Leanne Wood: If we listen to the far-right climate change deniers, we will be failing future generations. There's absolutely no doubt about that. Climate change is the biggest threat facing this planet, and it's an absolute shocker that people are prepared to deny that. Back in 2011, I produced ‘A Greenprint for the Valleys’. Now, this is a programme to regenerate our forgotten and let-down...
Leanne Wood: Reduced funding for Welsh Women's Aid has impacted upon their ability to provide dedicated support for children accommodated in refuges, and this is no surprise. Across Wales, services have seen a 14 per cent reduction in funding from local authority children's services and the Families First grant programmes. Some specialist providers do not receive any funding specifically for support...
Leanne Wood: We'll be supporting the general principles of this Bill today, as in fact we have for several years now. Plaid Cymru, of course, tabled amendments to the renting homes Bill a few years ago that would have brought about a ban on letting agent fees. But these were, of course, voted down by the governing party, Labour, like so many other policies that they really should be backing. This time...
Leanne Wood: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd, I move the amendments tabled in Rhun ap Iorwerth's name. But, before I address the amendments, I'd like to briefly address the issues around poverty outlined in this report, 'Is Wales Fairer?' The report shows that Wales has a relative poverty rate higher than England or Scotland's and that the relative poverty rate for 16 to 24-year-olds has increased by a staggering...
Leanne Wood: Will you take an intervention?
Leanne Wood: I've just had an e-mail here, now, this afternoon, that says that countless women are being failed by the system and that there is a 12-month list for trauma counselling that you can't have if your case goes to court, yet you're claiming you're doing enough. You're clearly not, are you?
Leanne Wood: I'm pleased to be able to speak in this debate. In many ways, it's a continuation of yesterday's discussion on equalities and human rights. Let's make no mistake: despite the words we will hear later about remembering the sacrifice of those who fought the Nazis, these rights are under threat. It wasn't the EU's smooth arrangements for the transportation of medical isotopes that annoyed the...
Leanne Wood: So, we've been consistent in calling for these rights to be protected. These joint committee report findings on the impact of Brexit on human rights also support many of our concerns. The initial letter to the First Minister notes, for example, that unlike in many other states, the right to equality in the UK is not protected by a constitutional bill of rights that would limit the extent to...
Leanne Wood: What consideration did the Cabinet Secretary give to the protection of women when allocating the draft budget for 2019-20?
Leanne Wood: Leader of the house, your list of responsibilities includes human rights in relation to United Nations and European Union conventions. Can you explain how you work with other departments and Ministers, in particular the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport, to ensure compliance with human rights in relation to UN and EU conventions?
Leanne Wood: Okay, thank you for your answer. Your colleague and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport is listed as the keynote speaker at an arms fair in Cardiff to be held next year. This event will involve the sale of weapons to regimes with appalling human rights records that are involved in serious armed conflicts, including Saudi Arabia, a country that were it not for its oil interests would...
Leanne Wood: Well, thank you for agreeing to do that, leader of the house, because there are 14 million people in Yemen that are on the brink of famine, thanks to the war, which our arms trade is supporting—one of the worst humanitarian crises in recent years. The Saudi regime remains a regime that heavily oppresses women, restricts basic freedoms and assassinates its opponents overseas. It's heavily...
Leanne Wood: First Minister, there's no doubt in my mind that we've gone backwards on this agenda, and I fully support what's been said by Angela and by Jane Hutt, and I'd like to focus on what you can actually do about this. You could improve education on this front so that every child is absolutely clear what is and what isn't acceptable. You could do something about the welfare benefit system. The fact...
Leanne Wood: Leader of the house, I've got three matters that I'd like to raise with you this afternoon. You'll be aware of the interim report of the UN special rapporteur on extreme poverty. It was a very hard-hitting report pointing out that cuts and austerity are a political choice, that Wales faces the highest relative poverty in the UK, and that 25 per cent of jobs pay below the minimum wage. The...
Leanne Wood: How does the Welsh Government ensure that classrooms are equipped to ensure that pupils with additional needs can reach their full potential?
Leanne Wood: 5. Will the First Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's policy on cannabis use for medicinal purposes? OAQ52980
Leanne Wood: As you've said, from 1 November 2018, changes to the misuse of drugs legislation has enabled unlicensed cannabis-based products to be prescribed by some doctors for medicinal use where there is a special clinical need. At the time, our chief pharmaceutical officer, Andrew Evans, said that the number of people in Wales who would be prescribed medicinal cannabis is likely to be very small. The...
Leanne Wood: I'm not convinced that this statement brings anything new to the table today, and I think the evidence for that is the attack that the Cabinet Secretary just made. Cabinet Secretary, you always seem to attack when you don't have any answers. Anyway, you finished your statement today by saying that the delivery plan in front of us today cuts across all Welsh Government departments and all of...
Leanne Wood: Can you make him answer the questions, Deputy Presiding Officer, rather than—[Inaudible.]
Leanne Wood: Leader of the house, I would urge caution when discussing who provides services. As a former probation officer and support worker for Women's Aid, I would say, of course, that all violence and all abuse in all relationships is wrong, but I'm also acutely aware of perpetrators who say that they are victims of abuse as a cover for their actions. So, when considering the funding of services,...
