Siân Gwenllian: I am pleased that you're keeping the situation under continuous review. That is vital, isn't it? Now, turning to another issue, to conclude, in July it was announced that 600 additional teachers would be recruited to schools and 300 teaching assistants for the current school year. I would like an update on this, and perhaps there isn't sufficient time this afternoon for you to give that...
Siân Gwenllian: I welcome your decision to extend your free school meals scheme to include school holidays until the spring of next year, and, also, your decision to extend the free-school-meals scheme to include additional pupils, particularly those from low income families. Will you consider extending it further still to include families who receive universal credit, the basic provision, or, even better...
Siân Gwenllian: Thank you, Llywydd. May I begin with the financial situation of our universities as a result of the health crisis? I'm aware that there is support being provided by the investment and resilience fund for higher education. It appears that the applications need to be in by the last day of this month, which is within the firebreak period. And, of course, universities will have additional...
Siân Gwenllian: Thank you, Chair, and thank you for the opportunity to discuss this report and thank you for the work that the children's commissioner does to try and improve the lives of children and young people in Wales. There is no doubt that the COVID-19 crisis has changed the lives of the children of Wales in a dramatic manner, with schools and childcare settings closed for long periods of time,...
Siân Gwenllian: Plaid Cymru will be abstaining on the regulations relating to Bangor in my constituency. We didn't oppose their introduction, but we were dissatisfied with communication issues and the lack of local communication around the process of introducing the regulations. We need far clearer communication with local communities, such as those in Bangor, if local lockdowns will be required again in...
Siân Gwenllian: As you mentioned, that is one important issue arising from the administrative court's judgment, namely on the equality of English and Welsh text in law in Wales, but the other, which is, perhaps, of more interest, is the right of every citizen in Wales to have easy access to Welsh-medium education. According to the court's judgment, only 10 per cent of the language impact assessment on the...
Siân Gwenllian: At the moment, there is no legal mechanism to prevent homes to be sold at very high prices and used as second homes. Plaid Cymru has published an action plan outlining the changes required to the law in planning and in finance to control the situation. Now, you may have heard of the establishment of the Hawl i Fyw Adra campaign by a group of young people on the Llŷn peninsula who can't buy...
Siân Gwenllian: 3. What assessment has the Counsel General made of the adequacy of the law to control second homes? OQ55731
Siân Gwenllian: 4. Will the Counsel General make a statement on the Welsh Government's decision to intervene as a party in Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council's efforts to challenge the administrative court's judgment in the case of Driver versus that council? OQ55730
Siân Gwenllian: What financial support is available for businesses located in local health protection areas like Bangor?
Siân Gwenllian: In Ireland, there is an ongoing, positive dialogue between the sector and the Government, and a full appreciation of the importance of the arts in the recovery programmes. In New Zealand, the sector is central to their recovery; work has been given to hundreds of artists in the nation's schools as part of their recovery programmes, and there are many different funds and proposals in place, as...
Siân Gwenllian: Thank you, Llywydd. I apologise for that slight delay. The arts in Wales touch each and every one of us and every community in Wales. Wales is a melting pot of talent. We are a nation where culture is at the heart of our way of life. How would the past few months have been if it hadn't been for the arts? Without the entertainment, the time to reflect and the opportunity to come together...
Siân Gwenllian: Thank you very much. This is a comprehensive report, without doubt, and there is great and detailed work that's been done by Members and committee staff. It is disappointing, despite that, that we by now have missed the opportunity in this Senedd to act on the evidence of another very detailed piece of work that was done at the start of the fifth Senedd under the chairship of Laura...
Siân Gwenllian: 'almost inconceivable that at any party meeting during an election period there will not be some discussion of the forthcoming election.'
Siân Gwenllian: It is crucial for the smooth running of the Senedd and to secure a vibrant democracy that there is a safe space for political groups to discuss and arrange their work in a way that recognises the party-political context. It is also crucial that there is an appropriate opportunity for opposition parties within a particular framework to use their resources to develop an alternative policy...
Siân Gwenllian: I speak in my role as Plaid Cymru business manager and chief whip. We accept the content of this report and we will be voting in favour of it. However, I do believe that there are broader issues arising from this case, as the commissioner recognises, which raise important questions about the maturity of our democracy and our ability to recognise the totally appropriate interweaving between...
Siân Gwenllian: Thank you very much, Llywydd. I wish to focus on one particular aspect of the motion related to the socioeconomic sub-group established by the First Minister at the height of the pandemic to look at the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on black and minority ethnic communities. This is a very thorough approach and report and provides a way forward for action, and that's what we need:...
Siân Gwenllian: 'lack of clarity around the accountability framework and the school-leaving qualifications, which risk that misaligned accountability and assessment measures could undermine the curriculum.'
Siân Gwenllian: This is something that we in Plaid Cymru have been highlighting over the weekend, as it happens. A section of the report notes that there is a major risk that teaching and learning from 14 to 16 will be veered to the content of the qualifications rather than helping the students attain the four purposes of the curriculum. And we in Plaid Cymru are convinced that we need to redraw our...
Siân Gwenllian: 'There is a risk of inequalities increasing due to the challenges that disadvantaged schools can have in implementing the curriculum, which accentuates the need for clarifying resources available for schools.'
