Llyr Gruffydd: A tidal lagoon for north Wales, of course, is one possible way of contributing towards tackling flood problems and coastal erosion in Clwyd West. So, could you give us an update on where your Government is in terms of any practical support that you’re giving to developing the potential of a tidal lagoon in north Wales?
Llyr Gruffydd: Thank you for that response. One of the major frustrations that farmers are facing at the moment is the six-day standstill rule. There’s been much talk from the previous Minister in the previous Government that it was an intention to move to a model based on quarantine units. Can you give us an update on where you are with that particular development, and how soon will we see farmers being...
Llyr Gruffydd: Cabinet Secretary, both you and I attended yesterday a young people’s forum organised by the children’s commissioner for 15 to 24-year-olds with experience of care, and not only was there a clear message coming from that forum that care leavers need help to access affordable housing, but they also need help to retain their housing. In a recent report by the Children’s Society, they...
Llyr Gruffydd: There are clearly concerns about the qualifying criteria for Flying Start and the geographical focus of that, and it was a concern levied against Communities First as well with electoral wards and potentially one side of the road being in and the other side of the road being out. I touched on this yesterday in your announcement on the proposed children’s zones. Could you confirm that the...
Llyr Gruffydd: I want to focus my comments on services to children and adolescents. Of course, we can’t talk about improving child and adolescent mental health services without talking about CAMHS waiting times. We know that they are still far, far too long and haven’t been restored to the 2013 levels, never mind achieving the improvement that each and every one of us wants to see happening. Waiting...
Llyr Gruffydd: Will the First Minister make a statement on services for people on the autistic spectrum?
Llyr Gruffydd: Of course, one of the priorities now is to extend the tourism season so that we can provide jobs to the people of north Wales throughout the year. Can you tell us what your Government is doing to try and achieve that and how you would use any additional resources that could be allocated to tourism to achieve that?
Llyr Gruffydd: Of course, as we move away from the current model that has been described as an unsustainable model to a model that, one assumes, will be based on Diamond, can you confirm whether it is your Government’s intention to try to achieve any financial savings?
Llyr Gruffydd: Thank you, Lywydd, and thank you, Minister, for the statement. May I declare an interest, as my wife is a partner in a farm business? I give a cautious welcome to the statement as it was delivered today. I think it does move us in the right direction, but, of course, time will tell, because what we have is a consultation document, or what is being published by the Government today, rather...
Llyr Gruffydd: Okay. Well, vaccination is clearly a characteristic of the strategy, but we still don’t know when that vaccine will be available, so that suggests that there will be a gap in the meantime. So, how do you intend to deal with that gap? I certainly welcome the suggestion that there will be an element of a badger cull, and I would urge anyone responding to this statement in the public...
Llyr Gruffydd: May I sincerely thank everyone who’s contributed to the debate? I don’t remember so much unanimity on any motion—apart from the references to voting at 16, perhaps. But certainly in terms of the content of the motion itself, I do think that the mandate will be clear and unanimous, and I’d like to thank all Members who’ve contributed, and everyone else who will support the motion. It...
Llyr Gruffydd: 9. Will the First Minister make a statement on language impact assessments in planning? OAQ(5)0226(FM)[W]
Llyr Gruffydd: First Minister, would you accept that the reduction in the number of beds in north Wales does contribute to difficulties with waiting times? We’ve seen beds lost in Flint, Llangollen, Blaenau Ffestiniog—there are over 400 fewer beds now in north Wales as compared to 2010. Surely, you would accept that that contributes to the difficulties.
Llyr Gruffydd: Thank you for that response, and you’re quite right—they are crucial as part of the process. My concern, however, is about the quality of some of the language impact assessments. They are produced, very often, without being adequately policed, and I can point to some examples where there is some very dubious evidence presented as part of these assessments, and, of course, those are just...
Llyr Gruffydd: 6. Will the Minister make a statement on language impact assessments in the process of reorganising schools? OAQ(5)0034(EDU)[W]
Llyr Gruffydd: Thank you, Llywydd. The UK Home Secretary has mentioned the intention of her Government to reduce the number of international students studying in the UK by introducing a number of new restrictions. While recognising the importance of international students to universities and, indeed, the wider Welsh economy, can I ask what assessment the Government has made of the impact of such changes on...
Llyr Gruffydd: Thank you for that comprehensive response. I’m pleased to hear that a meeting is due to take place because statements such as the ones we’ve heard from the UK Government will undermine the status of the UK, and, of course, Wales, as a result, as regards being an attractive place for international students. We have seen, with the UCAS statistics last week in terms of early applications for...
Llyr Gruffydd: I’m grateful again to you, and clearly your view is quite unambiguous, but I have to say that the Welsh Government’s position on free movement of people has been anything but consistent, of course. We know it was dropped from the Government’s principles for EU withdrawal over the summer recess. In September, the First Minister told us that the issue of free movement of people is...
Llyr Gruffydd: Thank you for that response. Clearly, it is a requirement that this should happen. But my question is: who checks the quality and accuracy of these assessments? Because they are the basis for far-reaching decisions and there’s nothing to say that one of us here couldn’t establish a company that could begin to draw up such assessments. So, I want to know who polices this system, in the...
Llyr Gruffydd: I think we should all question the reasons we are doing this. And if we’re not to listen to interested bodies, are we to listen to disinterested bodies, then, or how are we supposed to proceed? I have to say that a bit of critical examination, which you are right to highlight as being needed in any discussion of this kind—it works both ways, really, as well as being objective and unbiased...
