scheme in the Maesyffynnon Lane area of Aberaman and Aberdare, using funding from the previous Welsh Labour Government. I noticed you were a bit naughty, Minister, and you didn't mention that fact in your statement.

That funding that my party provided will see a range of improvements being delivered there that could be replicated in other areas across Wales, including changes to watercourses, installation of remote telemetry equipment, and the creation of a new attenuation basin that's capable of storing the equivalent of two Olympic swimming pools during storm events. The result from that will be flood risk being reduced for 56 residential properties and three commercial properties, something that I myself and those residents really welcome. So, Minister, are you committed to maintaining and building on that record investment in future years? And what is the Government doing to provide greater certainty over investment in flood defences for future years, especially for local authorities?

Diolch yn fawr. There's a lot there. Certainly, in terms of informing people about the risks and actions they can take, I hope that this statement today will contribute to that. Clearly, Natural Resources Wales were across the media earlier this week promoting the support that they can provide that I referred to in my statement.

You mentioned specifically around vulnerable people as well. We do have JIGSO, which is a secure mapping capability within DataMapWales, and that brings together information to help emergency responders build situational awareness and identify where vulnerable people are during incidents, and I think that's important. It combines Dŵr Cymru priority services register data with information such as flood alerts, weather warnings and power outage data et cetera. So, we will need to continue to build on that.

You are right; we are building on investments and commitments made by the previous Government. And the challenge back to you is that, with your support, we might be able to continue with that very good work. Clearly, that's something that we need to discuss, but I'm sure that everyone who gets up in the Chamber today and encourages this Government to consider giving this budget the rightful quantum of funding will consider that when they cast their vote, when it's time to decide whether we have a budget or not.

I would agree with the points you were making about embedding flood action across Government, actually. Transport, certainly, has a big role to play, because we know that water run-off very often is a big contributor to some of the challenges that we face. I referenced the sustainable farming scheme, but there are wider considerations around the wider economy and enterprise portfolio as well. And similarly, on your reference to the fire and rescue authorities, I did reference the emergency services, which, of course, goes beyond just those. But the relevant Minister as well has a role to play in that. Much of this—again, I would reiterate—will come together in the summit that's being held next week, but that is only very much a moment in this ongoing discussion and one that we appreciate needs to continue, intensify and accelerate.

Thank you, Minister, for your statement this afternoon. When I first got elected to this Chamber, I didn't think that one of the big things that I'd be dealing with right the way through the 19 years I've been a Member is flooding, to be honest with you, across the old South Wales Central region, from Merthyr Dyfan in Barry to Llantwit Major, to Pontypridd, to the Rhondda and the Cynon valley, as Vikki highlighted in her own constituency, and the devastating impact it has on households, but businesses as well, and the wider community, and the fear that it puts in people's minds that, when the next heavy rain comes, it could be them. That stench of sewage and foul water, as well as the personal items that sadly have to get discarded and left as rubbish on the side of the street, but are very personal and irreplaceable to the households who have lost them, is something that I, certainly as an elected Member, will never forget from the incidents that I've attended during my time as an elected Member.

That's why this statement is so important this afternoon about being prepared for the winter and what actions the new Government, in fairness, is taking and what assessments you, as a new Government, have taken of the previous Government's actions in this particular area. Because flood defences don't happen overnight. They are long-term projects that need to be planned, worked up and built. The first point I'd like to ask you, Minister, is this: you highlight £85 million is going into flood prevention measures, but what sort of scale are we talking about? What assessment have you made of the moneys that are needed to make a dent in the massive backlog of projects that are available to be built across Wales, to move more houses into flood-safe zones rather than remaining in flood-risk zones? Because £85 million, I accept, is a lot of money, but it is my understanding that a considerable amount more money is required for that, and we all know the difficulties that the finance Minister is finding in reconciling the figures that all departments are demanding at the moment.

We've also had the wildfires that struck in the summer, and many of the services that will be called on to deal with flooding incidents, should we see them in the winter, are the same organisations that have had their services called upon right the way through the summer. So, what assessment have you made as Minister of the resilience of those services to deal with the risk of floods going through the winter months, and, in particular, the working roles that they play working together, from the local authorities to the fire service to NRW, in making sure that they are in a position to respond accordingly? That is important as well from a Government point of view, because a lot of these responsibilities, such as the fire service, sit with the local government Minister, NRW sits with you, and then the finance Minister, who undoubtedly gets called for more resources on a financial footing, obviously has to make a call in that respect. How does the Government co-ordinate all that, so that there is a one-stop shop to make sure that you can respond in a timely manner, with financial help and also logistical help when it is required, and, in particular, the resilience of those services that have been called upon right the way through the summer and potentially could be called upon now in the winter to deal with many issues across Wales?

Thank you very much, again, a long list of questions there. I think it was right that you acknowledged the impact on businesses as well, because we do focus, of course, on domestic properties and homes, but businesses, absolutely. And I would reiterate again that there are particular sources of support and the need for different kinds of insurances, et cetera, for businesses as well, and there is information out there to support those, similarly.

You asked about the overall picture and what it would cost to fix it all. I don't have that figure. What I do know is that 273,000 properties are at risk in Wales, and not one Government can meet the cost of addressing all of that. But that is, of course, why we are pursuing—building on work from previous Governments as well—nature finance and those opportunities that, hopefully, will allow us to invest in those catchment-scale, nature-based solutions that will go part of the way in defending and mitigating some of those risks.

The resilience of services is absolutely critical here. In fact, the wider Cabinet yesterday spent some time considering wider resilience questions here in Wales. The First Minister himself, of course, has an overarching responsibility for national resilience, but you're right, it's about working with other Ministers and we do that and we will continue to do that. And, of course, that will come into greater focus again on the back of the summit, where I hope there will be some clear outcomes, some clear actions for us all to pursue collectively.

Only 27 per cent are registered for the NRW alerts. When I chaired the climate change committee in the last Senedd, we published a report on flooding and the response to flooding; this was one of the concerns that we highlighted. I'm glad to see a concerted effort now from NRW to increase and to try and promote that, but of course, that isn't just on NRW, it's for every single one of us here as well to make sure that we use our social media channels, that we use our contacts and connections in communities, particularly in those communities that people have referred to that we know are facing potential risks this winter. So, I would not just throw it back to you, but I would say that we all have a part to play in that endeavour.

But also, of course, we are, I will remind Members, in the process of setting up the Welsh flood forum, which is going to be all about making sure that communities are prepared, and then when something happens, that there is a response and a resilience from within, not just from the emergency authorities, but also the support there to recover as well. We're taking inspiration from what they've done in Scotland and we're engaging with the National Flood Forum to start that work in earnest. As I said, I was part of a meeting last week where we brought those stakeholders together with those people from communities with lived experience of flooding to start the work of bringing all of this together.

Thank you for your statement today, Minister.

The warnings from NRW have already been highlighted today and will be of particular concern to communities in Afan Ogwr Rhondda, where a number of areas rank highly on the communities at risk register. I want to focus on the immediate measures being taken to protect communities as we prepare for the unthinkable, as NRW have put it. A number of the flood alleviation schemes in train across the constituency are still under construction and will likely not be completed in time for this winter. Although I think key lessons have been learned as a result of previous flooding events and the local lead flood authorities will have a better understanding of the vulnerabilities in their networks, there will be gaps in protection while these schemes are ongoing. So, I'd be very grateful to know what immediate support the Welsh Government is providing to lead local flood authorities to help them manage the risks and protect communities over the coming months. Diolch.

Thank you for your question, and you're right, there's a longer term picture here, and there's a shorter term, more initial response that's required, and we try and accommodate that in the way that we utilise the funding that's available. So, as I said, this year we are making £85 million available to risk management authorities across Wales. That includes nearly £30 million in revenue funding for things like asset maintenance, warning systems, which are absolutely relevant this year, operational planning and flood response, which all could be part of the services provided within the coming months. Right now, I know that risk management authorities across Wales are proactively clearing trash screens, checking pumps, clearing vegetation and inspecting assets as well.

They can apply for funding from Welsh Government for property flood resilience measures, things such as flood gates, and we'll fund those authorities to provide that sort of property flood resilience as an interim measure, whilst more formal schemes are being developed and built up. This year, we've made over £3 million available in capital funding for risk management authorities in Afan Ogwr Rhondda. I think there are 19 different schemes being delivered by NRW, by Neath Port Talbot Council, Bridgend council and Rhondda Cynon Taf as well within the constituency area. Once those schemes are completed, then the estimate is that that funding will benefit over 7,000 properties.

Cabinet Secretary—no, Cabinet Minister now—you mentioned on a number of occasions during your statement the sustainable farming scheme, but actually I think the figure is £102 million, not £100 million, which you quoted. I hope there hasn't been a cut there. There is no actual ring-fenced support within the sustainable farming scheme for flood prevention and mitigation, but it is an overarching aim of the scheme to deliver that. So, I'd actually quite like to know from you today, out of that £102 million, how much of that is going to be identified for flood mitigation. If you want farmers to go into it, you'll have to provide the funding to enable them to go into these schemes. So, I'd quite like some assurances from you today. How much are you doing that and are you going to ring-fence any part of that money to deliver these aims that you've set out today?

I don't have a particular precise figure in mind. I think these are the kinds of schemes that we can build up through, particularly, the collaborative layer of the scheme, because bringing farmers and landowners together at that catchment scale requires that level of collaboration that we're not seeing happening as often as we would like. There are very good examples out there of groups coming together and realising very positive benefits. So, it's certainly something that we're looking at, something that we're considering and something that could well be a bespoke funding stream within the sustainable farming scheme, particularly at those maybe optional, but maybe even more so the collaborative layer.

We've just had the warmest summer of the rest of our lives. According to public documents, we have had more flooding in the first 25 years of the twenty-first century than the whole of the twentieth century. Whilst flooding is not as annually predictable as heat, we'll have more flooding in the next five years than the last five years. You can believe that climate change is not happening, it does not stop it happening or stop the repercussions of it. Will the Government consider taking the following action? Plant trees on higher ground to reduce floods at source; introduce beavers into rivers to create ponds and wetlands that slow down river flow; promote the use of planted areas, rain gardens and permeable paving to allow water to drain away. We're not going to stop the water coming down, but at least we can do something with it.

Thank you for the question. I think there are a number of interventions along those lines that would absolutely contribute to the bigger picture. It needs to be co-ordinated, managed and designed in the appropriate way. I visited a site recently in Denbighshire, Llysfasi college, where they've created leaky dams, which means that once the water level rises to a certain point, it flows into a leat and into lakes in a nearby field to store that water. That one single intervention isn't going to be the silver bullet for the River Clwyd, but you replicate that a dozen, 20 or 30 times at catchment scale and it does make a difference. There's a wide range of interventions. But we can—and I've said this very recently in the Chamber and elsewhere—mix concrete to our heart's content. Yes, there will be traditional interventions that we need for some specific locations, but we have to work with nature. We have to work with the grain of nature. Because if we don't, nature always wins, and I think we need to be mindful of that in designing the right approach in the right place.

