John Griffiths: I very much welcome this debate today as part of Wales and the Senedd recognising that we're part of the worldwide community, and that the worldwide community faces a tremendous challenge in dealing with the pandemic. COVID-19 doesn't recognise any borders between countries. It's a collective experience that the world is, sadly, going through at the moment, and it does require a united,...
John Griffiths: Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd, and yes, I will be speaking in my capacity as Chair of the Local Government and Housing Committee today. I thank the Minister for her statement. Our committee will be looking at housing in the round over the course of this Senedd term—the availability of affordable, good quality housing that meets the climate change challenges. Our first work stream is, however, on...
John Griffiths: Thank you, Llywydd. I'm speaking as Chair of the Local Government and Housing Committee. Thank you very much to the Minister for his statement.
John Griffiths: As I outlined earlier, our committee is currently looking at second homes and will be looking at the Welsh Government's response to Dr Brooks's report on whether the steps taken are appropriate ones. Of course, Dr Brooks looked at the future of Welsh as a community language, and he found that the issue of second homes was affecting what he described, I think, as 'the territorial "core" of...
John Griffiths: 3. What plans does the Welsh Government have to introduce the real living wage across Wales? OQ57240
John Griffiths: 3. What steps will the Welsh Government take to encourage participation in elections in Wales? OQ57249
John Griffiths: 7. What legal advice has the Counsel General provided to the Welsh Government regarding the implications of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill for civil liberties in Wales? OQ57247
John Griffiths: 1. Beth yw polisi'r Comisiwn ar ddefnyddio ystâd y Senedd ar gyfer digwyddiadau allanol? OQ57241
John Griffiths: Thank you for that, Minister, and I was pleased to see the First Minister's announcement last week of the new real living wage in Wales—that announcement on the twentieth anniversary of the establishment of the living wage movement. According to the Living Wage Foundation, there are now 360 accredited living wage employers in Wales. So, it is good to see progress, but of course what makes...
John Griffiths: I thank the Counsel General for that answer. Counsel General, like many Members of the Senedd, I was very pleased to hear the Welsh Government announcement on flexible voting pilots, which will make it easier for people to vote, but, at the same time, I think we have a regrettable direction of travel from UK Government in terms of its voter ID proposals, which will reduce turnout and...
John Griffiths: Counsel General, I chair the cross-party group on race and equality and the group met yesterday to discuss Part 4 of the Bill, which, as you will know, will end up incriminating Gypsy, Roma and Traveller families in terms of their way of life. At that cross-party group meeting yesterday, which was attended by over 60 people, we heard from a range of representatives of the Gypsy, Traveller and...
John Griffiths: Diolch, Llywydd. Llywydd, last week, the Senedd estate was used for an event with Japan Tobacco International on the subject of tackling illicit tobacco sales. There is a great deal of concern about this event. Ash Wales, for example, is very concerned. There is a World Health Organization framework convention on tobacco control, which outlines how there must be a distance between the...
John Griffiths: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd, and I thank the Minister for her statement. Our committee has agreed that scrutinising policies and actions to end homelessness is one of our main priorities over this Senedd term. Indeed, the predecessor committee, which I also chaired, welcomed the actions taken at the start of the pandemic to place people sleeping rough, and others, into temporary accommodation....
John Griffiths: 2. What action is the Welsh Government taking to improve access to primary care in Wales? OQ57287
John Griffiths: Diolch yn fawr, Weinidog. A number of constituents regularly complain to me that they find it very difficult to obtain an appointment to see their GP. Typically, they ring up at 8 a.m. as required to, but are unable to get through for quite some time, they're constantly telephoning, and then, when they eventually get through to the practice, they're told that all the appointments for that day...
John Griffiths: Diolch, Llywydd, and thank you, Minister, for your statement. Our committee has agreed that building safety is a key priority over this Senedd term. We have already considered the LCM on the building safety Bill and will be reporting on that shortly, and we also expect to be scrutinising a Welsh Government Bill, of course, during this Senedd term. Our predecessor committee, which I also...
John Griffiths: Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. We laid our report as a committee on this LCM yesterday afternoon. Leasehold reform is an area of interest for the committee, and the Welsh Government's plans for reform were something that we raised with you, Minister, during our scrutiny session on 22 September. We welcome the decision to set ground rent on new leases to a token one peppercorn per year, effectively...
John Griffiths: 7. What consideration does the Minister give to the provision of domestic abuse services when allocating funding to the social justice portfolio? OQ57378
John Griffiths: Minister, in Newport, and indeed also Torfaen, Blaenau Gwent and Monmouthshire, Barnardo's Cymru run an Opening Closed Doors service, which is a service for the whole family when domestic abuse is occurring and a family are suffering as a result. Indeed, since March 2019, over 450 families have benefited from this service. It provides tailored support to adult and child survivors of domestic...
John Griffiths: First Minister, parkruns in Wales are very important for public health, allowing people to have valuable exercise and associated benefits. During COVID, they've developed a framework globally that is very effective in ensuring safety and enabling the virus to be combated. They're very willing to work with Welsh Government and officials, First Minister, to try and find a way through to...
