Mark Isherwood: Perhaps the best de facto example of local government preparation for Brexit in Wales is represented by the north Wales growth deal and north Wales growth bid, based upon funding, direct and indirect from both Governments, but also internal devolution to be equivalent to that devolved from the UK Government to the Northern Powerhouse. It was understood that heads of terms would be agreed...
Mark Isherwood: What assessment has the Counsel General made of the UK Government's announcement that there will be no physical border in Ireland in the event of a no-deal Brexit?
Mark Isherwood: Thanks. Well, I'll be covering that in the rest of my speech, and I too have been writing to Westminster Ministers in relation to matters raised in my experience with constituents. The House of Commons Work and Pensions Select Committee said in 2012, 'The principles behind Universal Credit have widespread support, which we share.' And Labour's shadow work and pensions Secretary said in 2014...
Mark Isherwood: Diolch. In 2010, the UK Government inherited a cycle of hopelessness, with deep-rooted, multigenerational worklessness and dependency in too many places, and Wales lagging behind. Now we have record employment and UK wages are rising at the fastest rate in over a decade. And newly published Office for National Statistics figures show that personal well-being levels and mental health scores...
Mark Isherwood: I call for two statements. First, on apprenticeship funding, a week ago, in the Chamber, the Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport delivered a statement on apprenticeships and investing in skills for the future. During his contribution, he said, that there is 'a conjuring trick taking place by the UK Government on the funding of apprenticeships, because we were not given additional...
Mark Isherwood: Thank you for that response. But with the north Wales growth deal hopefully moving forward, and the approach by the North Wales Economic Ambition Board as team north Wales that Visit Wales should invest more in supporting the regions to target our UK domestic market while leaving Visit Wales to focus on Wales's profile internationally, how will the Welsh Government engage with our regional...
Mark Isherwood: 5. How is the Welsh Government promoting tourism in North Wales? OAQ53591
Mark Isherwood: Move.
Mark Isherwood: Diolch, Llywydd. In terms of amendment 47, the greatest strength that was acknowledged in the Bill at Stage 1 was the affirmative nature within in, hence the moving of this amendment, because there's little opportunity for the Assembly to properly scrutinise the principles before their introduction, at the very least at the first statement of principles. That is potentially a concern. I...
Mark Isherwood: Diolch, Llywydd. We will be supporting amendment 11 as we believe the Assembly should be involved in scrutinising any significant changes the ombudsman may make to the statement of principles as far as practicable. Amendment 48 has been submitted where confirmation is needed to ensure that the ombudsman considers resources of town and community councils. Amendment 48 reiterates the concerns...
Mark Isherwood: Thank you, Presiding Officer, and thank you to the Minister and the Member in charge. Clearly, there are many people who have contacted me, and no doubt others, who have concerns about their own experiences where their complaints, which weren't directly about an officer or officers, nonetheless had at their core allegations regarding the conduct of an officer or officers, and hence, this...
Mark Isherwood: Diolch, Llywydd. I've retabled this amendment from Stage 2, as I wish to seek reassurance from the Member in charge that the ombudsman will take the Nolan principles into consideration when his office is undertaking investigations into complaints against public bodies. As I outlined at Stage 2, while the ombudsman can also view the Nolan principles as overriding, he is unable to hold public...
Mark Isherwood: Diolch. This was intended as a probing amendment. As I stated, we do see worthwhile intent behind the lifting of the four-month deadline within this Bill. I regret that, in her response, the Minister, however, didn't respond to my specific questions, which were the purpose of the probing amendment, which is difficult. Following on from the Member in charge's response, however, I hope that...
Mark Isherwood: Diolch, Llywydd. I move amendment 49, which relates to the four-month flexibility period the Wales Audit Office is able to grant for the public services ombudsman's accounts, which was inserted at Stage 2. While the Auditor General for Wales asked for this change at Stage 1, there are some questions as to how this would apply to other public bodies outside of the Bill's scope. Clearly, the...
Mark Isherwood: I just seek clarification on one point, if I may. Although more detail is given to cost recovery under these amendments and there's been some narrowing of the scope and circumstances in which a healthcare provider can avoid liability for obstruction and contempt under amendment 8, can the Member in charge provide any further clarification of the policy reasons behind the changes made under...
Mark Isherwood: Thank you for that. Last week, I had the pleasure of hosting the cerebral palsy register for Wales launch event in the Senedd. The register, which will be the first national register in Great Britain, will record symptoms, assessments and ongoing care for people living with cerebral palsy collected by health professionals and stored anonymously on NHS systems. This could then be used to make...
Mark Isherwood: My casework is full of families in crisis because children's communication, social, sensory and processing needs have not been understood, not been identified. I've got children who've not been in school for months, even years, without alternative provision being put in place. I've got a girl of 11, who the council is insisting has a male taxi driver. Because of her autism, she cannot have a...
Mark Isherwood: 8. How is the Welsh Government providing services for people with cerebral palsy? OAQ53573
Mark Isherwood: Diolch. Forty per cent of the 33,000 people who die in Wales each year die in the community, 55 per cent in hospital. Although bereavement support following a child's death in paediatric intensive care units is referred to in the current Welsh Government delivery plan for the critically ill, the plan does not make reference to the importance of bereavement care for families where an adult has...
Mark Isherwood: 4. What is the Welsh Government's policy on the provision of bereavement services? OAQ53536