Thank you for your statement, Cabinet Minister. There are two themes I wanted to pick up that are really impacting my constituents in Brecon—. Sorry, I'm looking across at James Evans. [Interruption.] In Bretton and Broughton, in my patch, in relation to flooding. The first, Cabinet Minister, is around pace of delivery. My residents there have been flooded in 2021, 2023 and 2025. We're now in 2026 and the flood alleviation works have still yet to be undertaken.

I was struck by your statement and your reference to flood defence works in Llanrwst. I believe those are in response to flooding events that took place probably in 2020 when I was the council leader there at that point in time. So, six years later to get delivery perhaps is not the pace that you would want to see. I'd be interested in your response around how you'd want to see pace of delivery accelerated.

And secondly, around accountability, my residents in Bretton and Broughton are frustrated at the interaction sometimes with NRW, Welsh Water, local authorities, who is responsible for what and when. I think the simpler that can be, the better it would be for residents in places that I represent and I'm sure you represent as well. Diolch yn fawr.

Thank you. I appreciate that sometimes these processes take longer than anyone would wish, but there is a process in place, there is a window for funding for some of these schemes. Risk management authorities need to bring forward their proposals, they need to develop their business case and make the case. Sometimes they succeed, sometimes they don't, because as you can imagine, all parts of Wales are submitting for those kinds of schemes. It's clearly something that we need to work with local authorities particularly, but other bodies as well, to deliver.

In terms of the coherence of approach, yes, we do have local resilience groups that bring some of these parties together, and that needs to happen as effectively as possible. There's always room for improvements, there are always lessons to be learnt, and that's one important message that I would convey. The summit again is going to be another opportunity to do that at a national level, but certainly there's a regional and more localised element to that as well. There's no silver bullet, there's no magic wand; I think very often it's about getting the right people in the right place together around the table.

Thank you, Cabinet Minister, for your statement today. Flooding remains a real worry for communities across Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni and the whole of Wales, especially as we see this much more extreme weather happening year on year. Research by the British Red Cross highlights the challenges that are faced by people in vulnerable situations when flooding eventually happens. The research found that most people were completely unprepared when flooding hit. Many were displaced for months from their homes, often living in unsuitable accommodation, struggled to get recovery grants, and almost all of them said that their mental health had been significantly impacted by the flooding. So, I was just wondering what the Welsh Government was going to do to make sure that our most vulnerable communities in Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni are better prepared for flooding and get the support they need when it happens, especially that mental health support as well in the longer term.

Thank you for that. I think that's an important point that we haven't covered so far this afternoon. I've mentioned the flood forum, of course, which has a very specific focus on working with people and communities, particularly those who are at risk and who maybe have experienced historic incidents of flooding, and that will be supported by this Government. It is a programme for government commitment, a manifesto commitment of ours, and we will deliver it, and work has already started on making that happen. I took a great deal of inspiration from the visit I mentioned in my statement to Milford Haven, where we saw that flooding isn't just about damage to your property or losing possessions. As horrible as that is and how harrowing the physical damage is, the mental health impacts can last for much longer. And I was struck, as I'm sure many Members here who've seen that kind of experience close up are, by how the community can rally around very often and continue to support each other long after the flooding has receded. But we are committed to establishing that independent flood forum, which will be there to try and stimulate and support some of those less formal networks, if you like, that are so critical when communities are in their hour of need.

Minister, as you know, local authorities have a duty to publish reports of investigations into significant flooding incidents—section 19 reports. Wrexham council has warned that they usually take between nine months and a year to complete their reports. That's similar in Conwy and Flintshire. And in another local authority in our constituency of Clwyd, it can take up to 18 months to complete a section 19 report. Bearing in mind that these reports identify the cause, likelihood of reoccurrence, and any appropriate alleviation measures that can be taken, their importance is key. But the delays around completing these reports don't appear to be addressed in your statement. So, Cabinet Minister, what support will the Welsh Government provide to local authorities to speed up work on section 19 reports? Diolch.

Thank you for the question. That isn't something that I've thought about, and I will go away and reflect on that. What I would say is that they're not Welsh Government reports. They are reports by those flood authorities. I'm not passing the buck. If there is a genuine element of support that the Government could provide in stimulating that to happen a bit more quickly, then we're more than open to considering that. But what I would caution is that those section 19 reports have a job to do in terms of understanding a lot of technical stuff around hydrology and the impact of how things happen, how they can be mitigated, and you don't arrive at some of those decisions within weeks. Assessments and studies have to happen. But I will take that away and reflect to see whether there's something that we can do about that.

Cabinet Minister, as your statement acknowledges, flooding is a problem for a number of communities in Ceredigion Penfro, and I'm pleased that your visit to Milford Haven showed how important that matter is. As I'm sure you're aware, flooding at Gumfreston in south Pembrokeshire has caused road closures, disruption and lengthy diversions for local communities, businesses and visitors. This was the subject of a Senedd petition calling for a long-term solution, which attracted more than 3,400 signatures. It was led by Councillor Rhys Jordan, who continues to press for the long-term improvements that local residents have been asking for. I understand that Natural Resources Wales is undertaking further appraisal work on flood mitigation options for the River Ritec catchment, but this has been an issue for the local community for some time and they want to see some more progress, as you would expect. I appreciate that you might not be able to give me specific details today, but I would be grateful if you could look at this particular issue and commit to bringing together Natural Resources Wales, Pembrokeshire County Council and Welsh Government officials once the appraisal work is complete so that a clear timetable for progress can be agreed and the necessary funding arrangements put in place so that we can finally move forward with a solution as soon as possible.

Thank you for raising that specific issue. I think it underlines as well how responding to some of these situations is a cross-Government responsibility, because of the impact on infrastructure such as transport as well. I will ask Natural Resources Wales to update the Member as regards where they are with that, and we'll probably have to go from there.

Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. I have to say that I do feel this is very encouraging, what we've heard from your statement. It's really good to hear that many of the things that have been put in place in the past are now bearing fruit, such as the national flood forum—that's fantastic. I truly do believe in the power of networks that work across Wales to help each other, so that's fantastic.

I also took notice of what you said in terms of the kind of support we can provide to our communities due to the fact that they have to be vigilant of risk, register for warnings and alerts, be prepared, and receive practical support from NRW. I also feel very privileged to stand here today and to hear everyone speaking about this subject. We all feel very concerned about what's happening with our communities across Wales and across all of the parties, and that's fantastic to hear.

What I want to ask is how can we give that confidence that our communities need that our Government, that we here, are doing everything we can do to ensure that adequate property-level resilience measures are available, and that they're safe.

Thank you. At a property level, as I mentioned earlier, there is an opportunity to have specific investment for property resilience as a result of flooding, and I would encourage risk management authorities across Wales to bring forward their specific requirements for investments in that regard. I did make reference to the role that insurance companies have to play. Build back better is the name of the scheme. If you've been affected, as part of the insurance work, there are some insurance companies that are willing to invest more than the value of the damage to help prevent further future damage. I would encourage people to speak to their insurers when they face those situations.

I would also say, with the measures looking at specific properties, that it is important that that work is done by appropriate, qualified companies who know what they're doing. That's why we say that risk management authorities are best placed to commission this work, and that the applications should come through them, and then they can ensure that the necessary standards are met. But also, at a community level, they can ensure economies of scale where there are a number of properties being dealt with simultaneously.

I would return to where I started earlier: I see the national flood forum for Wales as a key means of being an advocate for those people who live in those communities that are living under this cloud, holding their hand, working with them to prepare so that they can have greater confidence—if something does happen, that they know what they need to do, and that they will know that some of the measures available to them will make a difference, and if the worst were to happen, that there is someone with them on that appallingly long journey back to recovery. I think that's another important message.

Thank you very much, Llywydd. Today I am setting out the decisive actions that this Government is taking to protect people, to support staff, and to strengthen health and care services across Wales this winter. The winter will be challenging. Demand will rise, respiratory illness will place additional pressure on services, and the constraints in terms of the workforce, finance and social care will remain significant.

We cannot remove every risk, but we can prepare earlier, intervene faster, and require every part of the system to act together. That's why we've acted earlier than any previous Welsh Government, demonstrating stronger national leadership, clearer expectations, and a relentless focus on delivery.

Every health board has submitted its draft winter preparedness plan by 1 September. For the first time, those plans are being stress-tested during September and October so that risks, assumptions and dependencies are challenged, and that action is taken before pressure peaks. This is a material strengthening of our approach. We're not simply asking organisations whether they have plans, we are testing whether those plans are credible, connected across the whole system and capable of protecting safe care under pressure.

Our planning is informed by the 2026-27 winter respiratory modelling report, which covers scenarios in terms of flu, COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus and combined infection scenarios. A supporting dashboard enables Welsh Government and NHS Wales to monitor national and local pressures and adapt the response as conditions change.

Our objective is clear: people should receive the right care in the right place without avoidable delay. More people should be supported to remain well at home. Those who need urgent, emergency or acute care should receive it quickly and safely, and nobody should remain in hospital longer than clinically necessary because support elsewhere is unavailable. Delivering that promise requires more than additional hospital capacity. Winter resilience depends on strong primary, community and social care services, rapid action when people become unwell, effective flow through hospitals and timely support for people to recover at home.

That is why cross-cutting and cross-sector action is at the centre of our approach. Health boards, local authorities, ambulance services, primary care, housing, social care and voluntary organisations must plan and act as one system around the needs of individuals and communities. Community nursing, frailty services, single points of access, community response teams, hospital at home, rehabilitation and reablement all have a critical role. When these services work well, people are supported earlier, avoidable admissions are prevented and those leaving hospital can recover safely and independently at or close to home. This must include people who face the greatest barriers to care, including those experiencing homelessness, housing insecurity or social exclusion. Their needs don't fit neatly within organisational boundaries and neither should our response. This work is aligned with delivering health together and our ambition for an integrated community care system—a more sustainable model built on prevention, early intervention, community-based care and better integration.

For this winter, I'm setting three immediate priorities. First: protect people through vaccination, which continues to be the best safeguard against the transition of disease. Eligibility for the RSV vaccination has been expanded and health boards are working with Public Health Wales to improve the uptake of influenza vaccination among eligible people and staff. It is also vital that we continue to robustly counter at all times the dangerous anti-vax narratives pedalled by people who should know better.

Second: make every day count for patient flow. Health boards and local authorities are expected to apply 'home first', discharge to recover and assess, criteria-led discharge and trusted assessment consistently, seven days a week, so that people can leave hospital as soon as they are clinically ready.

Third: strengthen urgent care in the community. Single points of access, community response teams, hospital at home, same-day services and rapid clinical advice must help people receive earlier care and protect hospital capacity for those with the most urgent and complex needs. These aren't optional aspirations, they are delivery expectations. We'll monitor progress against clear operational evidence, including access to urgent care, ambulance handovers, hospital flow, discharge and community capacity. Where assurance is insufficient, organisations will be required to strengthen their response and take corrective action.

