John Griffiths: Minister, health inequalities in the UK and Wales are very, very concerning. Men in the most deprived communities live, on average, 10 years less than those in the least deprived, and, for women, the difference is almost eight years. And in terms of healthy years of life, the difference is almost 19 years, and that applies to both genders. So, with that sort of background, that's why the...
John Griffiths: Minister, a major issue is men's mental health and their tendency not to talk about their feelings and problems, as we've discussed many times. So, it is important to reach men with the right messages through a variety of means and organisations, and of course to have good role models. Given the profile and reach of professional football, I do think there's a strong role for our clubs in...
John Griffiths: Diolch, Llywydd. I would like to congratulate the First Minister on his reappointment and his ministerial appointments, and also welcome the sense of urgency that he stressed in terms of governing Wales and implementing the programme for government. I think it is very consistent with what the First Minister has said about building back fairer and greener, through and beyond the pandemic, that...
John Griffiths: 2. What are the Welsh Government's immediate economic priorities for this Senedd term? OQ56527
John Griffiths: First Minister, our city and town centres are very important for economic activity and jobs, and very important in other ways, as places for people to meet up, in terms of that sense of local pride and, indeed, sense of well-being. In Newport, as with other places across the UK, we face many challenges from changes in retail shopping habits to online. Recently, Debenhams has closed. But...
John Griffiths: I would be grateful for clarification on the regulations, Minister, possibly in writing in due course. Issues have been raised with me by Newport Harriers with regard to youth athletics and whether youth development league meetings are permissible within the regulations, and also whether parents are able to spectate at those meetings. It is an outdoor stadium that Newport Harriers use, and...
John Griffiths: Diolch, Llywydd. The steel industry continues to be a real strength for Wales and is, of course, a strategic industry, so important to manufacturing and construction, for example. I would like the Minister's reassurance, which I'm sure will be forthcoming, that it will be a continuing priority for Welsh Government to support the steel industry in Wales, and to make sure that we have the...
John Griffiths: 1. What early action will the Welsh Government take to tackle air pollution in Wales? OQ56616
John Griffiths: First Minister, the impact of air pollution is very significant in terms of our health, as shown in asthma rates and other respiratory conditions, for example, and also with regard to environment and climate change. I know, First Minister, you are fully committed to radical and timely action for this Welsh Government, and that's certainly needed with regard to public health and our precious...
John Griffiths: 2. What principles will the Welsh Government follow in developing tax policy in Wales? OQ56635
John Griffiths: Minister, there is far too much inequality within the UK, and far too much inequality within Wales. When we travel around our constituencies as Senedd Members, we see great differences in quality of life, wealth and income between various areas of our constituencies. So, there is much work to be done. Some of the levers rest with UK Government in terms of tax and benefits, but Welsh...
John Griffiths: Minister, among the areas of Wales with strong steel traditions, of course, is Newport, and my constituency of Newport East, with the Llanwern site, for example, and, more recently, Liberty Steel. Liberty Steel, of course, is in considerable difficulty at the moment, and I'd just like your assurance, Minister, that you are involved in that situation at Liberty, in terms of keeping a watching...
John Griffiths: I'm very pleased to take part in this important debate today. Of course, in the part of Wales that I represent, we've been having a debate over the balance between roads, public transport and active travel for quite some time, in terms of the congestion on the M4 around Newport and many other roads besides. We now have the work of the Burns commission and the delivery unit in place to take...
John Griffiths: 5. Which policies will the Welsh Government follow to address entrenched poverty levels in Wales? OQ56775
John Griffiths: First Minister, I very much agree with you in terms of the effect of those UK Government policies. Much entrenched poverty is rooted in social class, and working class communities in areas of industrial decline in the Valleys and on our social housing estates are suffering intergenerational disadvantage, which has been around, sadly, for many years. This affects all stages of education,...
John Griffiths: 4. What steps will the Minister take to minimise lost school time during the COVID-19 pandemic? OQ56772
John Griffiths: Thank you for that, Minister. I think, as we heard earlier, there's obviously widespread concern regarding the amount of school time lost because of the pandemic. Obviously, that's widely shared across Wales—parents, teachers and the whole school teams, as well as, I think, Senedd Members and Welsh Government. It is very alarming that all that time has been lost, and I think we did see a...
John Griffiths: Will the First Minister provide an update on the implementation of the Burns Commission report?
John Griffiths: What action is the Welsh Government taking to mitigate agricultural pollution in Wales?
John Griffiths: 6. What is the Welsh Government’s latest assessment of economic and social inequality in Wales? OQ56888
