Luke Fletcher: Thank you for that response, Minister.
Luke Fletcher: Recent analysis from the End Child Poverty coalition found that Wales has the highest child poverty rate of any UK nation. This is despite two decades of strategies, plans and Senedd inquiries, and the Children's Commissioner for Wales has called child poverty the Welsh Government's biggest challenge, yet it doesn't receive a mention in the five-year programme for government. Those on low...
Luke Fletcher: There's a lot to welcome with a proposed basic income trial, and Jack Sargeant alluded to an issue that I've been aware of and have asked questions of the Minister for Social Justice in this Chamber on. The reality is that unless an agreement is struck with the DWP, this pilot has the potential to leave recipients of the basic income worse off, which is something that none of us in this...
Luke Fletcher: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. On 15 November, I had the pleasure of attending the annual general meeting of Baobab Bach, a community interest company that has been set up in Bridgend county with a goal of providing high-quality food to anyone who wants it—no means testing, no questions, no stigma. For £5, you can come into the community pantry and take as much as you need. Baobab Bach run a...
Luke Fletcher: What work is the Welsh Government undertaking in relation to introducing a four-day work week?
Luke Fletcher: I'd like to ask for a statement on stop and search in Wales. A constituent of mine in Pencoed was stopped whilst leaving an under-15s football match, and my constituent himself was 15 and had no parent or guardian present with him when searched. Not only has this knocked his own confidence, but it strikes me that this is yet again a case of profiling. Whilst I accept that the Trefnydd and...
Luke Fletcher: Diolch, Llywydd. Business Wales currently has skills and training programmes over three areas: recruitment and staffing, workplace skills, and leadership. How does Business Wales choose which courses to offer, and are there any plans to introduce more courses to help boost businesses in Wales?
Luke Fletcher: Thank you for that response, Minister.
Luke Fletcher: And I'm glad he said that that's a question for businesses. As Paul Davies has already highlighted, Small Business Saturday is fast approaching, and, as part of the run-up to Small Business Saturday, many of us in this Chamber have visited our own local businesses. Part of that for me has been visiting businesses in my own region of South Wales West. One consistent suggestion that has been...
Luke Fletcher: Of course, I will also be highlighting a lot of the businesses that I've been frequenting locally in the debate later on, and of course I'll be sharing my secret on where I get my hair cut as well. [Laughter.] And of course I'm very glad that the Minister says that he's engaging with businesses. More often than not, a lot of the ideas that solve a lot of the issues these businesses have come...
Luke Fletcher: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd, and I move the amendment tabled in the name of Siân Gwenllian. Wales has one of the lowest levels of local business ownership of any advanced economy. That must, of course, change. Time and time again, public money has been spent to attract new investment, and either the investor then exports the profits or simply walks away. This has been the story of economic...
Luke Fletcher: 8. Has there been any correspondence between the Welsh Government and the Future Generations Commissioner's office relating to a four-day work week? OQ57314
Luke Fletcher: Thank you for that response, First Minister.
Luke Fletcher: Recently, I met with the future generations commissioner to discuss both a universal basic income and a four-day working week, and I was interested to hear that her office had been contacted by several businesses in Wales seeking support to pilot a four-day working week. I understand that the Welsh Government is seeking to learn from pilots elsewhere in the world, but given that there are a...
Luke Fletcher: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Yet again, we have another debate tabled around poverty, a long-standing issue for this Senedd, and there are known and undeniable links between poverty and food insecurity. Given that almost a quarter of people in Wales are in poverty, it is no surprise that food insecurity is a prominent issue facing many households in Wales. There are, of course, positive actions on...
Luke Fletcher: 8. What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the impact of the education maintenance allowance? OQ57390
Luke Fletcher: Thank you for that response, First Minister.
Luke Fletcher: In the first instance, I think it's important to reiterate actually what the First Minister has said in recognising that actually keeping EMA in place in Wales is providing much needed support for learners, and I welcome the commitment to protect EMA in the programme for government. But I was wondering whether or not the Government will be reviewing EMA, specifically the amount that's paid to...
Luke Fletcher: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. As I'm sure many Members will raise, this statement is, indeed, timely; it almost feels like a daily news story these days that bank branches are shutting up shop in our towns and villages across Wales. Between 2015 and 2019, Wales lost over two fifths of its bank branches—that's 239 branches altogether. In my region of South Wales West, for example, in my home...
Luke Fletcher: Could I echo what Jane Dodds has said in thanking Members for their engagement on the issue of greyhound welfare, including the Minister as well on her engagement? It truly has been cross-party. Following on from Jane's question, if plans go ahead at the Valley track in Ystrad Mynach, the intensification of racing will lead to more greyhounds being injured or fatally injured. Whilst I welcome...
