Darren Millar: 6. What action is the Welsh Government taking to promote ethical engagement in sports? OAQ52449
Darren Millar: I'm very pleased to hear that response, Minister, but I met with Sports Chaplaincy Wales just last week. They've got 50 volunteer chaplains working with sports clubs across the country, including some of our premier clubs—Cardiff, Swansea City football club, Ospreys, the Scarlets and the Cardiff Blues among them. They do a tremendous amount of work delivering around £0.5 million-worth of...
Darren Millar: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Seven point two billion pounds, 6,000 emergency admissions into our hospitals and 300 lives per year; that is the cost of mental health every single year here in Wales. And I'm sure that everybody in this Chamber recognises the severity of needing to get to grips with this problem, and the urgency, given that we've had very little progress to date, to take action to...
Darren Millar: I'm very grateful for you taking the intervention, but what happens when there's a failure in public services? We can't vote out the management of the Betsi Cadwaladr health board, for example. So, if you accept that that's a principle that you want to employ in relation to private businesses that engage with the public sector, what about public sector organisations that engage with...
Darren Millar: 11. Will the First Minister make a statement on maternity services for patients in north Wales? OAQ52494
Darren Millar: I'm very grateful for the fact that that service is available to people in my own constituency. The First Minister will be aware, however, that some people from north Wales avail themselves of maternity services in Chester at the Countess of Chester Hospital. There's been a recent scandal there with a nurse who has been arrested on suspicion of taking the lives of eight babies. Some parents...
Darren Millar: Leader of the house, can I call for a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs on big cat sightings in Wales? The leader of the house may be aware that there was a further big cat sighting in north Wales just over 10 days ago on the A5, and that's in addition to, of course, the 10 big cat sightings between 2011 and 2016 reported to North Wales Police—a...
Darren Millar: I'm very pleased to hear that alternative ways of spending that £200 million are being considered by the Welsh Government, Cabinet Secretary. You'll be aware that there are companies who are interested in developing a tidal lagoon off the north Wales coast, using different technology than has been proposed in the south, and some seed funding in order to do some scoping work with Bangor...
Darren Millar: What action is the Welsh Government taking to improve mental health services in north Wales?
Darren Millar: First Minister, you'll have to forgive me, but I think that was a very complacent answer. It's very clear from the Ockenden report that the issues that were identified when the health board was put into special measures are not being addressed, and I quote from one of the reasons why the health board was being put in special measures: 'the health board must implement governance and assurance...
Darren Millar: Can I put on record at the outset of my remarks my thanks to Donna Ockenden and her team for their work in compiling this very comprehensive report? Unlike the headline in the previous HASCAS report, published in May, this report has been widely welcomed and accepted by stakeholders, and I think that it's very important now that the National Assembly has the opportunity to consider both of...
Darren Millar: —to deal with that.
Darren Millar: You will be aware, Cabinet Secretary—. I will, Deputy Presiding Officer, in a second. You will be aware, Cabinet Secretary, that, as a result of the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007, organisations can be found guilty of corporate manslaughter as a result of 'serious management failures resulting in a gross breach of duty of care'. Many people in north Wales—people in...
Darren Millar: I will wind up. And I think it's regrettable that we don't have more time, frankly, in a Government debate to be able to consider some of these issues this week, but no doubt we will return to it—we'll probably have to return to it in opposition time. Just one final question from me, given that my time has run out, and that is about the estate issues that are referred to in this report. I...
Darren Millar: Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on Welsh Government procurement processes?
Darren Millar: Will the Leader of the House make a statement on digital infrastructure in north Wales?
Darren Millar: Leader of the house, many of the people fleeing from countries where there's danger and war are fleeing persecution—persecution because of their religious beliefs, usually converts from Islamic backgrounds who convert to Christianity, for example, in some parts of the middle east. Faith groups and churches in the UK have provided sanctuary for these individuals, and given them a very warm...
Darren Millar: Thank you for your answer to Lynne Neagle. I think it is important that this is widely promoted across the country, and that we don't just leave it down to local authorities, particularly over a summer period when many families may be less able to communicate directly with schools about the availability of support. Can I ask you, Cabinet Secretary—? We have another budget round coming up....
Darren Millar: I just want to pay my tribute as well to the work of Huw Vaughan Thomas for the eight years that he served as auditor general. Six of those he spent with me as the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, and I have to say that he was always extremely professional. He maintained absolutely his independence, and of course he pulled no punches in the reports that he published. Many of those...
Darren Millar: First Minister, would you agree with me that Wales needs to take advantage of the opportunities presented by Brexit, as well as dealing with the potential adverse consequences? One of those opportunities, in addition to the overseas trade opportunities—which you've already identified, to be fair, as a Government, and you've invested in your overseas offices—is changes to the procurement...
