Natasha Asghar: I welcome this report. As the Chair began with saying, I note that, of its 26 recommendations, only one was rejected by the Welsh Government. I'd also like to address my remarks this afternoon to some of the recommendations that it contains. Recommendation 7 refers to encouraging passengers to return to public bus services. I very much agree with this, as I'm sure many of my colleagues in the...
Natasha Asghar: 8. What action is the Minister taking to improve the provision of eye care in Wales? OQ59029
Natasha Asghar: Minister, in a written statement dated 19 January on women's safety in public places in Wales, the Minister for Social Justice referred to the Welsh Government's violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence national strategy. The Minister said that the strategy will be delivered through a collaborative '"blueprint approach" alongside a group of key partner organisations...
Natasha Asghar: Minister, today I'd like to ask for two statements, please. First, can I ask for a statement from the Minister for Health and Social Services about the frequency of inspection and maintenance of electrical equipment in hospitals across Wales? Last Wednesday, as I'm sure you're aware, a fire caused the Royal Gwent Hospital to be evacuated and a number of out-patient appointments to be...
Natasha Asghar: Thanks, Minister. I'd like to ask you about plans to reduce financial help for some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in Wales towards the cost of their NHS glasses. I understand the proposal is to lower the current £39.10 contribution for children and adults on some benefits to £22. You claim the amount was agreed with the group that represents optometrists in Wales, however...
Natasha Asghar: Minister, may I ask for a statement from the Minister for Climate Change regarding the historic dumping of toxic waste at Ty Llwyd quarry at Ynysddu? Caerphilly County Borough Council is now the owner of the site, having compulsorily purchased the quarry, but has refused to register Ty Llwyd as contaminated land in spite of local concern about leachate leaking out and polluting neighbourhood...
Natasha Asghar: 3. What progress has the Welsh Government made towards its target of meeting 70 per cent of Wales's electricity demand from renewable sources by 2030? OQ59073
Natasha Asghar: Thanks, Minister. I recently met and received a presentation from the developers behind a proposed solar energy farm at Craig Y Perthi near Uskmouth power station. Solar power, I'm sure you know better than anyone, is currently one of the cheapest forms of energy generation, and with schemes like Craig Y Perthi solar farm in the pipeline, there is a real potential for solar energy to address...
Natasha Asghar: Minister, you've read a lot of reports; I've read a fair number of reports now on education, having had many questions with you over the past few years. Now, statistically, we all know that children growing up in poverty and disadvantaged areas are less likely to do well at school. Research from the Education Policy Institute into the impact of educational inequalities reveals that, sadly,...
Natasha Asghar: Thank you so much to my colleague, Darren Millar, for bringing this important debate forward. Having spoken on the subject on quite a few occasions, I sincerely don't hold the same view as you, Luke Fletcher. In fact, I think free ports present a fantastic opportunity for Wales, energising the economy, creating high-quality jobs, and will drive investment forward, something I would have...
Natasha Asghar: No. [Laughter.] And since being a Member, I've had an immeasurable number of meetings and attended incalculable events with individuals, groups and organisations across Wales on their plight to get their bid approved and I must say that they've all been very impressive. I was delighted to hear that three exceptional Welsh free-port bids have been submitted and it's fantastic news for the...
Natasha Asghar: Deputy Minister, you had a real chance here to get Wales moving again by giving communities across Wales infrastructure they not only need, but really deserve. Residents in all four corners of Wales have been on tenterhooks for nearly two years while this backwards road building ban has been in place. But the wait is finally over, just under 60 schemes went under the microscope as part of...
Natasha Asghar: 8. What plans does the Minister have to improve the control of dogs? OQ59114
Natasha Asghar: Thanks, Minister. I've been contacted by a constituent who says that he was recently attacked by a large dog on a public footpath in Newbridge. He goes on to say that he has been bitten twice by dogs in public places over the last six years, and his son has also been bitten as well. The Member for Caerphilly touched on this topic last week, so I know that you are aware of the two recent...
Natasha Asghar: I'd like to thank my colleague, Delyth Jewell, for actually raising this as a question today. Now, with all due respect, the end of March was set to be the cut-off point for BES 3, as it was commonly known, and now, we are finding out that it obviously gets pushed back to the end of June, which is fine. So, I'd like to know what exactly is going to happen when we reach June, Deputy Minister?...
Natasha Asghar: No, I don't think you have.
Natasha Asghar: I’ve been very fortunate since having been elected that I was able to work quite closely with Andrea Gordon. Now, she’s from Guide Dogs Cymru and, through her, I was able to meet numerous individuals who actually have visual impairments, and it really made me understand a lot more about their needs and what they have to have in life. Some of the things that we often don’t even think...
Natasha Asghar: What action is the Welsh Government taking to encourage more students, particularly girls, to consider a career in STEM?
Natasha Asghar: What support does the Welsh Government offer to charities that help older people manage their finances?
Natasha Asghar: I'd like to wish you and all of my colleagues here in the Chamber and beyond a very, very happy St David's Day. Minister, I know that you've probably heard this line from many of my colleagues over time and over many years, but it's no secret that Labour has sadly been running our NHS into the ground, with nearly 600,000 patients languishing on waiting lists. We also have more than 45,000...
