Rhys ab Owen: As you well know, many of the services that victims require are actually devolved to Wales and, at the end of June, when I asked the Prif Weinidog whether he was satisfied with the current system, he said that the 'system has so far served us well.' Well, in the resignation letter of last week by Dame Vera Baird, she complained about a lack of engagement from the very top in the Ministry of...
Rhys ab Owen: Diolch yn fawr, Weinidog. We cannot separate today from history. We must recognise some of the terrible miscarriages of justice faced by communities so close to the Senedd here. The other week, when mentioning the sad passing of Tony Paris, I raised the issue about his daughter wanting a street in his beloved Butetown named after him. Minister, will you support me in supporting a campaign to...
Rhys ab Owen: 8. Will the Minister make a statement on progress in relation to the race equality action plan? OQ58481
Rhys ab Owen: 2. What discussions has the Counsel General had with the Ministry of Justice following the resignation of the Victims' Commissioner for England and Wales? OQ58476
Rhys ab Owen: 1. What events will be held on the Senedd estate to coincide with the football world cup? OQ58482
Rhys ab Owen: Will the Counsel General provide an update on the progress of, and anticipated timescale for, the proposed Welsh Government needs analysis for apprenticeships in the legal sector in Wales?
Rhys ab Owen: Thank you, First Minister. First Minister, I read this morning that you still haven't received a phone call from the UK Prime Minister, but I know that she's been very busy recently, particularly with her u-turns, in destroying the economy, threatening to cut benefits and dealing with prominent members of the Cabinet, such as your new friend, the Secretary of State for Wales, who said today...
Rhys ab Owen: 7. What discussions has the First Minister had with the UK Government regarding future inter-governmental relations? OQ58483
Rhys ab Owen: Thank you very much, Trefnydd, for your answers. The problem with this issue is that we don't have the tools here in the Senedd to deal with it. I very much hope that the First Minister, when Liz Truss does phone him eventually, says clearly to her, and to Keir Starmer, that we need to devolve justice to Wales to get to the core of these issues. I also hope that he will take the opportunity...
Rhys ab Owen: I'd like to pay tribute to the late Tony Paris, who sadly passed away last week. Tony was one of the Cardiff Three, who were wrongly convicted of the tragic and violent murder of Lynette White only a few minutes' walk from this Chamber. I remember as a young boy the protests in Cardiff for justice for the Cardiff Three. I also remember the persistent gossip about them. I also remember, as a...
Rhys ab Owen: Diolch yn fawr, Weinidog. Now, you may be aware that, last month, there were two balcony fires in the Victoria Wharf development, not far from here, in Cardiff Bay. Taylor Wimpey, the developer of that development, said over two years ago that they would be willing to do the remediation work there, but it still has not started. Now, I'm on record as saying that I wanted a Welsh Bill with...
Rhys ab Owen: 2. Will the Minister provide an update on the building safety fund? OQ58400
Rhys ab Owen: We can all agree that we want the elimination of such plastic waste, but I am afraid that the path ahead of us is riddled by obstacles—riddled by man-made obstacles, Westminster-made obstacles. The infamous internal market Act—not only does that Act enable UK Government to spend within devolved areas and ignore the devolved settlement, it also enables the UK Government to ignore food and...
Rhys ab Owen: Thank you very much, Counsel General. We as a party welcome this statement. We've been campaigning for years to ban single-use plastics. But, since the growth in plastic's popularity in the 1960s, it has become a prominent part of our lives, from food packaging to plastic fibres being blended into our clothing—so, that's visible and invisible plastic around us and surrounding us. Although...
Rhys ab Owen: Diolch yn fawr, Gweinidog. Brexit is not working for Wales. It has cost us and the UK billions in lost trade and lost tax revenue; GDP is down, investment is down and goods trade is down. With the highest inflation since the mid 1970s, with the cost-of-living crisis biting the people in our communities, the current position of the Welsh Government and Labour in Westminster is not tenable....
Rhys ab Owen: 5. What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the economic impact of Brexit on Wales? OQ58339
Rhys ab Owen: Will you take an intervention?
Rhys ab Owen: You'll understand this reference. I was a bit of a doubting Thomas when it came to this policy. I've changed my mind completely. Stopping when you're driving 30 mph—six car lengths; stopping at 20 mph is three car lengths. As a father of a 20-month-old, and you'd know this, with several children of your own—children run. You can hold them as much as you like, but they run, and they run...
Rhys ab Owen: Yes, of course. We want to be part of a bigger European Union, part of an equal nation with the other European nations. We are an internationalist party; that's the answer, Hefin David. And our position is very clear and consistent with this, whilst Keir Starmer's newest slogan, 'Make Brexit Work', is completely nonsensical. He spoke against rejoining the customs union on Monday. The Welsh...
Rhys ab Owen: No, you've had plenty of time. To answer James and Rhianon: people are allowed to change their minds, James and Rhianon. That's why we have regular elections, and the Conservatives will find, at the next general election, that a lot of people have surely changed their minds. On Monday—[Interruption.] I'll take an intervention from you, Hefin, yes.