To support delivery, NHS Wales Performance and Improvement is making an additional £2 million available through the national urgent and emergency care improvement programme. It will be targeted at practical action before, during and after winter to improve acute hospital flow, accelerate safe discharge, reduce avoidable delay and strengthen patient safety at the points of greatest pressure. We'll expect health boards to demonstrate how that investment has improved delivery. A national winter planning session this month will bring together health boards' chief operating officers and local authority partners to resolve shared risks, reinforce joint accountability and maintain co-ordinated delivery throughout the winter.

The actions we are taking this winter are not separate from our wider ambitions for health and care in Wales. They are an early demonstration of the direction set out through 'delivering health together', our long-term ambition to improve outcomes, reduce inequalities and secure a sustainable health and care system for the future.

As set out in our programme for government, at the heart of our ambitions is a shift towards prevention, earlier intervention and more joined-up care. We cannot meet future demand through hospital care alone. We must do more to keep people healthy, support independence, intervene earlier when needs arise and provide more care in community settings. Achieving that ambition will require us to work closely with our partners across health, the social care sector and the wider public sector. In the immediate term, this means restoring grip where needed, improving performance and strengthening accountability.

At the same time, we must ensure that our workforce, our services, our digital infrastructure and our estates are equipped to meet the challenges of the future. Above all, we must pursue the longer term changes necessary to improve population health, reduce inequalities and shift our focus towards prevention, early intervention and care closer to home.

Llywydd, I want to conclude by thanking staff across hospitals, ambulance services, primary care, community teams, local authorities, care homes and voluntary organisations who are already preparing for the months ahead. Their professionalism and dedication are extraordinary. They deserve plans that are credible, decisions that are timely and leadership that is clear. This Government will provide that strong and proactive leadership. We will maintain rigorous national oversight, we'll work across Government and we'll act with partners to address risks and sustain improvement. We will judge success not by the quality of plans on paper, but by what people experience: safer and faster care, fewer avoidable delays, better support at home and services that remain resilient when pressure increases.

Our ambition is not simply to get through winter. It is, rather, to build a health and care system that is resilient, anticipates pressure, acts earlier, works as one and becomes stronger with every season. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister, for the advance notice of your statement today. I'd like to begin by associating myself with the comments you made about our NHS staff, who are the absolute backbone of the NHS in Wales, and they deserve a system that works for them and works effectively. I'm also glad that we're talking about winter preparedness today. Winter is something that has affected humanity every year since the dawn of time, and so it blows my mind that there still hasn't been proper planning in the Welsh NHS to deal with the pressures that we know are going to reoccur year after year.

However, I am slightly concerned about the current plans that are in place. Whilst doing research for the debate today, I came across this document. It's a self-assessment and assurance template that was published in the annex of the September board meeting notes from Swansea Bay University Health Board. In it, it outlines 90 key actions that the health board should undertake in order to begin preparing for winter. Of those 90, only 28 had been fully implemented, 61 had been partially implemented and one had not been implemented at all. This was something that was worrying to see to me, and I wonder, when it comes to these templates, what is the acceptable number of key actions that are completely implemented in order to be able to call this preparedness plan a success.

What are the enforcement mechanisms that are going to be used to ensure that health boards deliver here? You say, for example, that of your three priorities, they are not optional aspirations, they are delivery expectations, and that you would expect a health board to take corrective action and strengthen their response were they not to achieve them. But in this document, Swansea bay health board says that, when it comes to meeting the vaccination key actions, the significant risks to delivery are around limited capacity and lack of access to vaccination clinics.

Across all of the actions listed in that document, they say that eight key actions are at risk of full delivery due to insufficient workforce and seven key actions are at risk of delivery due to insufficient funding. Now, there is mention in your statement of £2 million being allocated as part of the urgent and emergency care improvement programme, but Audit Wales notes that the annual deficit for the NHS in 2025-26 was £199 million. So, if these health boards are already in deficit, and the only funding that has been made available clearly in your statement is £2 million, that seems to me like a drop in the ocean and not sufficient to implement these plans properly. So, are there any plans for additional resources to be allocated for winter preparedness? And if not, why not? If so, how many resources are going to be allocated and how much is that estimated to cost the taxpayer?

Llywydd, I thank the Member for those comments.

Thank you for those comments, and thanks for your opening remarks welcoming the fact that we have started the preparations earlier. In fact, I remember when I was asked to take this position, one of the first actions I did was ask for planning around winter preparedness, because, as you said right at the start of your contribution, this is something that happens annually, it's something that we should be prepared for. So, we've started earlier than ever before, which means that we are in a better position now than ever before to tackle the challenges that winter brings, and we know that those challenges and that winter is getting harder. I've also asked the NHS in Wales to look at the impact of the El Niño event as well, which is likely to have a significant detrimental impact on communities across Wales, and that needs to be taken into consideration.

But to your further points about the modelling and testing, yes, we are modelling those plans put forward by the health boards now. As I said, we're modelling them and testing them during September and October to see how robust they are. NHSPI is doing that work with the health boards, and, if we find weaknesses in the system, that gives us time then to correct course and find resolutions so that those weaknesses aren't highlighted when winter hits hard.

You asked about the limited capacity and the access to clinics with vaccination, for instance, and what other workforce or funding might be made available in the case of Swansea bay. As you said right at the beginning, this is an event that happens every year. So, this is part of their annual preparing. They should be budgeting for this. It's part of the budgets that they have and part of the work that they are preparing for year-round. So, I expect, the same as every other year, for them to deliver within budget. They're aware that this is happening. They are preparing for it.

And finally, you asked about the health board's need to prepare within the budgets and what assessment I've made of Swansea's plan. Now, I'm glad you finished right at the end there mentioning other health boards, because there's more than just Swansea in Wales. My assurance is moderate at the moment that they will be able to achieve the plans that they have set themselves—moderate currently, and we're just in early October now, based on the plans that I received in early September. Now that we're testing the plans that they've put forward—all the health boards and the trusts as well have put forward plans. We're testing them this month; we did a little bit last month. Having the learnings and the lessons from that testing, that assessment will increase over time, and I'm confident that we will be in a better position when winter comes and they will be in a better position to tackle the issues that winter brings to our communities.

Can I thank you, Cabinet Minister, for your statement today? I am pleased that this is one of three statements on winter preparedness that Ministers are delivering today, and that recognises that planning for the winter months needs to be a cross-cutting approach.

In Government, of course, Welsh Labour began preparations for the winter months as early as possible, with preparations for last winter beginning in March 2025, with a winter summit for 2025-26. I am concerned that the actions taken by this Welsh Government mean the NHS isn't going into the winter in the robust shape that it needs to be. We still haven't heard from Ministers when two-year waits will be eliminated, just that it will be within a year, and that uncertainty certainly doesn't help the NHS or patients. After 10 months of waiting lists falling under the last Welsh Labour Government, they are now rising again under this Government. Ministers, of course, have been in dispute with health visitors in Cwm Taf, and now there's concern and uncertainty around the future of endometriosis services in Wales. All of this adds to the perception that the grip on health services is not firm enough as we go into the winter.

Minister, on the whole, this statement was light on detail and even lighter on financial commitments—more of a commentary than a detailed action plan for the winter. As you know, the extra £2 million that you referenced is a drop in the ocean for health budgets. Can you put a figure on the total actual resource that you are putting into winter pressures this year? Further to the questions that have been raised about stress testing of regional assessments, can you just outline what problems have so far been identified through that process and whether the problems that have been identified are now being addressed?

We know that, when hospitals come under pressure, the pressure on GP practices intensifies as well. The Royal College of General Practitioners have said that winter pressures for general practices are all too often overshadowed by the focus on acute hospital settings. So, what are you doing, Cabinet Minister, to ensure that GPs are properly supported going into the winter and what specific arrangements are you putting in place? Could you also give an update on how many more GPs have been recruited on your watch, given that we are now almost six months into the four-year term, during which the people of Wales are being promised 100 new and additional GPs?

Now, the programme for government also set out Ministers' intentions for greater use of evidence and data in the Welsh health service. So, can I ask you whether any targets have been put in place for winter preparedness, particularly around the uptake of vaccinations? I was very pleased that you called out dangerous misinformation about vaccinations. Could you just outline what additional effort is being made to provide facts on vaccinations to people who may be anxious about them? And more broadly, what is the Government doing to monitor and increase the take-up of vaccinations, especially for high-risk groups?

Thank you for those questions. Llywydd, it's true that we've started earlier than ever before in planning for winter pressures. Now, the Member does point to other pressures within the health system: two-year waits, you've mentioned before, and I've responded to those issues numerous times, and we've made it clear that we will tackle those two-year waits. The money is now going into the system, with plans designed by clinicians and the health board, and we'll be seeing the result of that when we see the numbers coming through in the November period.

But those pressures, while they're there—. The winter pressures add further to the already current pressures that we've got in the NHS. That's why we are looking at frailty as an issue, making sure that we tackle frailty in the community. So, when you asked about GPs, it's making sure that GPs are supported in the community with district nurses so that we identify those issues earlier on, and, if frail patients do enter the front door of an A&E, that they're seen sooner, so that frailty is identified sooner, rather than people having to wait in the A&E for a longer time. So, that'll take pressure off the acute settings.

You asked about GP recruitment; you'll know that our target is to recruit an extra 100 GPs before the end of this Senedd term, which we will achieve when we reach that point. That will take pressure off in some communities where, currently, there's not enough resource in that primary care setting. So, that's a target that is clear; it's in our programme for government.

And with vaccinations, currently, we've seen some improvement in the uptake of vaccinations in some of the most vulnerable parts of the community, especially in children, but it's very early, at this stage, to be able to monitor exactly if we're going to achieve an increase in the vaccination uptake. But, at the moment, it's looking promising. I am asking professionals in the health sector to make sure that they also take up the offer of a vaccination as well, because it's important in those acute settings especially, and with people who are mingling and working with people who are already ill, that they are vaccinated so that they don't share the illness when the time comes.

Can I also thank the Cabinet Minister for his statement this afternoon? With winter looming, ensuring that the NHS is as prepared as can be for what might be lurking around the corner is indeed paramount. Winter is always a demanding time for our health service and hard-working staff, and, every year, winter brings additional pressures to our health service: more respiratory illness, more falls and fractures, more demand on emergency departments and more pressures on ambulances, and, inevitably, more pressure on staff.

Planning is essential, Cabinet Minister. We've all heard it, we all know it, but it's no good having a plan if we don't have the health service resilient enough to deliver it. That, in my view, boils down to capacity. I'd like to know: are you confident that we have a strong enough workforce to deal with the challenges that may crop up this winter? Are you confident that we have enough beds? And perhaps more importantly, are you confident that patients will be able to move through the system effectively? Cabinet Minister, back in July, you vowed to plan earlier for winter pressures—genuinely, a sensible move in my book. You promised a year-round approach to resilience, community care, better hospital flow and more of a focus on older people and those living with frailty. So, what has actually changed since July, because the figures still paint a worrying picture for me?

