Rhys ab Owen: 5. What discussions has the Minister held with the police and crime commissioners, the police, and criminal justice agencies about racism in the justice system? OQ56864
Rhys ab Owen: 3. What discussions has the Counsel General had with law officers regarding the recent findings of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's report, 'Women's State Pension Age: Our Findings on the Department for Work and Pensions' Communication of Changes'? OQ56875
Rhys ab Owen: As you've said several times, Counsel General, Welsh sovereignty is not in the hands of men like Hywel Dda, but rather it's in the hands of the people of Wales here. Having said that, the spirit of Hywel Dda and the spirit of Iorwerth ap Madog are to be heard in the Senedd today. I welcome that and I greatly hope that the Welsh Government will continue in that spirit, and develop and protect...
Rhys ab Owen: It complicates the situation further that the laws that are made in this Senedd, and laws made in Westminster, extend to Wales and England, even though the laws only relate to England perhaps. They're part of the same legal system even though perhaps they only apply to Wales or perhaps they only apply to England. Isn't the obvious answer to this complex problem to create a Welsh law when the...
Rhys ab Owen: And if the situation isn't difficult, isn't complicated enough, aren't you as Welsh Government adding to the complexity and breaching your duty under the Legislation (Wales) Act 2019 by consenting so often to the Westminster Government passing legislation within devolved areas? Laws passed by the Westminster Government within devolved areas will not be bilingual, cannot form part of your...
Rhys ab Owen: This announcement, however, does not clarify a lot of the issues, including laws that apply only to England yet form the law of England and Wales. It's very difficult to identify whether the laws passed by the UK Parliament apply to England, apply to England and Wales, or Wales alone. For example, Acts passed by the UK Parliament that only apply to England do not include the word 'England' in...
Rhys ab Owen: Thank you very much, temporary Presiding Officer. Counsel General, I welcome this statement greatly. I also welcome the talk about the laws of Hywel Dda at the outset of your statement. It's important that we destroy the myth here in the Senedd that we don't have a rich history and heritage of laws in Wales. According to the yardstick of the age, the laws of Hywel Dda had much greater status...
Rhys ab Owen: What discussions has the Welsh Government had on improving electoral arrangements to make it easier for people to participate in local government elections?
Rhys ab Owen: It was good to see pupils from Ysgol Mynydd Bychan in the gallery today, and Heledd Fychan and I took a number of challenging questions from them, including which party we would join other than Plaid Cymru. I can clearly say that the answer was not the Tories. But, Trefnydd, could I be so bold as to ask for three statements today? First of all, because it is Youth Parliament Week, could the...
Rhys ab Owen: Trefnydd, could I also ask for a statement regarding the issue of building safety in high rises? Does the Welsh Government agree with Plaid Cymru that innocent leaseholders should not pay for defective work by developers? And Trefnydd, could we also have a written statement about the mental health impact this has on leaseholders? I've met many now, and the strain is obvious on their faces....
Rhys ab Owen: Diolch yn fawr, Weinidog. I was very pleased to see the statement earlier on. I know this is a matter that I and others across the parties have raised on several occasions this term. This is because we—as I'm sure that you do, also—receive on a daily basis contact from people who are trapped in their homes. This has had serious impacts on their finance and health. And I note from previous...
Rhys ab Owen: 3. Will the Minister make a statement on fire safety in high-rise flats in Cardiff? OQ56782
Rhys ab Owen: There are several questions to answer. I look forward to working with you over the summer months, and other parties, to create a convention that can build a better Wales, a greener Wales, a fairer Wales and a more prosperous Wales. Diolch yn fawr.
Rhys ab Owen: Considering again past commissions, a huge difference with this convention is the broad remit. The Thomas commission was very broad, but it was to look at the justice system. The Richard commission was to look at reform here. The task is so vast, and that can be an issue. What do you want from this convention?
Rhys ab Owen: How are you going to be able to ensure that, when things move quickly, the convention remains relevant? And finally, I've raised this point about the fact that independence needs to be a part of the question. How much support have you had from your party in London and from the Westminster Government for this convention?
Rhys ab Owen: Because the devolved settlement, as it stands, is unsustainable. It is subject to the whims of the Westminster Government. We are not sovereign; it's the Westminster Government that still says that it's sovereign. The sovereignty should rest here with the people of Wales. The power grab by the Boris Johnson Government is a real concern for many of us across the political parties. The TUC...
Rhys ab Owen: Rather, it should be the work of the entire nation, including the Tories, all of its people, all of its perspectives, working together. A convention can start the work of creating a truly new Welsh democracy, something we really need. It can't be another talking shop for the old guard to maintain the status quo. Independence, therefore, has to be part of the mix of options considered. The...
Rhys ab Owen: Thank you, Counsel General, for your statement, and I thank Mr Millar also for the acknowledgement that his party will be willing to collaborate with this convention. Now, Counsel General, as a fellow lawyer, I welcome this convention and the opportunity to discuss constitutional issues, but this shouldn't just be for legal nerds. It needs, as you said, to include all of the people of Wales,...
Rhys ab Owen: Trefnydd, I have been very fortunate recently to meet a number of schools in Cardiff—Gwaelod y Garth, Plasmawr and Cardiff West Community High School—to discuss the great work of the Youth Parliament, and every time there is a question-and-answer session at the end, the environment arises all the time in their questions. Across parties, I think we were all disappointed that the clean air...
Rhys ab Owen: Thank you for that, First Minister, and Heledd Fychan and I have written to the Minister, asking for the possible options in dealing with this.
