Sam Rowlands: Thank you, Minister, for your statement today. I'd also like to welcome the comments you just made there to the Chairman of the committee and thank you for your ongoing communication, as a member of the Local Government and Housing Committee, as well. In line with your statement, Minister, I agree with you that we need to understand the issues fully, in line with the comments from Joel James...
Sam Rowlands: Minister, it's always pleasing to hear Ministers talking about the importance of participating in elections, as I'm sure you agree with me that confidence and trust in any government starts with the vote, and engagement with the vote is the foundation, of course, of democracy. And despite May's Senedd elections being the highest electoral turnout that the Welsh Parliament has ever received,...
Sam Rowlands: I'll just declare an interest as an elected member of Conwy County Borough Council. Trefnydd, I'd like to call for a Welsh Government statement providing an update on the COVID hardship funding for local councils in Wales. As has been mentioned a number of times across the Chamber, the good work that local authorities have carried out throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping people safe, and...
Sam Rowlands: Thank you, Minister, for bringing today's statement here to the Chamber today. Certainly, the motives behind the action plan I certainly welcome—the desire to tackle homelessness as quickly as possible is certainly something that I'm sure we'd all want to support. Specifically, I was pleased to see the mention within the action mentioned in the statement of the opportunity for those longer...
Sam Rowlands: I'm really pleased today to speak as the Conservative spokesperson for local government, and thank you, Minister, for your introduction to the regulations outlined here today. I would first of all like to talk to item 9, the Corporate Joint Committees (General) (No. 2) (Wales) Regulations 2021. As colleagues will be aware, these regulations are connected with the establishment of the...
Sam Rowlands: As highlighted, active recreation is, of course, essential to the health and prosperity of many people across north Wales. Not only does active recreation benefit people physically, it also has immense benefits for mental health as well. As, Minister, you will be aware, north Wales is an exceptional area for active recreation, with fantastic nature and scenery for all types of exercise, and,...
Sam Rowlands: Thank you to my colleague Darren Millar for submitting this really important debate. As outlined by my colleague Peter Fox, who opened our debate today, motor neurone disease is a rapidly progressing disease that, sadly, has no cure. And I'm sure many Members across the Chamber will know of someone who has been affected by this awful disease. And, Deputy Presiding Officer, I'd like to take...
Sam Rowlands: Thank you, Rhianon Passmore, for allowing me to speak in your short debate today. I do apologise if I go slightly over a minute, but I'll do my best, because music to me is really, really important. I remember the first instrument I learnt was the recorder, of all things, my mother teaching me how to play the recorder. Then, I moved on to the clarinet as I got more proficient in recorder. I...
Sam Rowlands: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and thanks, Minister, for bringing forward today's statement on reforming council tax here in Wales. I'm sure Members across the Chamber welcome an announcement that consultation will be taking place next year on this, and as you describe it as an ambitious package of council tax reforms, I would, Minister, be interested to hear more of how radical you...
Sam Rowlands: 1. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to minimise lost school time during the COVID-19 pandemic in North Wales? OQ57329
Sam Rowlands: Thank you, Minister. It's pleasing to hear the engagement you're having with schools and with those directors of education in local authorities as well because, of course, pupils in Wales have, sadly, had less face-to-face time in schools than counterparts across the United Kingdom during the pandemic. And I'm sure you'd acknowledge that online learning—whilst it has its place, there is...
Sam Rowlands: Thanks to my colleague Darren Millar for submitting this extremely important debate here today. As outlined by my colleague Mark Isherwood in opening today's debate, the findings of the Holden report are deeply concerning. In fact, they're absolutely shocking and make for very difficult reading for the residents that I represent in north Wales. As Mr Isherwood outlined, the long-awaited...
Sam Rowlands: Will the First Minister outline the current challenges for recruitment into the NHS in North Wales?
Sam Rowlands: I must also say that I'm disappointed that just 30 minutes has been tabled for this really important item this evening now, and also disappointed that that draft guidance was only published late last night. It does make it difficult to properly scrutinise a really important area of work. That aside, whilst much of the intention of the code presented today may be good, I do share Members'...
Sam Rowlands: 3. What financial support will the Minister provide to local authorities to enable them to deliver services over the coming winter months? OQ57372
Sam Rowlands: 2. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to promote food and drink from North Wales? OQ57373
Sam Rowlands: Thank you, Minister, for your response, and I also listened carefully to your responses to Peter Fox's questions in relation to social care a moment ago and, as you mentioned then, noting some of the in-year additional funding that you've already provided to councils in Wales. But I'd like to just push this a little further, if I may, this afternoon. As we've noted, one of the best ways our...
Sam Rowlands: Thank you, Minister, for your answer. As I'm sure all Members from across Zoom will agree, this is an excellent time of year to be promoting and taste-testing the fantastic food and drink from across Wales, the best of which, of course, comes from my region in the north. And Minister, I'm sure you know, in north Wales, we have a hub of world-renowned food and drink, whether it's the...
Sam Rowlands: Thank you, Minister, for bringing forward today's statement on the draft budget. Just a brief reminder at this point that I'm still a member of Conwy County Borough Council, as my register of interest shows. Like many Members, just before Christmas, while I was doing my best to ensure Father Christmas was able to arrive safe and well, I too was eagerly awaiting for the draft budget to be...
Sam Rowlands: What action is the Welsh Government taking to promote community safety in North Wales?