In August, the height of summer, nearly 1,400 patients across Wales were waiting longer than they should have to leave their hospital bed. This is up on the number of incidents of delayed transfers of care reported in the previous month. In total, these patients have been delayed for just shy of 60,000 days. So, if those were the figures in August, what will they be during the winter months, Cabinet Secretary? And what steps has the Government taken to ensure that those numbers start heading in the right direction, and when can we expect to see improvements? Cabinet Minister, are you confident that health boards and local authorities have the workforce and enough funding to prevent patients remaining in hospital unnecessarily this winter? What discussions have you had with health boards, local authorities and other key stakeholders to ensure the social care sector is on a strong footing to be able to ease the pressures?

Cabinet Minister, you say that winter preparedness plans submitted by health boards were being stress tested throughout September and into this month. Have major causes of concern been picked up at this stage? You talk about setting three immediate priorities for this winter, looking at vaccination, health boards and applying a home-first approach to discharge and strengthening urgent care in the community. Very noble claims, Cabinet Minister, but I have to agree with Ken Skates on this one—you've been very light on the detail in terms of how this is going to be achieved. [Interruption.] I know, I was shocked as well. So, an explanation on how this would be would be very much appreciated.

Llywydd, there were a number of questions there and a lot of statements as well. I agree with a number of the statements that you made. Regarding capacity, workforce, beds and flow, flow was a theme of your contribution, which I'll get on to in a minute, but, of course, the number of beds, whether we've got enough or not, is dependent on whether or not we can make sure that people don't enter that acute setting in the first place, tackling issues earlier on, which is why we are looking at that whole-system approach, making sure that we are shifting resources into the community, making sure that the primary care setting is resourced and has the support it needs in order to stop people from going there.

It would be remiss of me not to point out that community pharmacies play an important role here, especially with the common ailments scheme. Back in 2024-25, they gave 462,000 consultations. That's a massive amount of work that's done in our community pharmacies, and they play a crucial role also with vaccination as well. Getting those community-based services in place is crucial, and we're getting co-operation from those organisations, community pharmacies, GPs and others.

What's changed since July? Well, we've got plans now. The health boards have designed these plans, have presented them to us, we're testing them and making sure that we learn the lessons. So, we're going to be in a better position than ever before to face the pressures that inevitably will hit us when winter arrives.

You asked about the ambulances. Ambulance handovers are always a concern, and we need to see improvement in that space. We've seen some improvement over the last few months, which is a real positive, and we need to see that sustained over the coming few months, because as you say, winter is going to present a different challenge, but I am glad that we're seeing those improvements in the ambulance service.

Finally, you mentioned social services, and I'm really glad that you did. It's forgotten far too often in the discussions around the impact on the health service, but more importantly on individuals. And, yes, the social care sector, social services, are crucial in this. We're making sure that the COOs, the chief operating officers of health boards, are meeting up with leaders of social services in local authorities to develop that plan, making sure that they're aligned and that we can have improved discharges.

We're looking at improved patient flow—which is the theme, as I said, you looked at in your contribution—and the transition home, starting the planning for the discharge process earlier, making sure that we've got a seven-day approach to that, with expected discharge dates and regular senior clinical reviews of those discharges, so that people can go home sooner than they are currently doing.

Diolch, Lywydd. Gweinidog Cabinet, winter pressures are often discussed in terms of hospital capacity, delayed discharges and access to primary care, but in the communities that I represent, there's also the very basic issue of whether people can physically get to hospital at all. Living in the shadow of the Rhigos mountain, I know personally how dependent communities in Afan Ogwr Rhondda are on mountain roads, such as the Rhigos, the Bwlch—Bwlch y Clawdd to friends—and Maerdy mountain.

These are essential routes for people getting to hospital and for ambulance crews getting patients to urgent and emergency care. During periods of snow and ice, those roads can close very quickly with little communication, leaving communities effectively cut off. What assurances can the Cabinet Secretary give that winter preparedness plans include specific contingencies for mountain road closures, including joint working between health boards, the ambulance services and local authorities, so that patients in those communities are not left without safe access to care?

I thank Elyn Stephens for that important question.

Absolutely, people will want assurances and to understand that the ambulance will arrive on time. I don't know how many of you saw the film Effi o Blaenau, which showed how an ambulance during winter didn't arrive on time and the cataclysmic consequences of that. Now, we're not in that position; that was a film. But, yes, people will want to be assured that those ambulances can reach them. And, yes, we've got four local resilience forums operating along the police boundaries here in Wales, and they ensure that the emergency services, the NHS and local authorities develop those contingency plans in the event of road closures or catastrophic incidents around the weather.

So, they'll have control and grip on that, which makes sure that ambulances will be able to find and reach their destination. The Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust is also preparing for what we call the predictable winter risks, especially for rural mountainous areas, including severe weather and the pressures that rural areas provide. So, WAST is preparing for that, and people can be assured that they will be there.

I've got the wrong thing. I'm really sorry.

I just wanted to say thank you, Minister, for bringing the statement forward. Everybody's been talking about vaccines, so I just wanted to add that I want to recognise the vital contribution of the third sector, primary care and the community teams, GPs, pharmacists, nurses and health workers, who deliver essential vaccinations all over the county, especially in my community.

Yesterday, I visited Bronglais Hospital and saw first-hand the mental and physical wear that departments and their staff are experiencing. Speaking to front-line workers, it was impossible not to be struck by their commitment to their patients, but also the toll that the relentless demand is taking on them. Year on year, we hear of increased demand and an uptick in pressure on A&E and wards, yet too many patients and staff continue to face challenges that are becoming increasingly difficult. Just this Sunday, Glangwili, Bronglais and Withybush put out a statement saying they were severely under pressure in their A&Es, so this is nothing unusual to them. It's a fact that the health and social care staff are carrying immense constraint. History shows that winter pressures—

—are harsher than forecasted. I'm really sorry. If demand this winter exceeds the forecast, what reassurance can you give the public that they will not see a repeat of the delays experienced in previous years? Diolch.

I thank Claire Archibald for that question

Thanks for your recognition of the fantastic work done by a number of healthcare workers, third sector organisations and others in ensuring that the preventative measures are taken. You referenced specifically Bronglais, Glangwili, Withybush and others in your constituency, and they are under severe pressure, and it's now early October. So, that's why we're taking a year-round approach to this, because it's not a one-off event or, even just when the summer heats come, a two-time event for the year. We have to prepare for pressures on the health system throughout the year. Those are the steps that we're taking.

If pressure does become more than expected, then we will respond to that. We've got some of the best staff in the health system and the care system anywhere in the world here. We're so lucky to have them, and they will respond as needed, as they've always done, year after year after year, if pressures arise. But I will finish by saying that when it comes to flu—and flu is one of the biggest challenges, and frailty, but the big challenge in winter—we monitor what's going on in the southern hemisphere. Currently, the flu season hasn't been as bad as we would have feared in Australia, but they're seeing a very late surge and very late spike in numbers as they come into their spring. So, we're monitoring that, and we will be following what's going on in Australia with interest and preparing for that.

Thank you very much for your statement, Minister, and I note this follows a statement you made on 1 July, when temperatures were slightly warmer than they are now. I'm very pleased as well that, in your statement, you refer to those vulnerable groups, particularly people who are homeless. And I just really wanted to just focus on this, because for those people who are homeless in winter, it literally is about getting a home. That will save their lives. Crisis in Wales reported, this month, that 63 people died on the streets in 2025 in Wales. The average age of a woman dying, who is homeless, was 43, and 47 for men. Crisis says it's preparing for a busy winter. They want the UK Government to unfreeze the housing benefit, but it does call on the Welsh Government to enact the new Homelessness and Social Housing Allocation (Wales) Act 2026. So, what will you be doing to work across the Government, but also to support those third sector organisations, such as Crisis, to get homeless people literally off our streets this winter? Diolch yn fawr iawn, Lywydd.

Llywydd, the Member makes really important points there around people who are homeless, primarily rough-sleeping, I think, is what you were referring to in this instance. Nevertheless, people who are sofa surfing and having to depend on friends and others for a bed are also vulnerable in this situation. That's why we're making sure that people in those kinds of situations are a priority group for us when it comes to ensuring that we identify them in order for them to get treated on time, get vaccinated, and get the support they need.

However, the questions, Llywydd, that the Member raised are more appropriate for the Cabinet Minister for housing. She will have heard what you have to say and she will take note of what you've said. I will have conversations with her, as I regularly do because of the link between housing and health, and make sure that the Minister is aware of your concerns and the points that you raised.

Year after year, the previous Government failed to prepare sufficiently for the winter months. In May, the people of Wales put their faith in this Plaid Cymru Government to prioritise our NHS. And I welcome the statement today, which is breaking the cycle of waiting for winter to arrive before reaching it.

Many of the priorities set out in the statement can only succeed through local implementation. Could the Cabinet Minister please provide more detail on how the Government will support those providing healthcare in our communities? They are often under-resourced and under immense pressure, but if we can get this right, it would reduce the pressure on A&E, keeping people in their communities and out of hospital, where there is a chance they would pick up further illness and infection. Diolch.

Llywydd, I agree with the Member that those providing healthcare in our communities are under significant pressure. And again, let's recognise the work that nurses, community nurses, GPs, allied health professionals and others do in this field. We owe a debt of gratitude to them. We know that pressures in our emergency departments are often a symptom of the pressures elsewhere in the system, which is why we've set in place a programme to shift resources into the community, making sure that primary care is properly resourced. We've got the Community by Design transformation programme, ensuring that we have a community and home first approach. District nursing, for instance, remains at the heart of the approach that we're taking. Across Wales, there are 167 neighbourhood district nursing teams providing a 24/7 service, and undertaking more than 230,000 visits every month. So, that's the work that we've got in place; that's why we're making sure, and how we're making sure, that people are seen closer to home. If we are to make sure that the acute settings are protected, that hospital spaces and intensive care units are protected, then we have to make sure that we've got those services in the community, treating people at home.

Cabinet Minister, when ice and snow arrive, disabled people are often the first to be cut off from healthcare. A wheelchair user cannot safely cross an untreated pavement, and someone who relies on accessible transport may find services cancelled without notice. Missed appointments can mean delayed treatment, and too often, a crisis that ends in hospital.

Cabinet Minister, what guidance has been given to the health boards to make sure that disabled patients are offered flexible alternatives, such as home visits, rescheduling without penalty, or remote consultations where appropriate, when severe weather prevents them from travelling? And how will health boards work with local authorities and transport providers, so that routes to key health sites remain accessible throughout the winter? Diolch.

Llywydd, the Member makes an incredibly important point there about the accessibility of services for the most vulnerable and disabled people in our communities. We discussed non-emergency transport last week, and so there are discussions with WAST about accessibility, making sure that steps are being taken between WAST and health boards, so that disabled people and others who can't easily access, via private transport or other means, treatment, that they are prioritised. It is a point that I will pick up with them in my next discussions, and I'm happy to give you an update on that when I do. But making sure that there are remote consultations and flexible visits is something that should be considered, absolutely.

