Samuel Kurtz: First Minister, 20 years have now passed since the tragic murder of eight-year-old Victoria Climbié at the hands of her great aunt and partner in London. The case highlighted the failings of different Government agencies that failed to address the persistent abuse that she was suffering at the hands of her family. Whilst this murder did not take place in Wales, the report undertaken by Lord...
Samuel Kurtz: 4. What action has the Welsh Government taken to improve child safeguarding in Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire? OQ58036
Samuel Kurtz: I'm grateful to the Member for Blaenau Gwent for tabling this timely and important debate, as it comes in a week when Russia has celebrated victory day on 9 May, the day that the united Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or USSR, achieved victory over Nazi Germany and the end of the second world war with fellow allied countries. This display of military might through parades acts as a...
Samuel Kurtz: I have no hesitation in saying that my favourite part of the coast path is Pwllderi, where I grew up, where there is a carreg goffa to the poet Dewi Emrys, with the lines:
Samuel Kurtz: 'And these are the thoughts that come to you / When you sit above Pwllderi.'
Samuel Kurtz: My favourite part. But, as someone who grew up with a farm that sees the Pembrokeshire coast path pass through its land, I fully appreciate the importance of developing a good relationship between the landowner and the walkers. And while the Wales coast path celebrates its tenth anniversary, the Pembrokeshire coast national park celebrates its seventieth anniversary, and it's in a position as...
Samuel Kurtz: I think the Member is perhaps confusing our support for business and local economies and the impact that has on communities. So many tourism businesses support those very communities that you care about and we care about with equal passion. The second point that I think was raised and outlined by Natasha Asghar in particular was the impact that COVID-19 had on our tourism sector here in...
Samuel Kurtz: Thank you, Minister. It's not purely anecdotal, there are given clear examples of these businesses, predominantly London-based businesses, buying Welsh agricultural land for green-washing afforestation, which does play into the hands of the need for increasing our food security here. And yesterday, your colleague the First Minister made some interesting comments about the forthcoming...
Samuel Kurtz: Thank you, Minister, and I notice that you make no reference to the meeting in March and I would ask that the stakeholder engagement with fisheries and aquaculture stakeholders is continued with some urgency. But moving on to the Glastir woodland creation scheme, in November of last year, I raised the issue of this, with money being paid to recipients based outside of Wales. Between...
Samuel Kurtz: Diolch, Llywydd. Good afternoon, Minister. The total number of Welsh shellfish and general fish vessels landing in Wales has seen a continuous reduction since 2018, a period in which you've presided over the industry and witnessed this decline. To reverse this sad trend, the significance of stakeholder engagement shouldn't be underestimated, especially when it comes to understanding why this...
Samuel Kurtz: Diolch, Weinidog, and I refer Members to my register of interests. I've recently successfully helped a constituent family, based in Pembrokeshire, who have had to fight for their child to be able to join their sister in attending the Canolfan Elfed inclusion unit based in Queen Elizabeth High School in neighbouring Carmarthenshire. This unit provides excellent service and provision for a...
Samuel Kurtz: In preparation for this supplementary question, I thought I'd take myself to the Welsh Government's community energy webpage to see what the latest information and guidance was for the people of Wales who are looking to play their part in developing green and renewable energy for themselves and their communities. And given that, in the response to the Member for Mid and West Wales, the Deputy...
Samuel Kurtz: 1. What support is available for students with additional learning needs in Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire? OQ57891
Samuel Kurtz: Will the First Minister provide an update on the Welsh Government's tree planting targets?
Samuel Kurtz: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. It's a pleasure for me to open this afternoon's debate because it's so important and so very timely. In the last two weeks alone, we've spoken on a number of occasions about our food security and its significance in the shadow of the invasion of Ukraine. Well, now is the time to put actions into words—or words into actions, rather. We'll have a real opportunity here...
Samuel Kurtz: I'd like to begin by thanking my colleague and committee Chair, the Member for Preseli Pembrokeshire, for his excellent chairmanship throughout this inquiry. I would also like to thank the committee clerks and staff for their support. I believe this, the committee's first report, is incredibly strong. I recall during our committee's brainstorming future-work-programme meetings that the HGV...
Samuel Kurtz: Will the Member give way?
Samuel Kurtz: Thank you, Rhys, and I am enjoying listening to your speech here, but isn't it a fact that Sunday school itself—we're talking about the education of young people through chapels, myself going to Sunday school—is another form of education, which I think is incredibly important? Do you agree that Sunday school is an important part of these chapels as well?
Samuel Kurtz: Minister, the major hospital service in both Adam Price's constituency and my own, on the eastern border, is Glangwili hospital. And I'm sure you will agree with me that the A&E waiting times at this hospital are simply unacceptable. The latest figures available show that 46.5 per cent of patients are spending more than four hours in A&E before admission, transfer or discharge, and 16.5 per...
Samuel Kurtz: I recently had the opportunity to visit Carmarthenshire People First—a fantastic independent charity that's taking a leading role in supporting adults with learning disabilities by providing independent advocacy, training and support to individuals who need it. The charity is led by a fabulous team of dedicated and passionate staff, spearheaded by Sarah Mackintosh, the charity's manager....
