Rhys ab Owen: 3. What discussions has the Minister had with the Counsel General regarding the legal sector's contribution to the Welsh economy? OQ57269
Rhys ab Owen: 1. What discussions has the Minister had regarding the capacity of GPs to respond to the demand on services in Cardiff? OQ57270
Rhys ab Owen: Thank you very much, Llywydd. Trefnydd, to mark over two years since the publication of the Commission on Justice in Wales report, a conference was staged this morning, chaired by Anna McMorrin, the Deputy Minister for victims and youth services. The trade unions were represented, as was the former Lord Chief Justice Thomas. He praised the steps that have already been taken following the...
Rhys ab Owen: No.
Rhys ab Owen: I hope—I see that time is up, but I very much hope that Members will support this motion. Thank you very much.
Rhys ab Owen: Mabon ap Gwynfor asked, 'Who is responsible?', and he said that it's the greed of some causing difficulties and anguish to others. And I hope we will have this Welsh legislation that the Minister has mentioned as soon as possible.
Rhys ab Owen: Jane Dodds also mentioned people's lives being on hold, and reminded us again that people are at the centre of this. I agree with Janet Finch-Saunders—we need to know the number. And I agree that fire safety is far more than just cladding, as the Minister also mentioned.
Rhys ab Owen: Diolch yn fawr, Gweinidog. I'm glad to hear about the building safety Bill that will be brought forward in this Senedd. Hopefully, that can be done sooner rather than later. I'm also glad to hear about surveyors being on site in January, but I am very disappointed with two things—one being the large developers not willing even to entertain discussions with you, Minister. That is hugely...
Rhys ab Owen: The cladding scandal is a perfect example of where the devolution settlement is failing the people of Wales at the moment. The residents feel as if they're part of a ping-pong game between Westminster and the Welsh Government. They feel that they are not being listened to. We want assurances that the money announced by Robert Jenrick, when he was housing Minister earlier this year, the £3.5...
Rhys ab Owen: So, thank you from the bottom of my heart to those Members, across parties, who have co-submitted this debate with me, namely Peter Fox and Mike Hedges, and to the Members who have supported this debate, namely Mabon ap Gwynfor and Jane Dodds. This demonstrates clearly that there is obvious cross-party support here in the Senedd to support Gwenallt and Non and the thousands of others who are...
Rhys ab Owen: Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. I'd like to start this debate by quoting Non and Gwenallt Rees, who don't live very far from this place: 'Why are we as owners of flats responsible for facing huge costs of solving the problem of cladding created by others?' And I believe that all of us can agree with that statement. It's not up to them to pay for the mistakes of others.
Rhys ab Owen: Through no fault of their own, hundreds, if not thousands, like Gwenallt and Non Rees, are facing huge insurance costs, service charges and bills to deal with the cladding scandal. Many have the mental strain of worrying that they might live in an unsafe building and cannot move. I have met many of these residents in my six months here in the Senedd, and the strain is obvious on the faces of...
Rhys ab Owen: I'm grateful for that answer, Cwnsler Cyffredinol. You'll be aware that the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee in the last Senedd wrote to the housing Minister highlighting that the ban on combustible cladding materials did not extend to buildings below 18m. Was there a legal reason for doing that? They also raised concerns with regard to support for leaseholders. What...
Rhys ab Owen: Counsel General, it's not difficult to see the lack of primary legislation this term in this place. After six months of the sixth Senedd, I'm aware of only one Government Bill that has been presented to the Senedd. Indeed, Peter Fox's Bill was opposed by Government partially because of a lack of time. In the fifth Senedd, only 32 Bills were passed in this place, as compared with 85 in the...
Rhys ab Owen: Diolch. Later on today, there's a debate about the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, and I'm pleased about this, because I'm a strong believer that Acts of Parliament need to be enforceable, not only aspirational. I'm aware of three occasions that this Act has been in front of the courts and has tried to be used in a judicial review, and in each case the public authority...
Rhys ab Owen: Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. Wales could be a thriving independent nation—the words of the right honourable Michael Gove. I look forward to seeing him in the next Yes Cymru rally. Now, in fairness to him, and I can be fair to Tories also, he did go on to say that people in Wales benefit from having two Governments, and that devolution is the best of both worlds for Wales. I, of course, don't...
Rhys ab Owen: Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. Minister, I'm glad to see the implementation plans for female offending and youth justice blueprints. Not having an agreed time frame was a criticism in the Commission on Justice in Wales report. I was also glad to receive your written statement earlier this month, which mentioned the Visiting Mum service—children visiting their mothers in prison; it's so important...
Rhys ab Owen: Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. I'm glad to see the implementation—
Rhys ab Owen: Yes, sorry—that's why I was shocked there, Llywydd. [Laughter.]
Rhys ab Owen: 6. What legal advice has the Counsel General given to the Welsh Government regarding the ban on combustible cladding materials implemented by the Building (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2019? OQ57232
