Gareth Bennett: I would like to thank the culture committee for today's debate, and for their efforts over the past five years under the chairmanship of Bethan Sayed. I'm sure she's been a very good Chair. Unfortunately, I have to say I disagree with the report that they've produced. I think that the report, although well intentioned, is based on a false premise. After all, who decides what media Wales...
Gareth Bennett: We in the Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party oppose this Welsh Government Bill. There are good parts to this Bill, and I don't dispute that, and some of it has been outlined by the Minister today—some of those good parts—and in many ways, she has been, despite my profound political differences with her, a very able Minister. And some of the good parts were also highlighted in the...
Gareth Bennett: No, Llywydd. Thank you.
Gareth Bennett: I don't move it, Llywydd, or 39.
Gareth Bennett: Yes, I move. Thank you.
Gareth Bennett: I move, Llywydd.
Gareth Bennett: Diolch, Llywydd. Thanks to Siân and to Kirsty for their contributions to the debate. Siân's comments were largely pertaining to the need to develop a single continuum for the teaching of Welsh, which, in itself, is an admirable concept, but of course it is aligned to the pursuit of the target of 1 million Welsh speakers, which, as a party—my own party, Abolish the Welsh Assembly...
Gareth Bennett: Diolch, Llywydd. I formally move the amendments tabled in my name and supported by Mark Reckless, which are moved with the support also of the Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party. This group of amendments deals with the provision of Welsh teaching. The amendments I am moving today seek to reflect the fact that Wales has many different parts and they do not all have the same level of Welsh...
Gareth Bennett: What action is the Welsh Government taking to improve public health in South Wales Central?
Gareth Bennett: Will the Minister make a statement on mental health care provision in South Wales Central?
Gareth Bennett: Apologies, Llywydd, but I didn't have anything to say on this group. We are opposing these amendments. I didn't want to actually speak at this stage, but thank you.
Gareth Bennett: No.
Gareth Bennett: Thank you, everyone, for contributing to the debate on this group. Mark Isherwood, I think, made some constructive and practical comments. I think unfortunately Rhun and Julie have descended into party-political rhetoric. Their objections as stated to not being dictated to by the date of PCC elections are entirely bogus, because Rhun is saying that the decision on the date of the election has...
Gareth Bennett: Diolch, Llywydd. I will be brief, as the two amendments from my party—Abolish—are quite simple in their intent. Amendment 3 is the substantive amendment, while amendment 4 is consequential to amendment 3. So, if amendment 3 is not supported, then I won't be moving amendment 4. The amendments pertain to the police and crime commissioner elections, which are due to be held in Wales on 6...
Gareth Bennett: Yes, thanks for that evaluation. It is a difficult situation. It seems to me that the experience of home learning has varied massively, which, I suppose, we should have expected. Before we can address how to catch up on the lost education of school-aged children as we come out of the COVID crisis, we will need somebody to assess authoritatively exactly where we are. Given that, do you foresee...
Gareth Bennett: 4. What assessment has the Minister made of the extent to which students may have fallen behind during the COVID-19 pandemic? OQ56281
Gareth Bennett: Thanks for that statement. We are going through a very serious health crisis and now also a mass vaccination programme. The procurement of the vaccines has been led by the UK Government, and I think most sensible people would agree that it has been a great success and that the procurement of the vaccines is a good example of the UK union working at its best. The Welsh Conservatives now seem...
Gareth Bennett: 2. Will the First Minister make a statement in relation to Wales’s constitutional status within the United Kingdom? OQ56293
Gareth Bennett: Thank you. I wanted to raise the issue of cladding today. It's now more than three years since the Grenfell Tower tragedy, and leaseholders who live in apartment blocks in Wales—some of them in Cardiff, some of them elsewhere—these leaseholders who suffer problems with cladding are still waiting to hear what support they're going to get from the Welsh Government. We know that £32 million...
Gareth Bennett: 1. Will the Minister make a statement on the delivery of local public services in South Wales Central? OQ56226