Diolch, Lywydd. I thank the Cabinet Minister for your statement today. Can I join you in thanking all those NHS staff across the country doing a lot of work under extreme circumstances? Now that I've stepped back from the shadow health role, and I'm sitting a little bit closer to the exit, I just want to remind you, and just reassure you, really, that it's no reflection on my job of scrutinising you over the NHS performance here in Wales. Because, Cabinet Minister, in opposition, you criticised Labour's winter plans as 'short-term sticking plasters' and 'no solutions' and challenged the absence of clear targets. Today, you said your Government has acted 'earlier than ever before', with health boards' plans being stress-tested and an additional £2 million for urgent and emergency care.

Now, I welcome the preparation, but delivery and preparation are two very different things. So, I'd like to know what weaknesses have been identified through the stress-testing so far, and what changes are being made to reassure the public and the clinicians that results will be delivered. And will you today—because I know you do like targets, Cabinet Minister—publish measurable targets, reducing ambulance handover delays, emergency department waiting times, and delayed discharges, so that we can actually judge whether your Government's plans are actually delivering, and worth the paper they're written on?

Llywydd, I'd like to thank the Member for the contributions that he made when he was spokesperson. This is the first opportunity I've had from here to say that and express my gratitude for his work in that field.

But on to the points that he raised, yes, we need confidence that the system will work over the winter period. That's why we're stress-testing them. So, there are issues that we need greater assurances on. I mentioned earlier that currently we've got moderate assurance. Some of the parts we need to make sure that they work and function better are around protecting the acute hospital capacity. That goes without saying, I'd imagine. We know of the pressures that are on acute settings at the moment.

On the discharges without delay, as I mentioned, we've got steps that we expect the health boards to ensure they deliver. That is something at the moment that we want them to work on, which is what we're stress testing and making sure that they will have improved outcomes when it comes to the winter itself. You can measure the success or otherwise of the plan that we've put in place by the number of people who attend or otherwise hospital and put pressure on the acute settings during the winter period.

Diolch, Lywydd. Before I start, I'd just like to correct the record, if I may. In the business statement today, the Trefnydd mentioned that I'd made a written statement on the Network Rail changes in the north of the country. I haven't made one yet, but I will be making a statement. I'd just like the record to show that, if I may. I'll turn to my statement, Llywydd.

Today, I am providing an update on the resilience of Wales's transport network and the action that is being taken by the Welsh Government, Transport for Wales and our partners in order to prepare for a changing climate. Reducing carbon emissions remains very important to us. But, in addition to that, we need to prepare for the impacts of climate change, which are already being felt by communities across Wales. People rightly expect transport services to be there when they need them. That is why making sure that our network is reliable and ready to cope with extreme events is such an important responsibility.

The weather conditions—[Interruption.] Diolch. I appreciate that. The weather conditions experienced across Wales this year have demonstrated how rapidly climate risks are changing. Wales has faced prolonged rainfall, drought, extreme heat and significant wildfire incidents. These are not simply environmental issues, they are transport issues too. These events have reinforced the need to adapt our transport networks so that they can continue to operate safely and reliably in a changing climate.

Later this month, the First Minister will convene a wildfire summit, bringing together the public and private sectors and trade unions to identify ways to reduce the risk of wildfires and make sure we are better prepared to respond when they occur. Extreme heat and wildfires have placed exceptional pressure on infrastructure, services, passengers and staff. I recognise the work of transport organisations, emergency services, local authorities, trade unions and other partners in maintaining safe travel and protecting critical links.

Through my engagement with operators and trade unions, I have heard first-hand the impact that extreme heat, wildfire risk and other severe weather events can have on front-line staff. Their safety and well-being must come first. We will work with Transport for Wales and trade unions to make sure the experience of front-line workers informs the practical measures we put in place. Transport employers must plan for these risks, working with trade unions to identify measures that protect staff and support the safe operation of services.

The challenges experienced across the network this summer demonstrated why this preparation is increasingly important. On the rail network, high temperatures required some trains to be withdrawn because of cooling-system problems. Infrastructure operated close to—and, at times, beyond—historic design limits, leading to speed restrictions and additional failures. But this is not just a rail issue.

Although the most visible impacts this summer were on rail, resilience matters across every mode. Extreme temperatures affected bus services, while flooding, landslips and heat are placing growing pressure on roads and active travel infrastructure. The same principle applies to the international gateways on which Wales depends for connectivity, trade and economic activity.

Our major ferry ports—Holyhead, Fishguard and Pembroke Dock—provide vital international connections for people and goods. The prolonged disruption at Holyhead in December 2024 demonstrated how important our ports are to communities, businesses and the wider Welsh economy. It also showed how quickly disruption at one strategic gateway can have wider consequences. The Irish sea taskforce was established in response, to consider how a similar incident could be avoided and how partners should respond if one occurred at any Welsh port. I intend to publish a six-month update on its recommendations this autumn.

Investment is also strengthening port resilience. Stena Line has committed significant investment in infrastructure at Holyhead and Fishguard to improve resilience, connectivity and future capacity. During my recent visit to Ireland, I met Minister Canney and key stakeholders to discuss resilience and co-operation across these vital routes. I have also asked officials to prepare a joint exercise based on the scenario of an unforeseen Welsh port closure.

These lessons about preparedness, co-ordination and contingency planning apply to other strategic gateways. Cardiff Airport maintains emergency planning arrangements for incidents including severe weather and winter storms. Across aviation and ports, preparedness depends on clear responsibilities, tested plans, and effective communication. Strong partnerships are equally important across the wider network. My officials have established the Wales transport adaptation working group, bringing together infrastructure managers, operators and key stakeholders to support a co-ordinated approach.

I have asked Transport for Wales to take immediate steps to improve resilience to weather conditions that can no longer be treated as exceptional. In the short term, this includes strengthening maintenance and inspection regimes, working to improve the reliability of train cooling systems and taking practical measures to reduce heat impacts on rolling stock. Enhanced weather monitoring, clearer escalation arrangements and pre-planned operational responses will improve preparedness and help reduce disruption during periods of severe weather. The aim is simple: to act earlier, reduce disruption and keep people moving safely.

We cannot prevent all disruption that is caused as a result of extreme weather, but we can prepare better, respond more effectively and reduce the impact on people's lives. That is the work we are now taking forward. Thank you.

Minister, I've listened very carefully to the statement, and I remain concerned that we are hearing far more about the challenges facing our transport network than the actual action being taken to address them. The reality is that passengers across Wales have been putting up with an unreliable railway for far too long. Last year, Transport for Wales was amongst the worst-performing rail operators in Britain for cancellations. Passengers are paying substantial fares for services that are too often delayed, disrupted or cancelled altogether.

Whilst extreme weather presents a genuine challenge, as it does every single year, it can't become a convenient explanation for every failure. The Government is responsible for ensuring our transport network is fit for purpose, whatever the season. So, Minister, what specific improvements are being made to the reliability of services, particularly across the core Valleys lines, and when can passengers expect to see those benefits?

I'd also like to raise the serious issue of air conditioning on our trains. Since April, there have been approximately 1,000 reported air conditioning faults, with 350 recorded in June alone. Those figures are unacceptable for a modern railway. We cannot expect passengers to travel in excessive heat, nor should we expect drivers, conductors and other railway staff to work in those conditions. I would therefore welcome confirmation of what action has been agreed with Transport for Wales, what timetables have been established and how staff and passenger safety will be protected.

Minister, if I could turn to flooding now, communities such as Pontypridd have experienced repeated devastating disruption, and I pay tribute to constituency Members across all parties for their work on this. We have seen roads closed, rail services suspended and businesses affected, sometimes for considerable periods. Yet there's very little in today's statement about the funding being made available to protect those vulnerable routes. What additional investment is being committed, and what practical measures are being taken alongside the Minister responsible for flood prevention?

I also want to address the resilience of our ports and the strategic roads serving them. Holyhead, Fishguard and Pembroke are essential to the Welsh economy and our trading relationship with Ireland. The closure of Holyhead in December 2024 demonstrated how vulnerable those connections can be. The A55 Menai crossings, the A40 and the A477 are vital routes for businesses, freight operators and communities that depend on them. Any prolonged disruption has serious economic consequences. Your Irish sea taskforce has already recognised these concerns, and an update has already been promised this autumn. So, Minister, can you confirm if that update will include firm commitments, allocated funding and delivery dates, or are we facing another round of recommendations without any certainty of action?

Thank you for that question, Jason.

I'm really pleased that Reform is starting to recognise that the climate is starting to cause us real problems on our transport network, because, ultimately, what we're dealing with is the result of years of not addressing the climate issues carefully and properly.

On railways, Transport for Wales I think have managed to see the last—. We had five heatwaves, as we all know, during the summer, and those caused a huge amount of pressure on the Transport for Wales operations. What we noticed is that each time those operations were affected, the resilience was better, because it's not just about dealing with the consequences of that particular action, it's about making sure you improve, and that they improve time and time again. On your point about their service delivery, they've just appeared top of the tree when it comes to services in the most recent period, and I think that bears testament to the work that they're doing, particularly on the core Valleys lines.

Specific improvements related to air conditioning—I think that's a really good point. The air conditioning needs to work for passengers and needs to work for the people who are working on the trains as well. We're carrying on with the investment in the rolling stock to make sure we've got the trains that are suitable for the future. We've still got old stock on our railways. They're going to be taken off those railways as we move forward. But a point that I made a few weeks ago in the Siambr about us being responsible for all of our rail network would enable us to do these things quicker, which at the moment your party doesn't support. I too was next to the Minister for rural resilience talking about flooding earlier, and I think the issues—. He made reference to transport, and I was going to make reference to the work that he's got going on, because this is a Government that's working hand in glove across our portfolios to make sure we support each other.

One of the last points in my statement was that we can't stop every major incident from happening when it comes to the weather. These weather conditions are—. The new normal is quite different to what the old past was and it's catching up with us very quickly. But the point about being able to adapt very quickly and prepare ourselves for these issues is critical. And also I think that one of the things that particularly passengers want is that they want to know when things are going to happen. Making sure that we keep people informed is of critical importance.

I'm glad you mentioned ports, because I've spent a lot of time in ports over recent months, and I too recognise the importance that they play. When I went to Ireland, what I found striking was the importance that Holyhead played to the Irish economy and therefore to the European economy of getting goods into Wales and through to the rest of the UK. Holyhead is the second biggest roll-on, roll-off port in the country. What we've seen is that the investment that's been made since the December 2024 report is about to come online. My key concern, though, is that the weather conditions will be as dangerous and we could see as many problems this winter as we've seen in previous winters, which is the reason that I've set a piece of work off that will test what we would do in these circumstances, because the last time this happened, it was very, very close to Christmas and people had to make decisions without having been through this before. So, this is about being clear about whose responsibilities are there and also the responsibilities of UK Government in this. Only UK Government can redirect ships. That's not my responsibility. So, working with them in this is absolutely key. I look forward to outlining the Irish sea taskforce recommendations. There will be firm recommendations out of there, and I hope to get cross-Siambr support for those recommendations because they talk directly to the resilience issues that you brought up.

