Mabon ap Gwynfor: If we can just check that everything's working.
Mabon ap Gwynfor: Excellent. Thank you very much.
Mabon ap Gwynfor: I wanted to start with TB. The latest statistics on the number of infections in Wales are to be welcomed. The absolute numbers are reducing and we've see infections halving in number over the past 12 years here. But, the less encouraging news is that infections have started to appear in new areas of Wales, such as north Conwy and Denbighshire, and there are concerns that it's coming into...
Mabon ap Gwynfor: I thank the Minister for that response. I want to turn my attention now to the issue of tree planting on farms. The Minister will be aware of the case of Tyn y Mynydd farm in Anglesey and the fact that the Government's forestry department bought good arable land there for the purposes of tree planting. Now, good agricultural land is rare in Wales, and the Government has taken steps to protect...
Mabon ap Gwynfor: What steps is the Government taking to ensure that no one in Dwyfor Meirionnydd faces homelessness this winter?
Mabon ap Gwynfor: Thank you to the Deputy Minister for this statement. This is excellent news, isn't it? It recognises the importance of an area, the landscape, the technology and the people in that part of Wales, not only for Welsh history, but for global history, and it demonstrates the history of an area going from an agricultural background to becoming industrial and now, it's post-industrial. And I look...
Mabon ap Gwynfor: 5. What legal advice has the Counsel General given to Welsh Ministers regarding their ability to protect trade union rights? OQ58497
Mabon ap Gwynfor: 7. Will the Counsel General make a statement on the role of the Supreme Court in the administration of justice in Wales? OQ58498
Mabon ap Gwynfor: I thank the Counsel General for that response. In her campaign for the leadership of the Conservative Party, the current Prime Minister said that she would bring strict rules in for trade unions, extending the notice period for industrial action to 28 days and increasing the threshold that needs to be reached to have industrial action so that it has a mandate—a far higher one than the...
Mabon ap Gwynfor: I thank the Counsel General for that response. The Counsel General will be aware of the case in the Supreme Court on historical development plans in Aberdyfi in Dwyfor Meirionnydd. Now, I understand that only a few cases from Wales reach the Supreme Court, and some of these cases relate to devolved issues, such as planning. But of course, as the Supreme Court sits in London, there is...
Mabon ap Gwynfor: I thank Mark Isherwood for that presentation to the motion. Of course, fair play to him—he's a very intelligent man; we've heard a great number of statistics relating to people who suffer from migraines. But there is a face for each of those statistics. There are lives being affected that lie behind all of those statistics, and I have loved ones who live with migraines, and who are...
Mabon ap Gwynfor: I also declare an interest that’s on the public record as well. Colleagues, I’m delighted to have the opportunity to contribute to this debate. It was a pleasure to be part of the inquiry, and I thank the Chair for his leadership during this inquiry. It was a timely inquiry, and it demonstrates a cross-party consensus. There is a recognition here that our rural and coastal communities are...
Mabon ap Gwynfor: I want to ask for a statement and an action, if I may. Back in March, I raised the issue of a shortage of dentists in Dwyfor Meirionnydd with you. At that point, you said that you would ask the Minister for health to bring a statement forward on dentistry, and that that would be done within the half term following March, because the Minister was working on the issue. We're now in October,...
Mabon ap Gwynfor: Secondly, since coming back from the summer break, I've noticed that Government days, on Tuesdays, tend to finish early, and all we get is statements, with no votes at all. Considering that the Government claims that the legislative programme is full to the brim, I find this surprising. Will the Trefnydd therefore look at the Government programme, and ensure that the time that we have is used...
Mabon ap Gwynfor: Thank you, Minister, for the statement and thank you for the opportunity to have a look at the statement before the announcement today. The Minister is entirely right to say that second homes have caused major problems for our rural and coastal communities, particularly in those areas where the Welsh language is at its strongest, and have done for decades. A large number of second homes and...
Mabon ap Gwynfor: Thank you to the committee, the Chair and all of the staff, as Sam Kurtz said, for their very thorough work on this inquiry. We must begin by acknowledging that we see far too many cases of water pollution in our waterways, and everyone must take responsibility and play their part—the farmers, yes, but also the water companies, construction companies, and everyone else. But, we must also...
Mabon ap Gwynfor: Thank you very much, Dirprwy Lywydd. At the outset, I want to declare an interest that is on the public register.
Mabon ap Gwynfor: So, back in January, I put forward a motion on rent controls in the Siambr. The Conservatives, as expected, voted against it, while the Labour Party abstained, largely because of a promise that the Government had commissioned a paper to look into the idea that would feed into the White Paper on housing. But the White Paper continues to be some time off, while this motion looks to respond to...
Mabon ap Gwynfor: 'speaker Adam Jones advised landlords to issue “smaller, regular rent increases” instead of large, more sporadic hikes'. It's tactics like this that have led to Wales having the largest increase in rents anywhere in the UK, except for London. In some cases, we're hearing of rents doubling and families left bereft. Now, we hear that private landlords are leaving the sector with claims that...
Mabon ap Gwynfor: Thank you very much, Llywydd, and thank you to everyone who has contributed to the debate, which has been very interesting.
