Bethan Sayed: All eyes on me.
Bethan Sayed: I nominate Dr Dai Lloyd.
Bethan Sayed: First Minister, a cap on housing benefit at local housing allowance rates will apply from April 2018, but only to tenancies signed after April 2016. This reform is better intended to align the rules in the private and the social rented sectors, but it will lead to prospective tenants experiencing further issues of affordability if they are in receipt of benefits or require welfare support in...
Bethan Sayed: I just wanted to ask a business question based on the fact that I wanted to have a statement on Government involvement in the setting up of fanzones across Wales, especially in light of the semi-finals. I’m getting quite a lot of messages as we speak here today of people who haven’t been able to get tickets for the Principality Stadium—fans who’ve followed the matches throughout the...
Bethan Sayed: Diolch. The background to this statement here today, I believe, is a manifesto commitment that the First Minister made in April. But, when he announced this taskforce, he said it was being done, and I quote: ‘to challenge the relentless pessimism that we hear from Plaid Cymru…in the Valleys. To listen to them, you’d think that nothing ever happened here. Well, it’s our job to put them...
Bethan Sayed: Thank you, Llywydd. I’d like to speak to these amendments. I think that I will start the debate here today, but I won’t perhaps push it to a vote, so that we can have a debate on this change of name in the Assembly and then allow the Presiding Officer to consult widely on the situation. First of all, I’d like to welcome the opportunity to discuss this issue and the open wording of the...
Bethan Sayed: Will you give way?
Bethan Sayed: Do you think that if you just put it in Welsh though, you wouldn’t even have the problem of people potentially misunderstanding whether it was the UK Parliament or the Welsh parliament? In Welsh, then, it would be unique in and of itself, or would you disagree with that?
Bethan Sayed: I use ‘Senedd’ all the time in my social life.
Bethan Sayed: Yes, it’s fine.
Bethan Sayed: 7. Will the Minister make a statement on the provision of education for autistic pupils? OAQ(5)0006(EDU)
Bethan Sayed: Will the Minister make a statement on the provision of financial education?
Bethan Sayed: Thank you. I recently raised an issue with the leader of the house on a local issue brought to me by a constituent, who is trying to keep an autistic grandchild in a special school, Maes y Coed, in the Neath area for an extra year, in addition to the school year, until they can reach agreement with Abertawe Bro Morgannwg health board on the long-term future. There is provision to allow this...
Bethan Sayed: I stand to move Plaid Cymru’s amendments. There is premature and then there is this debate. Look at the chaos engulfing British politics. The Prime Minister gone. What was his most likely successor gone. A leadership battle in the Labour Party. And yet, even as their own party leader resigns, for now, and leaves his mess for the rest of us to sort, we have the UK Independence Party somehow...
Bethan Sayed: Yes, of course, I would definitely agree with that. There have been a lot of myths peddled about the policy cost of energy. What we do know is that it constitutes a fraction of the price of utility bills, and we also know that there is a snowball’s chance in hell of seeing that market reformed. So, a renewable energy power station remains the best option—the only option. Similarly, the...
Bethan Sayed: Will you take an intervention?
Bethan Sayed: The point is the British Government also opposed those amendments.
Bethan Sayed: Why is, therefore, better in the hands of the British Government if they also voted in that way?
Bethan Sayed: What discussions has the First Minister had regarding the industrial action being taken by Trinity Mirror staff in north Wales?
Bethan Sayed: Cabinet Secretary, I heard what you said in response to Adam Price about the situation whereby the companies are currently still open to negotiating with Tata in relation to the buy-out. In another article online, it says that alternative and more sustainable solutions are being sought by Tata. Does this not then mean that they have decided that they are not compelled by the arguments being...
