, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: 60th Anniversary of the Aberfan Disaster
I appreciate the message from the Labour leader, and I am somebody who has always felt that we need to ensure that our children know our story, know our history, and our history has many facets to it. We have a proud industrial history, we have a legacy of…
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: 60th Anniversary of the Aberfan Disaster
I'm grateful for a thoughtful tribute, and, briefly, Llywydd, it is an important message that we never forget. The sixtieth anniversary only takes us on to the sixty-first and the sixty-second, because the memory of what happened in Aberfan must always drive…
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: 60th Anniversary of the Aberfan Disaster
Very much so, Llywydd. We're having a sense this afternoon, aren't we, that we all have a different relationship with that tragedy in Aberfan, but that it is something that is relevant to all of us. It might be family, it might be a moment spent with somebody…
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: 60th Anniversary of the Aberfan Disaster
I thank the leader of the Liberal Democrats in Wales. Indeed, it's that word 'unity', again, that has echoed through the messages that we have heard in the Welsh Parliament today and in the days leading up to tomorrow's commemorations. Together as a nation we…
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: 60th Anniversary of the Aberfan Disaster
When this Senedd legislates, we take on a joint commitment to ensure that that legislation is acted upon. The Disused Mine and Quarry Tips (Wales) Act 2025 was absolutely about giving that assurance that we will use what we can do as a Parliament to…
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: 60th Anniversary of the Aberfan Disaster
Diolch. I know how difficult it is for Lis and others to speak and to remember, but I know how determined they are, also, to never forget. As I said in my opening remarks, and I agree very much with the Member, this is the story of a community that faced…
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: 60th Anniversary of the Aberfan Disaster
But we remember so, so many—countless—people, whose names may have long disappeared from our collective memory, but whose response on that day, in small ways, contributed to showing what we are as a nation, which came together as one community on that day 60…
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: 60th Anniversary of the Aberfan Disaster
But the tribute and its tone is very important for us as a Senedd today, isn't it, and the point has been made by many people: this tragedy was avoidable. This was made by man, and the injustices and errors made in the response were also man-made. This is the…
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: 60th Anniversary of the Aberfan Disaster
Yes, we must all come together to seek justice for the communities and to honour those who died and who lived with the consequences of that horror for so many years, and continue to do so. We must, all of us, be willing to do what it takes to honour that…
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: 60th Anniversary of the Aberfan Disaster
Thank you, Llywydd. I am grateful to the party leaders and spokespeople for their comments, for their tributes and for their questions.
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: 60th Anniversary of the Aberfan Disaster
The sixth Senedd came together as one to vote for the creation of the disused tips authority for Wales, which will work to reduce the threats from tips in former mining communities right across Wales. Its mission statement is resonant this week in particular…
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: 60th Anniversary of the Aberfan Disaster
A nation united, not only in its grief, but in its shared promise to remember always. We remember the effect of the tragedy and its aftermath on the community of Aberfan, stretching down the decades to the present day. But we must also never forget the…
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: 60th Anniversary of the Aberfan Disaster
Llywydd, today the Senedd comes together as one to mark one of the darkest days in our nation’s history. Sixty years ago tomorrow, a colliery spoil tip of mining waste slid down the mountainside above Aberfan. It engulfed Pantglas Junior School and houses…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
I recognise absolutely those who have served in the armed forces and those who lost their lives in combat, of course. We are fully committed as a Government to the covenant, which we owe to those who have served in the armed forces. It is important for us to…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
No veteran should feel unsupported when facing significant personal challenges. We're committed to ensuring that veterans in Wales can access the mental health support they need. Veterans are entitled to priority access to NHS care, subject to clinical need…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
I certainly recognise the demand for additional social housing, which is why, over the summer this year, we published a new version of the local housing market assessments tool and guidance. These are vital tools in understanding the local housing needs of…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Yes. Delivering 20,000 additional social homes by 2030 is a clear priority for this Government. Some £474 million is allocated for social housing this year. Local authorities across the Clwyd constituency have been allocated almost £100 million in social…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
As I said, there are no plans for restructuring. I will refer to what I have already said. Are we looking for better partnerships? Yes. Does that mean better partnerships between health boards? Yes. Do we look for a neighbouring health board where there's…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Restructuring isn't an immediate priority for this Government. We are instead focused on improving delivery and outcomes, and addressing barriers to more effective institutional collaboration. To do that, we are directing health boards to shift towards…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
In effect, I don't disagree with the central point made there, that our job is to spend money well, but your job is to hold us to account for the way that we spend our money. [Interruption.] That's what you've been elected to do. I became First Minister. And…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Our focus is very much, Llywydd, on making every pound of public money work as hard as possible for the people of Wales. That means spending better, reducing duplication, simplifying how Government works and moving resources from administration towards…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Our high streets have been in decline for many years. Where we have any examples of illicit businesses or businesses not behaving in the appropriate way, it has always been the case that trading standards are able to step in. We certainly do want to work with…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
High-street businesses are at the heart of thriving communities. We're backing businesses across Gŵyr Abertawe through town centre regeneration, alongside advice, finance, skills and digital support. In addition, our independent town centre taskforce is…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
The Member is right, Llywydd, these are people's lives, this is their ability to access services and to access leisure and so on, and I certainly recognise the vital role that bus services play in that, in connecting rural communities to work, education…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Through expansion of pay-as-you-go on the rail network, our £26 million investment in bus grants and network north Wales, and £28 million of funding through the regional transport fund, we continue to invest meaningfully in public transport in north Wales…