Thank you, Deputy Minister, for your statement here this afternoon. Climate change is an ever-growing challenge for our transport network. Extreme weather leading to flooding, landslips and wildfires are leading to ever greater disruption. And we know this winter is likely to be worse than those in previous years due to the El Niño weather system aggravating the rapidly growing impact of climate change.

So, all parties in this Siambr should welcome your work, Deputy Minister, in seeking to enhance preparedness and reduce disruption to everyday life and economic activity from the potential for extreme weather to force the closure of our transport networks. I particularly welcome the proposed joint exercises with the Irish Government and ferry operators with regard to maintaining access to ferry ports following events at Holyhead port last year.

Deputy Minister, you are clearly leading a focused response within Welsh Government and Transport for Wales to reduce transport disruption this winter, with that focus on rail and trunk roads. However, I do have some concerns that maybe not enough is being done to protect the whole system. Most roads are owned and maintained by local government, and in my own constituency, both Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council and Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council are working hard to clear drains and gullies to improve the resilience of the local road network in advance of those winter months.

So, what actions are you taking, Deputy Minister, to ensure that local authorities have the resources they need to enable those local responses to climate adaptation? How much new money is the Government going to make available to improve road maintenance by local government, including drainage works to reduce the incidence of flooding on local authority roads?

Rail and roads get a good mention in your statement, Deputy Minister, however we know the most used mode of public transport is bus services. So, what actions are you taking to include the bus industry in climate adaptation and resilience planning? I think this is particularly important in light of Transport for Wales taking ownership of a franchised bus system.

I am a little concerned, maybe, Minister, that you might be taking a bit of a supplier-orientated approach to climate adaptation and resilience. So, what will you do to improve information for communities, councils and travellers by rail, car, bus and active travel about the general challenges that we face from transport disruption, and more urgently to support the improvement of communication and information flows for communities and travellers who may be in the throes of a severe weather event?

Thank you for the question, Vikki.

And thank you for the general support for this statement as well. I think this is the work—. This summer has been a remarkable summer. Things have changed, and I think even most people who were previously sceptical of climate change have seen the impacts of it all around us. I think people are seeing it in their day-to-day lives. Sometimes late to the party, lots of people, but, ultimately, that's been important.

I think your point about the whole-system approach is really important. We've got the regional transport funds as well that have started on their process at the moment. Part of that is about making sure that they build resilience into their funding bids. I'll just reflect on Elyn Stephens's point in the last debate about getting over the Bwlch to get into the hospitals, and these are real issues that are part of this whole resilience package.

Now, the strategic road networks aren't in those such vulnerable positions as some of the roads that are in the control of the local authorities. So, there is partnership working between the local authorities. I referenced it in my statement, and that's been heightened by the fact that the need to be able to solve things, whether it's education or health, is really critical to this. So, I'm looking for much improved regional transport plans that look at the strategic impact of making sure our roads are accessible over winter and summer, because the strategic road network is impacted by heat waves as well as by winter. Winter seems more acute, especially as we're going into it now.

I'm really pleased you mentioned bus. I did reference bus in the statement, but bus is the key way that people get across our country via public transport. It's used by many more people than the rail service is and it's often, at times, forgotten. Buses were affected in this heat wave this summer. There were bus services that were drawn from operation because they were too hot for the driver to operate and also for the passengers in there as well. And I think the lessons learned from this are actually about moving ahead.

You've mentioned bus franchising. A part of that is about a bus renewal plan, so the new fleet we need, the fleets for the future, and we've got lots of those. You've seen them. If you're around our capital city, you will have seen electric buses that have got air conditioning. They work really well. And we've got other places around Wales that are still using diesel buses without air conditioning. So, there is a plan to move all buses into that. But there's also some simple stuff we can do. When we paint a roof of a bus white instead of black, it makes a real difference. The Taith Cymru coaches, which we're launching in two weeks' time, have all got white roofs. White roofs take about 4 degrees out of the temperature of the cab. Now, that cab is air conditioned, but the fact you can therefore make the whole system work better and the engines work better without having to cool the cab is really important. So, there's some really simple stuff we can do as well.

Diolch, Lywydd.

In Welsh, Janet?

Thanks for your statement. [Laughter.] Now, as someone who uses the train service in particular—I'll mention buses in a minute—this summer in particular highlighted to me just how we always tend to think it's the winter, with the leaves and everything on the line and the bad weather, where disruptions come, but we've faced it all in terms of the transport network here. Extreme weather is becoming a more frequent occurrence, and nobody in this Chamber can deny that.

We're already seeing the consequences of inadequate planning across our transport system. Direct train services between Pontypridd and Cardiff Bay have been cancelled for a prolonged period, because more trains than usual are requiring repairs. And I think it's the 137s. Those trains are just—. In this day and age, I can't, for the life of me, imagine why we put a load of trains on a line whereby if the air conditioning in summer packs up, there are no windows, so, basically, it's very, very uncomfortable, and I would just say that the thinking behind that just baffles me.

In north Wales, we're also facing significant disruption, and I think Mair mentioned it earlier. I am dreading January to 6 February next year, with rail replacement buses being provided. Because, quite often, when I get on a train to come down here, I don't know whether it's going to be a four-hour journey or a five-hour journey. I've even had a seven-hour journey on more than one occasion down here. So, how you're going to make sure that, not just for us as Members, but anybody using the rail service and then having to rely on buses—. I think you're really going to have to make sure that it is a very easy flow-through for passengers.

Of course, while essential engineering works are sometimes unavoidable, passengers require and deserve clear communication. My biggest bone of contention when I'm on a train is, sure enough, we have to get up and we have to change to another train, but the lack of information is just—it's unbelievable. You get told different stories by the conductor. I then have been known to contact Transport for Wales myself directly and you get told something completely different. And I remember a time when Tom Montgomery had to wait several hours—. I was lucky because somebody came to give me a lift, but I think he had about nine hours to get from north Wales down here.

Now, these closures are going to place already enormous pressure on other transport services and cause considerable stress. Points have been made about people with disabilities, older passengers and those with limited transport alternatives. Disruption can create additional barriers to accessing essential services. These pressures are not confined to particular routes or specific times of the year; they do reflect wider challenges. Jason mentioned the reputation that Transport for Wales has, and I've done a survey today and I make no apology for, when responding, saying, 'Poor, poor, poor'. I'm sorry but the facts speak for themselves: 14,272 trains were cancelled in Wales throughout 2025; 880 cancellations were attributed to points failures. Another thing, Cabinet Minister, is that I'm told in letters by James Price, 'We don't have a points problem in Wales'; I'm sorry, but you do, because, quite often, signalling and points failures put lots of extra time onto our journeys. So, whatever needs to be done, sort the points and the signal failures out. Driver-related issues—this surprised me—were responsible for 843 cancellations. There must be other Members here who've got to a station only to be told, 'We're waiting for the driver; we haven't got a driver.' In this day and age, I can't understand why we end up in those situations. Severe flooding, of course, caused 250 cancellations. But it just demonstrates the scale of disruption that passengers experience and it does raise important questions about how effectively our transport network is being maintained and prepared for the future. Every cancellation represents more than a statistic. It can mean a missed medical appointment. I was sat with a young man who was deeply stressed because he had an interview to go to and, whilst he was there, he actually had the job turned down because he couldn't get to his appointment on time.

Yes, over to you.

Diolch, Janet. I always welcome your contributions. I think that, in all seriousness, your real-life experience—. I remember when you and Tom were stuck and Tom—. So, these things do happen. I think that the interesting thing, for the purposes of this, is that we're talking about how we can manage better with issues of, particularly, extreme weather. But I think your points about the fact that, sometimes, other issues exacerbate some of those problems is worth noting into it as well.

I think we do have your support for the devolution of rail, but you mentioned the point about—[Interruption.] We'll try. You mentioned the point about points failures, and these are Network Rail's points, in the main, especially the routes that you're taking. So, the responsibility for those railways is being managed elsewhere. Now, I'm not denigrating the fact that they're working hard to do some of these things, but we're not the priority in some of these changes. So, I think one of the things that this talks to is the fact that we want to take responsibility for us. And the improvement in the services on the core Valleys lines—when we've got the whole service; we've got the track, the train and everything else—is marked and it's been marked and it's improving month on month. I think that talks to what sort of rail system we could have in the future. I'm really pleased that you talked about how disruption affects the most vulnerable first, and I think that's, again, something that links back to the conversation with Vikki and with Jason about making sure that our communication is really clear, particularly to those people who may not be able to find that the journey—. It's already a challenge, the journey that we've got. And part of that, I think, talks to us about making sure that we communicate in a way that's most effective for the people who are taking the journey as well—that's really critical for it.

I just think the last—. Just in terms of passengers requiring accurate information, I think that that is also something that—. I feel that this young guy who you were talking to who missed his job appointment as well, some of that is about—. And again, I'm linking it to how do we make sure that, particularly in extreme weather conditions, we get these things right so that communications are clear as we go through.

The last point: at the start of this I made a commitment to make a statement on the north Wales main line changes, that was obviously a Network Rail decision to close that main line. The communication around that initially was really poor—we found out by accident rather than by design. But, because we found out early enough, we can get in there and make sure that we've got these bus replacement services that do their best to be able to pick up the slack. Now this isn't the way that you'd want to go and plan it, because everyone in the north of the country now must be dreading what's going to happen in January, including Members in this room as well, so I understand that. What I can do, as transport Minister, is make sure that, where we've got those rail replacement services, they run regularly, they're good services, they're also services that can hit the timetables that we were hitting before. So, hopefully, disruption will be kept to a minimum, because we've got a bit more time to plan for this than we should have had. But, ultimately, this was a decision that was made without our say-so, and it was made to us, not with us.

Diolch, Lywydd. Over the last few months, as Wales experienced its hottest summer on record, it became hard to deny that extreme climate conditions are, sadly, becoming our new normal. As a result, many of us will be looking to make more sustainable choices in the hopes of helping to minimise the devastating effects of climate change.

One change I would encourage everyone to make is to prioritise using public transport over cars wherever possible. Taking a train instead of a car for medium-length distances can reduce journey emissions by 80 per cent. It seems like an obvious choice. However, access to public transport itself can be limited by climate change. We have all seen snowfall, heat or high winds bring transport services to a standstill.

How will the Minister ensure that, while we continue to build a more resilient transport infrastructure, all forms of public transport in Wales are effectively connected so that, even in adverse conditions, there's always an option available to those who wish to use it?

Diolch. So, I think this is a choice—. There's no choice between decarbonisation and adaptation. I think these things need to run hand in hand. But for us to provide a solution that works for people, the public transport system must work. That's the reason I'm really keen to make sure bus franchising works and gets on and that we get that in the timetable that we've suggested, because that's about connecting people in the way they want to travel.

