Darren Millar: I want to focus, if I may, my comments on the plight of veterans' mental health services. It's an issue that is frequently raised in the cross-party group on the armed forces and cadets, and it's something that we actually visited earlier this week as well in our cross-party group meeting, at which Angela Burns was present. We all know that veterans don't just face stresses on their mental...
Darren Millar: Leader of the house, one thing that is very important is, of course, to make sure that there is childcare provision in the school holidays, and, indeed, outside of the school holidays. What consideration has the Welsh Government given to the concerns that have been expressed by the future generations commissioner and, indeed, the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years about...
Darren Millar: Can I thank you, Cabinet Secretary, for your statement, although, I have to say it's been a long time coming? We've known that we have not been sufficiently stretching our most able and talented pupils for a number of years now. Not only has Estyn confirmed this, but we've had others also confirm it—in particular, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development—and I do...
Darren Millar: Can I thank the Minister for her statement this afternoon? I will just raise a few concerns that I have about the way in which some local authorities are trying to squeeze further recycling rates out of their local communities. As you will know, Minister, one of the issues that is causing some consternation in my own constituency is the advent of four-weekly general waste collections by Conwy...
Darren Millar: 3. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on Welsh Government support for veterans in Wales? OAQ51787
Darren Millar: Can I thank you, Cabinet Secretary, for your support for our veterans across the country? I know that your update to the cross-party group recently was very much appreciated by all of the members. Following your address to the meeting, the meeting obviously continued, and one of the issues that was taxing the minds of people around the table was that of the need to identify more veterans...
Darren Millar: The first of March marks the day of our patron saint, David, a devoted follower of Jesus Christ and the inspiration for the inaugural St David's parliamentary prayer breakfast, which will be held in the Pierhead building tomorrow morning. The prayer breakfast will bring together Assembly Members, international guests and others to celebrate Wales's rich Christian heritage, and the huge...
Darren Millar: I'm not pleased to have to take part in this debate this afternoon at all, and it's with a heavy heart that I rise to participate in it. I'm sorry that the previous speaker feels that this about political point scoring; it's not at all. This is about, in my view, a need to get to the truth about what happened, a need to understand the processes that the Permanent Secretary has been through,...
Darren Millar: Of course.
Darren Millar: That's right. And, of course, it's the job of this National Assembly to hold our Government to account, and that means all parts of the Government, not just the political parts, but, indeed, the functioning parts—the officials who lie behind the politicians who we debate with here in this National Assembly Chamber. I have to say, I think it was very discourteous of the Permanent Secretary...
Darren Millar: I'm very grateful for the leader of the house taking the intervention. One simple question, which I would like the Permanent Secretary asked, and you may have asked this on behalf of the Government to the Permanent Secretary, is: has she approached any of the witnesses to ask whether they are content with their information being shared in a redacted way that protects their anonymity?
Darren Millar: Will you take an intervention?
Darren Millar: One thing that could easily be prepared would be a statement of the methodology that was used, and detail on the scope of the evidence that was considered, without naming anybody or any pieces of evidence. We're just in the dark about everything.
Darren Millar: Can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for having this debate in the Chamber today? Indeed, I fully support the amendment that has been tabled by the Plaid Cymru group. I always get concerned when I pick up an annual Estyn report and see a refrain of things that have been said in the past, because it suggests that insufficient progress is being made, and I know that that's a concern of the Cabinet...
Darren Millar: Diolch, Llywydd. Cabinet Secretary, research shows that the Gypsy/Roma/Traveller community have the lowest attainment rates of any ethnic group in Wales when it comes to their education. Tell us, why did you scrap the education improvement grant, which was designed to support and increase the attainment rates amongst this particular group?
Darren Millar: As you know, you have redistributed the education improvement grant—the minority ethnic achievement grant element of that—into the revenue support grant for local authorities, and they claim that they can find no trace of it within the lines within the budgets that they have been given by the Welsh Government. They reckon that around £13 million has gone missing from...
Darren Millar: So, that £7.5 million, which you've suggested, you're going to make available primarily to three local authorities that happen to be Labour authorities in south Wales, with very little left for the rest of the nation. The reality is that every single local authority in Wales has young people who need this sort of support. So, I ask you again: when will you ensure that there are adequate...
Darren Millar: First Minister, I was intrigued to hear your response there, because you didn't mention the positive contribution that the further education sector is making to encourage STEM careers and STEM learning. Will you congratulate me, for example—.Will you congratulate Coleg Cambria rather [Laughter.] and me for raising it? [Laughter.] Will you congratulate Coleg Cambria, for example, for the...
Darren Millar: What action is the Welsh Government taking to address health inequalities in Wales?
Darren Millar: Can I also join in the condemnation about this despicable hate mail? It was clearly designed to stoke fear in the Muslim community and, to some extent, I'm afraid it has been successful in that, and I think it's absolutely right that we stand shoulder to shoulder with Muslims here in Wales and across the UK in demonstrating our love and care for them in their communities. We've got to be able...
