Vikki Howells: Thank you, Trefnydd. I welcome your comments there about the e-referrals system. It's estimated that about 25,000 people in Wales are currently waiting for orthodontic treatment, and the lists in most parts of the country are two to three years long. This picture is complicated by some health boards having no direct provision and cases of multiple referral, as the health committee discovered...
Vikki Howells: 5. What discussions has the Minister had about maximising the benefits of the construction of sections 5 and 6 of the A465 Heads of the Valleys road? OAQ54410
Vikki Howells: Thank you, Minister. My question follows on from a question that I asked the Deputy Minister on this topic in Plenary just before recess. My constituency contains two villages that border the Heads of the Valleys road, both of which suffer from terrible broadband. In fact, I had an e-mail from a constituent in one of those villages just last night saying that the 3MB connection is what they...
Vikki Howells: I'm so pleased to have been able to have co-tabled today's motion, tabled in the name of my colleague the AM for Aberavon and also co-tabled with Leanne Wood. Both David Rees and Leanne Wood have been real champions of the Rhondda tunnel, and I thank them for their support for my call for the Abernant tunnel, and also to members of the Rhondda Tunnel Society who have offered their expertise...
Vikki Howells: I want to spend the bulk of my time talking about the Abernant tunnel that connects Cwmbach to Merthyr or, as it is known locally, the Merthyr tunnel. This former railway tunnel, designed by Brunel, was part of the Vale of Neath Railway and is one strand, one branch, of the rich network of historic industrial infrastructure that we enjoy in Wales. Indeed, for 110 years, the main role of this...
Vikki Howells: So, I hope that we can see progress on these ambitions and convert these symbols of nineteenth-century industrialism into one of twenty-first century sustainable prosperity.
Vikki Howells: 1. Will the Deputy Minister provide an update on the community facilities programme? OAQ54469
Vikki Howells: Thank you, Deputy Minister, for that update. I truly welcome the CFAP funding in Cynon Valley. It has helped some really amazing projects to get off the ground. But having said that, from my experience of dealing with community groups that are going through the application process, the timelines given to them are often unclear, the dates by which they expect officials to reply to them, or for...
Vikki Howells: Minister, thank you for your update today. My question is around the issue of cultural change. We all know that cultural change is something that's very, very difficult to implement, but it's so important and underpins all the work that needs to be done to put Cwm Taf maternity services on a safe and sustainable footing. The oversight panel began their work in May of this year, and I know...
Vikki Howells: I’d like to start by thanking the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee for producing what is a really excellent report. I’m not a member of that committee, but the issues it covers are of great concern to many of my constituents. And I’d go further to say that for a substantial period of time since I've been elected, helping constituents who've been denied a blue badge...
Vikki Howells: Will the First Minister provide an update on discussions between the Welsh and UK Governments regarding the creation of a Shared Prosperity Fund?
Vikki Howells: 4. Will the Minister outline how the Welsh Government is supporting digital innovation within health and care services? OAQ54576
Vikki Howells: What action is the Welsh Government taking to support mental wellbeing within the education sector?
Vikki Howells: Thank you, Minister. I was pleased to read your written statement from 30 September on digital health and care and showing that progress is being made, and it's certainly something that I see as making a real difference on the front line in visits that I have carried out to various projects within my constituency. I've previously raised issues around how digital health and care can support my...
Vikki Howells: 6. What discussions has the Welsh Government had regarding the operation of the proposed shared prosperity fund? OAQ54640
Vikki Howells: Thank you, First Minister. I was more than a little concerned to read briefings from the last Queen's Speech that suggested that the shared prosperity fund, which will replace EU structural funding, will be approached within the context of English devolution. Hopefully, an election will bring about a change of approach in Westminster, but, in light of the importance of any successor scheme to...
Vikki Howells: 5. What discussions has the Counsel General had with the Minister for Education about the continuing participation of students from Wales in the Erasmus+ programme following Brexit? OAQ54639
Vikki Howells: Thank you, Counsel General. As you will know, Welsh learners have really benefited from Erasmus+, with over €40 billion being brought into Wales between 2014 and 2018 to support over 7,000 participants in 245 projects. I know the EU Commission has suggested that, for the cycle starting in 2021, the scheme will become global in scope, but, as with so much else, the uncertainty caused by...
Vikki Howells: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. This is a 90-second statement about an ordinary teddy bear—an ordinary teddy bear thrown away, brought to life by a spotty man and given special powers by mother nature. Yes, this is a 90-second statement about SuperTed. SuperTed, the very first commission from S4C, first appeared on Welsh tv on 1 November 1982, so this month marks his thirty-seventh anniversary. An...
Vikki Howells: 9. Will the Minister provide an update on the Welsh Government's consideration of the introduction of mandatory CCTV for slaughterhouses in Wales? OAQ54663