The future: we've talked about, and I've talked about in this Siambr, the £14 billion rail investment. The future: we can make some real differences and real commitments to the rail industry. But, as it stands today, the differences we can make today for the public transport system are mainly about bus travel and making sure we connect those in the way that's most effective.

Deputy Minister, one of my staff recently left Carmarthen at 6.20 in the morning and did not arrive here in Cardiff bay until 11 o'clock. Getting to the bay or the Senedd by train or bus takes longer than flying to Malta. That said, when it comes to adaptation and resilience, we already know the risks from flooding and erosion. The assessments have been done. Operators and maintenance teams have said what is needed to be done. We do not need another review or plan; we need Government to get on with the work.

As I said, closures and delays affect commuters. Supply chains are affected. Investors are deterred. Costs are higher for Welsh businesses. Reliable transport links are vital for economic growth. These essential works should not be delayed by more assessments. So, can the Minister explain why so much is still at the planning stage? What work will now be carried out on our road and rail networks, and when will people see action? The public—

—do not need another—.

Diolch, Gareth. I get the point, and I get the point you're making. And I think this—. I'll reference the contribution I made last week about the M4 and Menai, and about the fact that we were focusing on the motorway being an effective asset that we needed to make sure we invested in, because previous administrations hadn't invested in it as much. It's one of the key assets of our country; it needs to work. But, ultimately, we all need to recognise that, unless we do the work, then we're going to store up problems for the future. This is a problem that we're tackling. We're tackling it now. It's in budgets for delivery this year. So, I don't recognise the 'plan, plan, plan' point you were making at all. What I recognise is action, action, action.

Footpaths are an essential, but often overlooked part of the transport network across Wales. Well-maintained pavements and footpaths are particularly important for older people, people with mobility difficulties, wheelchair users, people with prams or pushchairs, as well as the 20 per cent of Welsh households without a car.

As we've heard this afternoon, poor winter weather will soon be with us. Flooding and icy nights will inevitably speed up the degradation of our footpaths. Accidents caused by uneven paving slabs and hidden hazards within deceptively deep puddles lead to pressure on NHS services, or to people feeling just too scared to go out.

Maintenance of footpaths is the responsibility, of course, of local authorities, but what will the Minister be doing to support them to keep paths in good condition this winter, as well as make proactive adaptions to prevent future damage in extreme weather events and keep them open and accessible for everyone who needs them?

Thank you for the question, Paul.

A really important point, I think, and often overlooked. I did reference in the statement earlier that active travel routes are a really important part of it. We've got new guidance coming out, on which I'm going to be making a statement in the Siambr in a few weeks, which I'd urge you to engage with.

We've also got the regional transport fund; I referenced it earlier. Active travel is part of that regional transport fund. But, ultimately, this is about recognising that the same issues that affect our roads affect the pavements that run alongside them. And I think there are some things that we can do, and I think there's been—. I've had a lot of correspondence—probably the most correspondence I've had in this Siambr has been around pavement parking. This is about inconsiderate parking on our pavements causing damage to those pavements and making them less accessible. The other thing that does is it pushes the most vulnerable out into the road, so this is a piece of work that I'll be embarking on, over the term, whilst in office. Diolch, Paul.

Diolch. Deputy Minister, thank you for your statement. Climate change is a current reality, and I was dismayed to hear earlier on in the week the irresponsible comments from the opposition ridiculing efforts to minimise the risks of flooding, heatwaves, storms and sea-level rises, despite the devastating impacts these are having on our communities, not least on transport. Wales needs strong leadership now that will stand up for our communities and protect them from these growing risks, and I welcome your statement.

Deputy Minister, adapting our infrastructure is not just about big engineering projects. It involves difficult decisions that will have different impacts, costs and benefits for different communities. To ensure these decisions are fair and socially just, they need to involve communities. So, how will the Deputy Minister be ensuring that diverse communities are meaningfully involved in co-designing transport adaptations?

Thank you for the question, Anna.

I really appreciate it, and I think it's an important point. There are communities who find navigating our transport system, whether it's active travel, whether it's using the public transport system, or anywhere else, more difficult than others. And they're often people who, historically—and this isn't a dig at the last administration here, but historically—in the way we've developed our transport system, have been ignored too often. I was particularly taken by Sam's point in the business statement question about how blind people access our public transport system. It's a really important point to make.

I'm committed. This is one of the things I think we can make a real difference to. And the reason I think it's important is because, if we get it right first time, it will save us money because we won't have to go and adapt back next time, which is what we've found ourselves doing. It will make it more accessible for those communities of interest we need to serve, but it also makes it easier for everyone else. I think that's one of the things that we forget, that, if you make it easier for certain communities, it makes a massive difference across the piece. So, it's a really important concern and something that I'm very much on board with. Diolch, Anna.

Thank you very much, Dirprwy Lywydd, and I move the motion to approve the Child Minding and Day Care Exceptions (Revocation and Transitional Provision) (Wales) (Amendment) Order 2026. This is a short and technical amending instrument that is required to keep the statute book clear, accurate and consistent. The Child Minding and Day Care Exceptions (Revocation and Transitional Provision) (Wales) (Amendment) Order 2026 will replace the Child Minding and Day Care Exceptions (Wales) Order 2010 from 1 April 2027.

As a consequence of the revoking and replacing of the 2010 exceptions Order with the 2026 exceptions Order, references to the 2010 exceptions Order in existing legislation must be updated. This amendment Order makes these necessary changes. This amendment Order replaces relevant references to the 2010 exceptions Order on the statute book with references to the 2026 exceptions Order.

This amendment Order does not alter the policies set out in the 2026 exceptions Order. It creates no new duties, makes no changes to existing processes, and imposes no new requirements on providers, families or public bodies.

The proposals for the 2026 exceptions Order were consulted upon in 2025. I'm content that no further consultation was required for this consequential amendment instrument because its changes are minor and of a technical nature. This amendment Order only updates legislative cross-references to ensure that the statute book is accurate.

I am aware that further consequential amendments are required to legislation within the competence of the United Kingdom and Scottish Governments. These are minor and technical amendments to update references to the 2010 exceptions Order to ensure consistency and accuracy. My officials are working with both Governments to support these amendments to be made prior to the 2026 exceptions Order coming into force. I therefore ask Members to approve this necessary technical Order. Thank you.

Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. The Legislation Committee agreed its report on this draft Order on 28 September and noted the Welsh Government's response the following week. Our report includes one technical reporting point made under Standing Order 21.2(v) as a matter that needs further explanation. The reporting point highlights that, in the preamble to the draft Order, the enabling powers listed include section 19(4) of the Children and Families (Wales) Measure 2010. However, the explanatory memorandum does not include section 19(4) of the 2010 Measure amongst the enabling powers. The Welsh Government's response clarifies that the preamble to the Order is correct. The Welsh Government has since laid a revised explanatory memorandum to correct the Order. Diolch.

Diolch, Deputy Llywydd. This is an administrative Order that seeks to update references across various pieces of legislation. There is no change to policy or practice, and Reform UK welcomes any effort to clarify legislation. The documents behind the motion suggest joint working between the UK Parliament, the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Government, and this collaboration is also welcomed by Reform UK. For these reasons, we will be supporting the motion. Diolch.

Thank you very much for the contributions, and I'm grateful for the Legislation Committee's work. As I mentioned, this is a focused and technical instrument that does not reopen or alter the policy contained in the principal 2026 exceptions Order. So, its purpose is simply to update references in existing legislation, and this will ensure that the statute book remains clear and consistent when the 2026 exceptions Order comes into force on 1 April 2027. These consequential amendments are, therefore, necessary for the orderly operation of the law. They ensure that legislation refers to the correct and current exceptions Order from the point of commencement. So, that was the purpose of the motion before us today, and I ask all Members to support the motion and to approve the amendment Order. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Dirprwy Lywydd. I move the motion, and I recommend that the Senedd does consent to the relevant provisions in the Armed Forces Bill 2026, as is outlined in the legislative consent motion laid for this Bill.

The Bill introduces provisions across a broad range of areas related to the armed forces, in devolved and reserved areas alike. These include: renewing the Armed Forces Act 2006; expanding the legal duty to give due regard to the armed forces covenant to include the UK Government and the devolved Governments; to create a new defence housing service to improve standards in defence housing and their supply; improving the measures that safeguard against sexual and violent conduct, stalking and harassment; and modernising support for victims of crimes committed by the armed forces.

We believe that a number of the Bill's provisions relate to devolved services, and our legislative consent memorandum reflects this. The UK Government agrees with us that clause 2 of the armed forces covenant initiates the legislative consent memorandum process. We are also of the view that clauses related to the new defence housing service, the support of victims in the justice system with regard to the armed forces, the management of criminals, and the Reserve Forces' and Cadets' Associations may impact devolved areas.

Members will be familiar with the armed forces covenant: the pledge that we will together, as a nation, recognise and understand that those who serve or who have served in the armed forces, and their families, including those who have faced bereavement, should be treated fairly and should not face disadvantage. Extending the legal duties of the armed forces covenant through this Bill is something that we therefore welcome as a Government, and it aligns with the commitment made in our programme for government.

Our support for services like the Veterans' NHS Wales, armed forces liaison officers, and Supporting Service Children in Education in Wales are examples of the ways that we ensure that the covenant is visible to the armed forces community. We offer practical steps, not just warm words. This duty will hold us to account, alongside other public bodies, and we welcome this.

The covenant element of the Bill will also expand the current duty to 11 additional policy areas, including childcare, social care, personal taxation and transport. This is a significant expansion of the duty's scope. I have emphasised to the UK Government that the resources, the training and the guidance must be available to all bodies subject to the duty so that it is truly embedded and to ensure that it makes a real difference to the armed forces community.

Dirprwy Lywydd, the Armed Forces Bill 2026 provides a suitable platform for ensuring that the services and policies consider the armed forces community's circumstances appropriately the length and breadth of the UK. By the same token, it offers a way to improve housing for armed forces families and improves safeguarding measures for the victims of crimes committed by the armed forces. It also provides greater safeguards against sexual and violent conduct, stalking and harassment for members of the armed forces, including those based here in Wales.

I'm grateful to the Legislation Committee and the Equality, Human Rights and Social Justice Committee, and I thank Members for their scrutiny of the Bill. I note that both committees agree with our assessment of the Bill's provisions that call for the Senedd's consent. I'm also aware that the Legislation Committee has noted that the deadline of a fortnight for laying the legislative consent memorandum was not met, and that I had not initially confirmed a recommendation for consent to be granted. We recognise the difficulties that delays in laying legislative consent memoranda can cause in terms of committee scrutiny. I also recognise the importance of laying legislative consent memoranda as soon as possible, rather than delaying them until the Welsh Government has come to a final conclusion in terms of its recommendations. I recognise the importance of providing clear recommendations for the Senedd on legislative consent memoranda as soon as possible to support effective scrutiny. I was able to inform the committees of our stance only when correspondence with the UK Government had been completed.

