Sarah Murphy: 8. How is the Welsh Government supporting schools to identify and assess special educational needs in early years settings across Bridgend? OQ58055
Sarah Murphy: Thank you, Minister. It has been great to visit lots of early years settings across my constituency in Bridgend, which I know are pleased to be able to return to pre-COVID routines and activities to benefit the children in their care. For many parents and pupils, schools and early years settings can often be the start of the journey for additional learning needs assessment. As we know, having...
Sarah Murphy: Diolch, Llywydd. I want to thank you, Plaid Cymru, for bringing this incredibly important debate to the Chamber today. On Monday night, I attended a local menopause cafe event run by Sarah Williams from Equality Counts, where women and those dealing with similar health-related issues came to discuss their experiences. Open spaces like menopause cafes and events like this in my community are...
Sarah Murphy: I want to start by thanking you for bringing this debate to the Chamber today. Child and adolescent mental health is one of the key issues that young people raise with me across Bridgend and Porthcawl. In Bridgend last week, it was great to host our young person's fair on this very topic with Bridgend Youth Council, where schools, pupils and local support groups came together to discuss how...
Sarah Murphy: Diolch. I want to thank Jack Sargeant for bringing this motion to the Chamber today. Our Welsh Government was one of the first in the world to declare a climate emergency, and it was groundbreaking. I remember hearing the announcement and thinking of all those across our communities who have adapted to recycling their waste, cycling to work, walking to work to mitigate air pollution,...
Sarah Murphy: 6. Will the Minister provide an update on the Welsh Government's National Space Strategy for Wales? OQ58163
Sarah Murphy: How is the Welsh Government working to ensure that women receive equal access to diagnosis of, and support for, neurodivergent conditions?
Sarah Murphy: Thank you, Minister. It's great to hear about the opportunities that are going to arise from that strategy. I recently spoke with the Institute of Physics, who have been running the Our Space Our Future scheme across nine schools in Wales, including year 8 at Brynteg Comprehensive School in my constituency. The scheme aims to shift perceptions of space from being a career path for a small...
Sarah Murphy: Let me start by thanking our Chair, Jenny Rathbone, my fellow Members and the committee clerks and researchers. As a committee, we have set ourselves the objective of championing equality, social justice and the well-being of future generations across the Senedd, so scrutinising the implementation of the well-being of future generations Act is a crucial part of this. And as we come to seven...
Sarah Murphy: How is the Welsh Government engaging with Bridgend County Borough Council regarding its local development plan?
Sarah Murphy: Thank you, Deputy Minister, for this statement on the action plan today. Last week, we celebrated, as you said, what would have been the birthday of Welshman, Terrence Higgins, and remembered his passing 40 years ago from an AIDS-related illness. Terry was named as the first person in the UK to die from AIDS, but the crisis caused gay and bisexual men to face horrific homophobia and stigma....
Sarah Murphy: 5. How is the Welsh Government supporting animal rehoming centres to care for dogs rescued from illegal breeding? OQ58248
Sarah Murphy: Thank you, Minister. I recently visited Hope Rescue centre with Huw Irranca-Davies, as he mentioned, and I think we can all agree that the visit from Hope Rescue and south Wales greyhound rescue has left a massive impression on a lot of us, just by the questions that we've had today. But I think we can all see, like you said, just how outstanding the care for the dogs was. On our visit to the...
Sarah Murphy: First Minister, there has been a lot of goodwill in NHS dentistry for a really long time. Having talked to dentists in Bridgend, and the British Dental Association, unfortunately, it is the case that, with the new contracts, NHS practices are seeing lots of new patients and need to reach high targets of patients. Practices have to cover the cost of treatment due to the level of care needed...
Sarah Murphy: Thank you, Minister, for this. I know that women's health is a priority for you and our Welsh Government, and so I very much welcome the statement today. I don't want to say things that have already been said; I just want to support what you, Minister, and Jenny Rathbone have said about the ruling being overturned in the US—the Roe v. Wade—and I really do believe that it's going to be a...
Sarah Murphy: 1. What assessment has the Counsel General made of the implications of industrial action by barristers for access to justice in Wales? OQ58290
Sarah Murphy: Thank you, Minister—sorry, thank you, Counsel General. I agree with what you've said: barristers in Wales are facing the brunt of the UK Conservative Government's underfunding of the justice system in Wales. This does not only impact barristers working in the industry—the lack of investment and support for them by the UK Government impacts the entire justice system and this inevitably...
Sarah Murphy: Free school meals for all primary school children will be known as a historic policy in this Chamber. This policy acknowledges that, despite the differences in background, when pupils enter the school gates they will be provided with equal access to food. Providing school meals prevents children from becoming collateral damage in an ever-changing economic situation that is completely out of...
Sarah Murphy: I want to start by also thanking my colleagues, the Chair and the clerks on the Equality and Social Justice Committee for their work on this vital and timely 'Fuel poverty and the Warm Homes Programme' report, as well as those who gave evidence and spoke before the committee. I am pleased that the Welsh Government has responded by either accepting or accepting in principle the recommendations...
Sarah Murphy: Thank you, Minister, for providing this statement today. Just to pick up on your points there, and, Luke, your questions about free ports, I would hope, then, that that would mean that the Welsh Government would never make a deal with DP World, which owns P&O Ferries and sacked 800 of their staff. Unsurprisingly, but disappointingly, the UK Government, two of their largest are run by DP...
