Rhys ab Owen: 'I want to see at least seventy-five per cent of the places of worship in Wales pulled down or used in a more effective way.'
Rhys ab Owen: Well, I agree, to some extent, with Huw T. Edwards. We need to use these buildings in a much more effective way. But I also agree with the other Huw Edwards, and what debate on chapels could we have without the BBC's Huw? He said this:
Rhys ab Owen: Places of worship have made an immeasurable contribution to Welsh life: they taught thousands of children to read and write; they fostered the strongest possible sense of community; they provided an essential platform for Welsh culture; they often campaigned for workers' rights and provided welfare services when government offered next to nothing.
Rhys ab Owen: Two years ago, the doors of all places—
Rhys ab Owen: Of course.
Rhys ab Owen: And thank you very much to my friend and colleague Mike Hedges for tabling this debate. Where else in the world would we have a debate like this? Well, perhaps in Chubut state assembly. It's lovely, isn't it? It's quintessentially Welsh to have this kind of debate on the chapels of Wales. Mike Hedges and myself might be Members of different political parties, but we have a great deal in...
Rhys ab Owen: Diolch yn fawr, Weinidog. A few weeks ago, I visited the new Spark centre in Cardiff University, and I encourage all Members to visit that new research centre. They stressed to me, prior to Brexit, the amount of funding they were receiving from the European Union. Universities Wales received almost £570 million since the turn of the century. In the context of Cardiff University, that had a...
Rhys ab Owen: 10. What discussions has the Minister had with partners to ensure that Wales does not lose out economically due to the levelling-up fund? OQ57823
Rhys ab Owen: What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the number of excess deaths at the beginning of the pandemic amongst people living with dementia?
Rhys ab Owen: Taking into account the very high number of responses to the consultation and the fact—probably hardly surprising—that the majority of those responses did not support the proposal to increase the percentage rate discretion, we were unclear why the approach was adopted in the regulations. In response, we were told that the Welsh Government has taken full account of all consultation...
Rhys ab Owen: Our final merits point, Minister—and as I said, there was no need to respond to this point—notes that the scheme set out in the regulations will likely result in increased revenue to charging authorities for the provision of services covered by the council tax charge, and that the regulations prescribe by amendment the mechanism by which that charge can be increased at the charging...
Rhys ab Owen: Our second merits point draws attention to the consultation undertaken by the Welsh Government in respect of these regulations, and specifically how this is discussed in the accompanying explanatory memorandum.
Rhys ab Owen: Thank you, Llywydd. I am delighted contribute to this afternoon's debate on behalf of the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee, and I wish our Chair, Huw Irranca-Davies, well on the happy occasion of the graduation of his son, which has been postponed a number of times as a result of COVID. We considered these regulations at our meeting of 14 March, and our report to the Senedd...
Rhys ab Owen: Our first merits point noted that the significant increase in the charging authority’s discretion, from 100 percent to 300 percent, appears to engage article 1 of the first protocol of the European convention on human rights. Whilst it is, of course, recognised and accepted that states can interfere with a citizen's possessions, in this case by increasing the council tax charge on long-term...
Rhys ab Owen: Thank you very much, First Minister, and I know that this is something very close to your own heart, and that you have been working to try and identify the problem.
Rhys ab Owen: The recent research by the Children's Social Care Research and Development Centre at Cardiff University commissioned by the Welsh Government saw an increase of 87 per cent in the rate of children in care from 2004 to 2020. And what surprises me is the huge variation within local authorities—so, Torfaen, an increase of 251 per cent, whilst Carmarthenshire has no increase whatsoever—and the...
Rhys ab Owen: 3. What work is the Welsh Government undertaking to reduce the number of children in care in Wales? OQ57822
Rhys ab Owen: Diolch yn fawr, Cwnsler. I know that you are more than aware of the nature of the profession in Wales, especially in rural and post-industrial areas. We do have ageing legal professionals and practitioners. In a place like Mid and West Wales, over 60 per cent are over 50 years of age practising criminal law, and a high percentage also of petitioners in these areas. Now, the solicitors...
Rhys ab Owen: Diolch yn fawr.
Rhys ab Owen: Diolch yn fawr, Cwnsler Cyffredinol. I look forward to hearing your statement next week about taking forward the recommendations of the Commission on Justice in Wales and the Law Commission report on Welsh tribunals. More of the justice system in fact is devolved to Wales than most people think, especially on those benches opposite me. But one strong argument to devolve the rest would be to...
