, Plenary
Debate on the Report of the Special Purpose Committee on Senedd Reform—Reforming our Senedd: A stronger voice for the people of Wales
One in five on a waiting list in Wales; more than 10,000 people waiting 12 hours in A&E; our education system failing children, with Programme for International Student Assessment rankings at the bottom of the … when it comes to trusting the people of Wales by asking them what they think. The amount of time they both spent in this place trying to block Brexit after the people of Wales voted for …
, Plenary
Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): Public transport in rural areas
… that all MSs know all too well about. We are contacted by residents in our constituencies all the time who are having issues with accessing local transport and ask us what we can do to improve the services … the quality of the service, more access to cars and private transport, and sometimes a reluctance to wait for public transport. It could be for a number of reasons. But people who rely on public services as their …
, Plenary
Debate: Remembrance
… instance. The first world war, which led to our modern traditions of remembrance, was erroneously described at the time as the war to end all wars. But unfortunately, every generation since then has experienced war and its terrible … more likely to suffer illness or disability, and this means that those who need accessible accommodation have to wait longer on social housing waiting lists. The cost-of-living crisis has also had a disproportionate impact on the …
, Plenary
Short Debate: Improving access to healthcare
… funding the workforce away from illness and hospitals towards wellness and care closer to home. Now, in the time I've got today, I can't do justice to the huge range of policy and activity through our … being support. Also in April, I published our programme for transforming and modernising planned hospital care and reducing waiting lists. Now, importantly, the plan also signals the transformation of community-based services to offer different options designed …
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Group 1: Air quality targets: Requirement to set air quality targets (Amendments 19, 66, 67, 1, 20, 21, 68, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32, 35, 36, 37, 38)
… start off by saying how happy I am that this Bill has finally been brought forward. We have waited over five years since the First Minister committed to bringing the Bill forward, which I think anyone would agree … express some disappointment in the lack of urgency that this Bill has shown. I appreciate that it takes time to collect and analyse data, but I also appreciate that it needs to be done correctly to make sure …
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services: Launch of the NHS App
… available to Welsh citizens to download now, with additional functionality being made available in a managed way over time. The app, created by the digital services for patients and the public programme in Digital Health and Care Wales … much wider than primary care in future. That will include improved transparency for patients who are on a waiting list, so they can see how long they would typically need to wait for their specific consultation or operation …
, Plenary
Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME)
… and carers, could design the national framework, shape training and data, share good practice, and oversee progress over time. Thirdly, appoint an all-Wales clinical lead for post-infection associated chronic illness, including ME and long COVID … screen, for as long as symptoms allow, from a bed or a sofa. They should not have to wait any longer for the system to see them, understand them, and protect them. For their sake, I urge Members …
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services: Update on COVID-19
… changed. I still haven't seen the analysis on which that decision has been made, so I'm waiting for advice on that. You say, Russell, that most has gone after five days. That's true, but … COVID at one point—that's enough people to fill the millennium stadium about two and a quarter times—had we not brought in restrictions, we'd have had an extra 69,000 people with COVID. So, that …
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Update on Ukraine
… translation help. We continue to be overwhelmed by the public response to this humanitarian crisis, especially at a time when we are facing our own cost-of-living crisis. There are a great many ways people can help … they are in the UK, they can call 0808 164 8810. There is a warm welcome waiting in Wales, which is a nation of sanctuary. Diolch …
, Plenary
Debate on the Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee Report—'Digital connectivity—broadband'
… per cent connectivity. The UK Government recently embarked on a £5 billion—that was the headline at the time—Project Gigabit to ensure, and this is their words, that all premises in the UK have access to gigabit … have written previously to the UK Government, suggesting that they look at the funding ceilings, and we now wait to see how effective and significant an increase will be delivered or not by the UK Government. We agree …
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Economy: Development Bank of Wales—Investing with ambition
… the coming weeks, and here we are. We've been working on this for a period of time. It isn't something that's been created in the last week or so. Part of this is about trying … business groups of different sizes in different sectors, they all know that we don't have the money waiting for them. In fact, manufacturing businesses were very clear that they were anxious about the future, not because they …
, Plenary
Debate: The Final Budget 2025-26
… will benefit from an increase in revenue and capital funding. Capital spending exceeds £3 billion for the first time at final budget stage. This will improve infrastructure and minimise spend on the expensive mutual investment model. This … Welsh budget. Is money spent on health effective and efficient? I do not know. Nobody knows. We have waiting list targets but how many surgical interventions do we expect for each surgeon? How can we increase activity? How …
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Stage 1 scrutiny of the Disused Mine and Quarry Tips (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Welsh Local Government Association and Local Authorities
… the river, to move that material, we needed permits, and some of the permits you’ve got to wait a statutory period of 12 to 13 weeks for. Similarly, to remove trees—and a significant number of trees … river, also led to a potential prosecution, and our officers were placed under caution. I said at that time that it was absolutely outrageous that we were potentially facing prosecution for eliminating a serious risk. I don …
, Plenary
Open Debate: Can renewables alone meet the energy needs of Wales?
… storage as well. A north Wales council was told by Scottish Power, after 60 months of asking and waiting, that they couldn’t connect the solar panels on their sheltered accommodation to the grid and to their local … and solar energy projects and battery storage facilities have raised this with us. I firmly believe that, given time and investment, renewables alone can meet the energy needs of Wales and that our focus should be achieving that …
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Services for care experienced children: exploring radical reform - evidence session 10
… with housing support grants and how quickly people want us to move people through the system; it takes time to rebuild that trust and relationships. The other thing to note, I think—and I'm sure that you … economically active and financially independent. The issues around mental health services have been talked about really well. The waiting lists going into supported accommodation are huge, even with investment. We know—it's a real disappointment—that the …
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Economy: The Shared Prosperity Fund and Levelling-up Fund
… housing, communities and local government has been appointed to oversee this funding, local communities across Wales are still waiting for vital information regarding their bids, and it's essential that that information is forthcoming. Now, the Minister has … but we have to look at where opportunities lie to constructively engage on this agenda, rather than spending time and effort politically point scoring. The Welsh Government could be using its time to tell us its own plans …
, Plenary
Short Debate: Hidden issues affecting deaf people and those suffering hearing loss
… and the inability of private audiology practitioners to carry out NHS work and the implication this has for waiting lists and the subsequent impact on people's health and well-being. I want to focus on these points … factor in people's identity and life fulfilment. The lack of support, provision of reasonable adjustments and, at times, almost total absence of flexibility was a problem for all participants, particularly in manual or skilled jobs, which leaves …
, Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: New UK Government's first six months
… few examples. In May of last year, just two months before the general election, Keir Starmer recalled the time he went to Dewsbury and spoke to an 84-year-old woman who had, and I quote, worked all … Conservative progress in education in England and follow the failed Welsh Government model. Twenty-four thousand people waiting two years or more for treatment in the Welsh NHS, and that's Starmer's blueprint for the NHS …
, Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: The road network
… change from the present reactive strategy towards enforcing proactive policy must still be made. We can no longer wait for accidents to happen before the necessary changes to speed limits are made. So, I would welcome a commitment … ask that the Minister make this case at the next Cabinet meeting. The sixth Senedd is a time to reset this conversation, to put the vehicle of Government into reverse and undo the years of inaction on congestion …
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: Reducing Workload
… was reported that teacher workload had reached critical levels. The 'State of Technology in Education' report at the time found that 81 per cent of teachers believed workload contributed to high levels of stress in schools … the support that they need at the moment. School budgets are already stretched to the max, and whilst waiting extraordinarily long waits for statements for children to come back, teachers are having to stretch themselves to teach …