Bethan Sayed: Okay. Thank you for that answer. There are financial implications to Government spending if a proposed prison in Port Talbot or elsewhere in Wales is to go ahead. Have you made any analysis of the impact in terms of how you would need to allocate extra resources to departments? I understand the public service Cabinet Secretary made a statement during recess, where the impacts on other aspects...
Bethan Sayed: I'm doing a lot with asylum seekers and refugees, both in Neath Port Talbot and Swansea, and it seems to me there's still quite a lot of issues with regard to isolation and transport issues. Some of the people I meet are actually single mothers with three or four children and they find it increasingly difficult to get different children to different places at different times, and get...
Bethan Sayed: Thank you. Firstly, I just like to say that I am disappointed by the Welsh Government's attitude to the call for this emergency debate in Leanne Wood's name. I have had many constituents and many people from across Wales wanting to know the opinion of AMs on this, and there has also been a petition in relation to the reaction by the First Minister in stating that he would support 'any...
Bethan Sayed: I don't have much time, I'm afraid. It's something that I've always noted, that those often most keen on a march to war for various reasons, particularly those gripped by British jingoism, are often those least keen to help those who are on the receiving end of military action. Those most opposed to Iraqi refugees after the Iraq war were those most in favour of war in the first place. So, I...
Bethan Sayed: 5. Will the First Minister make a statement on workplace culture within the Welsh Government? OAQ52056
Bethan Sayed: Just on this same theme, I would like to know whether it would be possible to favour eco-homes companies. I think it is something that needs to be looked at in terms of the sustainability of the market and in seeking to make our housing more sustainable. Could you look into this as a Government in order to ensure that such plans would be given a priority?
Bethan Sayed: First Minister, I think it's important to note your absence from the debate on the leak inquiry last week. Despite retreating from the legal challenge to block the debate, I would've thought that you would've respected the institution of this Assembly and would've been here to hear the arguments that AMs put forward. We know that you've been cleared in the Hamilton report that was released...
Bethan Sayed: I appreciate it is not always possible to provide statements to this Assembly, but I think with regard to the termination of Communities First, that did warrant a statement here, and it was shuffled out last week again, after we retired from these debating chambers to our region or to our committees. Now, considering that this was a flagship programme of the Labour Government in relation to...
Bethan Sayed: Plaid Cymru will be supporting this legislation, and we are minded to support all the amendments in this group at this current stage, but I'd like to take this opportunity to explain our approach to this legislation, as David Melding has also done. We've supported the principle of this legislation, in a pragmatic way, ever since it became clear that the ONS decision to reclassify social...
Bethan Sayed: Yes, sure.
Bethan Sayed: Yes, and I think that's exactly why we have raised concerns at each stage, and I think that's true to say of our concerns for the future, because if it's happening now, how can we put checks and balances in place via this Bill to make sure it doesn't happen in future? So, we will be listening carefully to the Government's response on these amendments, but we are currently minded to also...
Bethan Sayed: We will be supporting the amendments in this group. Scrutiny is supposed to be one of the core functions of this Assembly, and there has been a weakness with previous legislation in that, often, that post-legislative scrutiny hasn't been given the prominence it should have been given. So, we will support amendment 19 on this basis, and I really don't think that it's for the Government to...
Bethan Sayed: We've taken a decision as a Plaid Cymru group not to support these amendments. We think that, on this occasion, they would impose too much rigidity on the Government and there may be an advantage to allowing flexibility in relation to this particular issue. There are certainly circumstances whereby allowing a person appointed by the Welsh Government to continue in their role would be an...
Bethan Sayed: 8. Will the Cabinet Secretary outline the Welsh Government's position on school mergers and closures? OAQ52023
Bethan Sayed: Thank you for that reply. I have raised this issue with you here before with regard to the proposal to close Cymer Afan Comprehensive School in my region, and I heard you earlier speak about the choice of active travel for learners. But in this instance, if Cymer Afan is closed and they are expected to travel nearly 10 miles to either Cimla or Margam, it may mean that they do not have that...
Bethan Sayed: Will you take an intervention?
Bethan Sayed: Do you realise that Legoland in Windsor actually gets more visitors than the actual Windsor palace? This economic argument is simply not one that we should be following. Plus they make lots of money through the public purse, such as pensions and such, and through the Duchy. It's not something that we should be supporting, and that's something I would like to debate here in this National...
Bethan Sayed: Will the First Minister provide an update on Welsh Government plans to improve animal welfare?
Bethan Sayed: Shelter Cymru's guidance to private tenants about taking action if their home is unhealthy or in a dangerous state, and I quote: 'Firstly, you need to think carefully about whether to take action. In particular, consider whether your landlord is likely to try to evict you rather than do the work.' Although the tenants can then ask the council to send an inspector, they are still under risk...
Bethan Sayed: Thank you for an advance copy of the statement, and before I go into some questions about this particular statement, I'd just like to ask your views on some of the news reports, over the weekend, about the fact that there are councils in England that are minded to buy some housing stock here in Wales—I think Merthyr council was quoted. This isn't a new phenomenon, actually. When I was a...