In terms of the changes to the scope of the covenant's duties and guidance, Members will be aware that I wrote to the UK Government in July requesting a requirement for the Welsh Ministers to give their consent, thereby ensuring stronger constitutional safeguards for the role of Welsh Ministers in relation to the covenant. I'm pleased that the committee supported my stance but am disappointed that the UK Government did not agree to this request.

I have shared my correspondence with the UK Government, in which I raised a number of matters related to the Bill, with both committees and all Members. I hope that this has answered the points raised by the Equality, Human Rights and Social Justice Committee regarding the assurances that I received from the UK Government, and I will be discussing these with the relevant UK Minister when we meet.

I'm committed that the Welsh Government will work with the other Governments of the UK to ensure that the covenant delivers for the armed forces community. This does not mean that every service across the United Kingdom is going to be provided in the same way; it means that every service recognises the needs and circumstances of the armed forces community.

As we move towards implementation, if this Bill is passed, I will ensure that the Welsh Government continues to work closely with our partners and stakeholders in Wales. This includes the armed forces expert group, the Senedd's cross-party group on the armed forces and cadets, our regional armed forces fora and the Welsh Local Government Association's armed forces network. Most important of all, we will continue to engage with the armed forces community and we'll listen to their needs and experiences as they navigate services and support in future.

Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. I'd like to begin by thanking my fellow committee members for their work on the legislative consent memorandum, which was laid before I was elected Chair. The committee has considered 15 memoranda since June 2026. It has been a significant body of work. Our report on this memorandum raises issues that are common to many of those other memoranda. I will begin by addressing those common themes.

The Welsh Government's view on whether the Senedd should grant consent to the relevant provisions in a Bill is an important part of the legislative consent process. It helps Senedd committees to come to an informed view about the legislative consent memorandum. Unfortunately, like every other memorandum laid by the Welsh Government to date, this memorandum did not include a recommendation on consent. The reason given in the memorandum was that the Welsh Government needed to analyse the wider impact of the UK legislative programme for Wales before it could come to a view. The same approach was taken across the first eight memoranda laid by this Welsh Government. We do not accept that a decision to carry out an analysis of the impact of the UK Government's legislative programme is an acceptable reason for not including a consent recommendation in a memorandum. We note the Counsel General's assurances that these eight memoranda were laid during the particular circumstances of a King's Speech coinciding with the formulation of a new Welsh Government. The Welsh Government has since agreed its principles on UK legislation in devolved areas. We hope these will now be used when the Government is determining its recommendations on consent.

We eventually received the Deputy First Minister's recommendations on consent on 24 September, four months after the Bill was reintroduced. Standing Orders state that legislative consent memoranda should normally be laid within two weeks. Not one memorandum laid by this Welsh Government to date has met that deadline. This memorandum was laid a little over five weeks after the reintroduction of the Bill. In her response to our report, which we received at 16:13 yesterday, the Deputy First Minister states that this is because the new Government needed to consider this Bill in detail. The Bill was reintroduced very shortly after the Senedd election. We accept that this is likely to have implications for the ability of the Welsh Government to adhere to the two-week deadline. However, officials working under the previous Welsh Government had already carried out a legal analysis of the Bill during the sixth Senedd, before it was subject to a carry-over motion. And, as I have noted above, there was no recommendation on consent from the Deputy First Minister. We therefore see no reason why the memorandum could not have been laid within two weeks of the reintroduction of the Bill.

Diolch, Deputy Llywydd. As Chair of the Equality, Human Rights and Social Justice Committee, I am pleased to contribute to this debate on the legislative consent motion for the Armed Forces Bill. I am sure Members across the Chamber will recognise the significant contribution made by serving personnel, veterans and military families to communities throughout Wales. They make sacrifices on behalf of us all, and they should not face disadvantage when accessing the public services on which we all rely.

That principle sits at the heart of the armed forces covenant. It is a principle that the Senedd supported when considering the previous Armed Forces Bill in 2021, and it remains as important today as it was then. Members previously recognised that veterans, service personnel and their families should not be disadvantaged in accessing housing, healthcare and education, while also emphasising the importance of respecting devolved responsibilities in Wales. This Bill seeks to build on that foundation by extending existing covenant duties and bringing a wider range of public decision makers within scope. As the Welsh Government has noted, this would be the first time that both the UK and devolved Governments would be subject to these requirements. Our committee recognised from the outset that support for the armed forces community spans both reserved and devolved responsibilities. Defence itself is reserved, but many of the services that veterans and their families rely upon, including housing and aspects of social support, are devolved. That makes effective partnership working essential.

During our scrutiny, we sought further information from the Welsh Government on several important matters, and we thank the Deputy First Minister for engaging constructively with us in correspondence on the matters of interest to our members. First, we wanted confidence that the expanded duties would be implemented in a way that reflects Welsh circumstances. We welcome the assurances that the Welsh Government will continue to work closely with the Ministry of Defence and other Governments across the UK to improve co-ordination of support for veterans and service families. Secondly, we raised concerns about resources. New duties can create additional expectations and pressures for public bodies. At a time when budgets remain stretched, it is entirely reasonable to ask how any additional costs will be monitored and supported. We therefore welcome the Welsh Government's engagement with the UK Government on this issue, whilst noting that the absence of additional funding remains a matter that warrants continued attention.

Reform UK supports the Armed Forces Bill, and Reform Wales will be supporting this LCM. Reform in Wales will always be proud to support veterans here in Wales. The armed forces covenant is a commitment of real significance. It provides that those who have served should suffer no disadvantage as a consequence of their service, and that special provision is justified for those who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for this country. For those who are willing to give everything for this country, the covenant represents the country's duty and obligation to them in return. That obligation carries particular weight here in Wales. An estimated 115,000 veterans live here—although this number is likely to be much higher—representing 4.5 per cent of residents aged 16 and over, compared to 3.8 per cent in England.

Local health boards and NHS trusts in Wales have been subject to a statutory duty to have due regard to the covenant since November 2022. The Bill extends that duty to the Welsh Ministers themselves and broadens its scope to include health and social care, employment, transport, social security and criminal justice. However, a statutory duty is of value only when it can be relied upon, and, in healthcare, the Welsh Government has already failed to effectively implement the covenant. Welsh health circular WHC/2023/022 provides that veterans should receive priority treatment for service-related conditions over other patients with the same clinical need, yet only 15 per cent of GP practices in Wales are accredited as veteran friendly. Veterans' NHS Wales, the dedicated mental health service for veterans, who I volunteer for, does vital work but receives only £920,000 a year. That is about £8 per veteran.

The Armed Forces Bill is a welcome step forward, but it is not enough on its own. We will support the motion today because we believe in both the Armed Forces Bill and the covenant it upholds. But we will be holding the Government to account over these duties and obligations coming into effect. And we will judge this Government by the outcomes it achieves for veterans. Diolch.

I welcome this legislative consent memorandum for the Armed Forces Bill. My son, Emyr, serves in the 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, so I value the opportunity to speak on this matter today. This Bill recognises a range of items, from the issue of defence housing and property, the armed forces covenant, as well as protecting victims of service offences. These issues directly impact thousands of Welsh armed forces personnel who serve.

This LCM seeks consent on defence housing and other property, which makes provisions for a 10-year plan to build new homes across a third of the Ministry of Defence estate. I welcome this, as veteran homelessness is a serious issue not just in Wales, but across the United Kingdom as a whole. I strongly believe that armed forces personnel and veterans must be provided with clear signposting and support on issues such as housing, in order to make a transition back to civilian life when that time eventually comes.

The armed forces covenant aims to provide further support to current armed forces personnel and veterans. I would hope that my son Emyr, as well as all other military personnel, are supported and that they receive access to essential services and are treated fairly.

Robust reforms are also needed to modernise the investigation, charging and disciplining procedures for victims of service offences. A protection towards armed forces personnel is seen here, with improvements of support for protecting the victims of the most serious offences from further harm. For these reasons, I am in support of granting consent to this LCM. We owe it to our troops and our veterans. Diolch yn fawr.

Deputy First Minister, as co-chair of the cross-party group on the armed forces and cadets, I welcome this Bill and the strengthening of the armed forces covenant. Our service personnel, veterans and their families deserve our full support. But paragraph 25 of the Government's LCM makes clear that implementation costs in Wales must be met from existing budgets, with no additional UK Government funding. So, I'd like to ask you, Deputy First Minister: what assessment has your Government made of these costs, and how will you ensure that already stretched local authorities and health boards have the resources and the guidance they need to meet their expanded duties under the covenant? Diolch.

Diolch yn fawr, Ddirprwy Lywydd. In closing this debate, I'd like to thank both the committees and the Members for their contributions to today's debate. I think holding this debate today ensures that the Senedd's views are heard and represented in the passage of this important legislation. That passage is ongoing. The UK Government has today tabled further amendments to the Bill. So, if these amendments are deemed as requiring a further LCM, I will ensure the Senedd are updated and a supplementary LCM is laid.

I want to respond firstly to the points made by the Chair of the Legislation Committee. I absolutely recognise, and I said this in my opening remarks, the importance of providing the Senedd with clear recommendations on legislative consent memoranda at the earliest opportunity to support effective scrutiny. However, I also recognise the importance of laying legislative consent memoranda as soon as possible, rather than delaying them until the Welsh Government has reached a conclusion on its recommendation. I was able to inform the committees of the position once those discussions with the UK Government had taken place.

As regards the requirement for the new Government to consider this Bill in detail in light of its manifesto commitments, that's why the initial two-week deadline for laying this LCM for the Bill wasn't met. We recognise the difficulties that delayed LCMs cause for effective scrutiny; nonetheless, we are committed to the effective discharge of the legislative consent process and adherence to the two-week deadline.

As regards my recommendation, the Bill makes provision about the armed forces covenant legal duty of due regard, both extending its application to the Welsh Government and extending the policy areas it applies to. We have a programme for government commitment, as I outlined, to uphold the principles of the covenant, and I think this duty will help us and other public bodies to uphold the covenant by requiring the armed forces community to be considered when key decisions on policy are taken.

I want to turn to the points made by the Chair of the human rights, equality and social justice committee—I still want to call it ESJ. On the specific points that you made, I welcome the committee's support for some of the points that I made in my correspondence to the committee. I just want to quickly touch on some of the points that you made, specifically around housing, because I think that the committee raised valid points around the DHS and the disposal of surplus defence land in Wales, which could support our house-building goals. I'm pleased that Welsh Government and MOD officials met on 14 September to discuss this issue and others relating to the DHS. I just want to give assurance that my officials have agreed to work in partnership to explore any opportunities defence land may present in terms of house building and other Government priorities, and I'll update the Senedd as soon as these discussions develop.

To conclude, I believe that support for the armed forces community should unite us all in this Chamber. To recognise the positive effects of this Bill, I recommend that the Senedd supports the Bill and gives its consent. Thank you.