Peredur Owen Griffiths: Thank you for the answer, Minister.
Peredur Owen Griffiths: It's been five years since a decision was taken to close Communities First, the Government's anti-poverty programme. Following this decision, the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee produced a report, which recommended, and I quote, 'a clear tackling poverty strategy is published, which brings together the many strands of poverty reduction work to help provide clear direction...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Thank you for the opportunity to participate in this important debate today.
Peredur Owen Griffiths: As the report indeed notes, second homes are not a new phenomenon. Plaid Cymru has been pushing for action to combat this issue for decades. The issue of second homes has become worse and worse for many of our communities across Wales, whether that's in our rural Welsh-speaking heartlands or indeed in our urban centres. The present housing crisis facing communities across Wales, driven in...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Yes, certainly.
Peredur Owen Griffiths: That's certainly a very good point there by Mark, and maybe the Minister can pick up that point when she comes to respond. As I said, I was in Vienna and over 60 per cent of those citizens live in social and affordable housing. But in Vienna, it was clear that the construction efforts were about more than just housing; they were about building communities—real communities, where people's...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Trefnydd, in the past few weeks, major concerns have been expressed about the safety of an Ebbw Vale hotel that is acting as a house in multiple occupation. A man was found dead at the Park Hotel in Waunlwyd, and another was arrested on suspicion of his murder. Local residents who were part of a subsequent public meeting to discuss their fears about the safety of the hotel say it's the third...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Thank you, Llywydd, and I'm pleased to contribute to this debate today as Chair of the Finance Committee. I’d like to thank the Minister for attending committee to discuss the financial implications of the Bill. We've made five recommendations, and I thank the Minister for the comments that the Minister's made on those, and I look forward to getting more detail from her in due time. But...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Turning to the committee's views, we support the aims of the Bill to accelerate the shift from single-use plastics towards developing more sustainable alternatives, and we acknowledge the environmental benefits of reducing plastic pollution. We are also pleased to hear that the Minister continues to engage with stakeholders to ensure that the aims of this legislation are effectively...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Our final recommendation also relates to the regulatory powers in the Bill. We ask the Welsh Government to commit to providing a full and robust RIA to accompany any relevant subordinate legislation made under this Bill that bans further single-use plastic products not already covered within the scope of the legislation as drafted. Llywydd, we are grateful to the Minister and her officials...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: We've heard already today how the cost-of-living crisis and the housing crisis have a greater impact on certain sections of society or communities than others. As Plaid Cymru's spokesperson for older people and communities, I'm aware just how difficult winter can be at the best of times for older people, and this certainly isn't the best of times. Older people in Wales are amongst those most...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Thank you, Luke, for bringing this issue forward today and allowing me to contribute to this debate, which, I know, is very important to you.
Peredur Owen Griffiths: We've heard from Heledd just then about the—. And I want to go on from what Heledd was saying: the charity Barnardo's Cymru go as far as describing the EMA as a lifeline for many young people that they help. They go as far as saying that it can be the difference between a young carer being able to go into education or not. Unfortunately, many of these young carers end up being penalised, as...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: 2. What is the Government doing to improve public transport in South Wales East? OQ58587
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Thank you for that response.
Peredur Owen Griffiths: A frequent complaint during street surgeries is the state of the bus network. This service is a lifeline for so many people and is particularly the case in Blaenau Gwent, where car ownership is low and there is a higher proportion of older people than in many other constituencies. Unfortunately, if you wanted to travel by bus between Aberbeeg and Cwm—a 10-minute journey by car—it would...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: I welcome the report of the Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee from its inquiry into care home commissioning. I also welcome the opportunity to speak on the topic in the Senedd. This report clearly highlights the challenges faced in the complex area of care home commissioning for older people, with the intention of improving the system so that it is more equitable for all....
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Trefnydd, figures supplied to my office lay bare the capacity problems within the Welsh NHS. The Welsh ambulance trust is routinely losing more than 2,000 hours per month due to ambulances waiting outside just one hospital in my region. The fact that this hospital is the flagship Grange hospital is even more problematic, as this was meant to herald an improvement in health services for...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: 1. What additional financial resources is the Welsh Government providing to local authorities to help them deal with the cost-of-living crisis? OQ58608
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Thank you for that response.
