Bethan Sayed: I'm sure you'll be aware of the serious allegations of racism levelled at Cardiff University from a number of BME students in the last few days. I and, I'm sure, many others in this Chamber have received a report of testimony about racism, and it's shocking actually to read it. And also a Western Mail report outlines concerning reports experienced by an outgoing vice-president. My office has...
Bethan Sayed: Thank you very much for that response. I'm glad you'll be keeping a keen eye on what's happening with the university. I know that Cardiff has insisted it is taking action and has accepted the recommendations of the report looking into this particular matter, and today, for the record, the vice-chancellor has written to me outlining some of those responses, which I am grateful for. But the...
Bethan Sayed: Thank you for that answer. Your answer in relation to mental health leads me on seamlessly to my last question, and I acknowledge and thank you for the money that you've put into student mental health support. But my question is about what investment you may or may not be putting into the support for lecturing staff also. I've read reports in the last few days, and over the past few years,...
Bethan Sayed: Thank you to the Chair for leading on this agenda. I found this piece of work very interesting, for us to try and shape the future of Transport for Wales, considering it's such a youthful organisation. And while we did find that there had been some teething problems—notably in our other report with regard to the autumn dysfunction—we know that time will tell how engaged and how positive a...
Bethan Sayed: Thank you. I just wanted to say briefly, because I didn't have time to come in—I'll just declare an interest, my father has glaucoma—what wasn't mentioned in this debate was the way that some of the systems behind sight loss treatments are being privatised. My father has had a call from a private company in Preston to change his appointment from the Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr to...
Bethan Sayed: Nobody's disputing the fact that the Afan adventure park concept isn't good. And, in fact, we would be supportive of that idea, because I think, as has been exemplified in questions now, we know the potential and the beauty and the attraction of the Afan valley, and we want to see the area succeed. So, in your conversations with the council, with the city deal and other players, what efforts...
Bethan Sayed: Diolch yn fawr iawn. In the first instance, I want to thank all the industry leaders who contributed to this particular inquiry and everybody who gave evidence. I'd also like to thank the Government for their response to the film and television industry report that we produced. The committee was fortunate to see the up-and-coming talent at the University of South Wales when we launched our...
Bethan Sayed: Turning to the media investment budget, we are pleased to finally see the figures on the media investment budget. I understand that some of the projects are yet to reach their full commercial potential. but having waited so long for this information, it is disappointing to see that the actual performance of the fund is so far from initial projections. Of the seven projects managed by the...
Bethan Sayed: So, I would like the Deputy Minister to set out why the investment budget has generated only 15 per cent of the Welsh spend anticipated, and what he is doing to change this particular situation. This budget, after all, has existed for five years. Something, I believe, has gone very wrong. Either the initial estimates were wildly optimistic, or the performances of the projects have been...
Bethan Sayed: In terms of Creative Wales, every time I talk about Creative Wales in the sector, there's a sharp intake of breath, waiting for further details. During the growth of the film industry, the Welsh Government has had several initiatives designed to boost the sector. But stakeholders felt that this action lacked focus. Screen Alliance Wales told us that projects have been funded randomly based on...
Bethan Sayed: So, we are now in July and we are now still waiting for the details, as promised. The Welsh Government’s response to our report says, and I quote, 'We are currently determining the governance structure for Creative Wales'. What is the delay, because the sector are waiting and waiting? There has been plenty of consultation. We are told that, 'The Team has engaged with...120 companies, public...
Bethan Sayed: Could you just explain to us when Creative Wales will therefore be operational? That’s the question that’s asked of me. People in the sector don’t know when it will start its work. Has it started its work? If so, how will you promote that?
Bethan Sayed: Thank you very much, and thank you to the Assembly Members who had thought that this debate was important enough to contribute to. Certainly, it's very important to the economy here in Wales, but it's also very important to the creative industries.
Bethan Sayed: David Melding, thank you for your contributions in relation to the Welsh language projects. I think it's entirely important, even though the Ministers aren't in the room currently, to try and connect it with Cymraeg 2050, and how we can make sure that the Welsh language opportunities are scaled up. I appreciate that S4C have said to us in their briefing for today's debate that they are...
Bethan Sayed: I hope that people can be engaged in what we're doing as a committee in the world of film in future, and realise that it's important that we don't just grow and develop talent from Wales here in Wales, but that we ensure that the world, globally, sees Wales as a location for filming, and sees it as somewhere that's positive to work in. The process needs to develop more swiftly to promote...
Bethan Sayed: Will you take an intervention?
Bethan Sayed: If you believe that we have grown and we have matured, then will you take back your comment that you said that regional AMs are mostly anonymous?
Bethan Sayed: That's not the point.
Bethan Sayed: I just wanted to ask whether you knew that the figures that you quote are correct, because we know that this figure has been quoted for quite some time, and lots of unpaid carers don't actually define themselves as that. So, I was wondering if there was any work that you were doing as a Welsh Government to update yourselves on that. Many of us in this Chamber have raised this debate on...
Bethan Sayed: I wanted to ask whether you have had any conversations with Neath Port Talbot council with regard to the decision to close Godre'rgraig Primary School after the Earth Science Partnership report reported that there would be a medium-level risk of a landslip. I know that local people there have been potentially alarmed, and even though the report says that the mountain hasn't moved, the school...
