Bethan Sayed: 7. Will the First Minister outline the Welsh Government's policies to end homelessness in Wales? OAQ51527
Bethan Sayed: Thank you. We noticed, as Assembly Members, that you made an announcement before Christmas of an extra £10 million into youth homelessness, with the intention to eradicate that in 10 years with £10 million. I was wondering if you could give us a bit more detail on that, because I did ask Llamau, who seem to be the only organisation involved in that announcement, what the detail was, and...
Bethan Sayed: I wondered whether we could have a statement from the environment Secretary with regard to classifications of floodplains in Wales. People will be aware that last week, and over the Christmas period, really, there's been much more drainage problems in the Baglan Moors area, which is the area where the prison is being proposed to be built. Drainforce has been out in force there. Residents have...
Bethan Sayed: Thank you for the briefing that you afforded me yesterday, it was useful. I've been pleased to support these efforts in the past, as has Plaid Cymru, when we were campaigning for this—former Assembly Members such as Lindsay Whittle and many Assembly Members from across the political divide. I think it's crucial to state, from the outset, that I'm not in favour of punishing a parent for...
Bethan Sayed: I’d like to say it gives me great pleasure that we are holding this debate today, but, unfortunately, it’s something that we’re not happy to have a debate on, because something like homelessness shouldn’t exist in society, considering the fact that our society is one of the wealthiest in the world. I think homelessness reflects badly on our society, and that we should do more of what...
Bethan Sayed: The actions of the Welsh Government to date have been mixed in responding to this growing crisis. Whilst we have seen some solid pieces of preventative and progressive legislation and pots of money announced over the years, there needs to be a more root-and-branch look at how we can change and enhance our policies. For example, as I said yesterday, announcing pots of money just before...
Bethan Sayed: Thank you, and thank you, everybody, for contributing. I thought it was a thoughtful and interesting debate. I'll start with what I agree with: what the Minister said in relation to the commission. I do agree that any delay in implementing future work on this area would not be necessary, and, hearing what David Melding said in relation to housing first, why not just crack on in that regard?...
Bethan Sayed: What I didn't hear very convincingly from the Minister, I'm afraid, is the issue with regard to ring-fencing of Supporting People. We heard Leanne Wood intervene and ask you whether you had decided to ring-fence. You were pushed for clarity but you still have not made up your mind. And I think that those in the sector and us on these benches would be concerned about that, because from where...
Bethan Sayed: 5. Will the First Minister outline how the Welsh Government can improve financial security for people in Wales? OAQ51579
Bethan Sayed: Thank you. There's a broader market for credit unions in other developed nations. We look at Ireland, where there's been 77 per cent in the last year and 50 per cent in the United States, and the figures for Wales in terms of credit union membership: 69,000 members here, but 561,000 in Northern Ireland alone. So, I wonder whether the Welsh Government could do more to facilitate the...
Bethan Sayed: There's a first for everything.
Bethan Sayed: I wondered whether we could have a statement with regard to the childcare offer. I've had communication—from not constituents; in my capacity as portfolio holder—that the Welsh Government funding guidelines relating to the childcare offer have now changed to mirror those in England, meaning that registered child minders will no longer be able to offer funded childcare places to a...
Bethan Sayed: In the future, as well as advice and support services, we should be looking at smarter and more efficient homes to begin with. I understand that the Welsh housing quality standard has mandated better efficiency in social housing, but we need to be looking at a wider approach. The SPECIFIC Innovation and Knowledge Centre in Swansea University has created a design for homes as mini power...
Bethan Sayed: I wanted to carry on with the question with regard to the animal abuse register. Clearly, we're well advanced in this particular area with the working group led by RSPCA, but I wondered whether you'd taken on my concerns last time whereby those who had started the campaign, such as Tŷ Nant animal sanctuary and Maxine Berry from Justice for Chunky, would be involved in that particular working...
Bethan Sayed: First Minister, the Scottish Government, as part of the Smith Commission, will see yet again more powers over welfare being devolved to their Government. In the past, your Government has said that you don't want to have powers over welfare because of the cost implications, but, as we've rehearsed time and time again in debates here in the National Assembly for Wales, we have been led to...
Bethan Sayed: I didn’t say that though.
Bethan Sayed: We've had a written statement in the last few days on steel procurement, which I do welcome. But I was wondering whether we could have an oral or a written statement on the other elements of the agreement with Plaid Cymru that we made with regard to the steel industry, specifically on the funding for a power plant? I'm just curious as to where we stand on this. We've seen in the last week...
Bethan Sayed: I was just wondering, you mentioned you were meeting with the Cabinet Secretary, but what other Ministers you are engaging with. I'm wondering specifically on detecting early intervention, and signals of behaviour in somebody who would abuse an animal, for example. I've raised this before with the environment Cabinet Secretary, because there is research to show that, if they abuse an animal,...
Bethan Sayed: I was just wondering whether you could do some work to look at how women who have had children and have come back to work are discriminated against. Before Siân had this debate, one of our party members said that she'd faced discrimination where she couldn't get elevated in her workplace because of that sort of—sometimes from women who don't have children or don't understand those...
Bethan Sayed: First Minister, outlined in your economic contract are calls to action, which businesses will be required to follow if they want to get direct Welsh Government support. But none of those calls to action specifically relate to requiring a living wage or any types of incentives around wages specifically. Given that Wales is a low-pay country, with wages £50 less per week than the rest of the...
