Steffan Lewis: Can we have a statement from the Minister for Social Services and Public Health on retrospective claims for NHS continuing healthcare funding? A constituent of mine has been waiting for almost four years for a decision on her application, and I’m led to believe that almost 1,000 retrospective claims are currently being processed. Four years is absolutely unacceptable for a citizen of this...
Steffan Lewis: Before turning to the detail of the White Paper, I’d like to say a few words about the general political context and how we treat each other as citizens, having gone through a binary campaign such as last year’s referendum. At times, the tone of the general debate has been appalling, and even violent at times. It’s right in a democratic society that we have proper debate, but we should...
Steffan Lewis: I welcome the debate today, and thank the Welsh Conservatives for tabling this debate. I commend Plaid Cymru’s amendment, which I think is very timely indeed. The Cabinet Secretary for the economy has stated that he wants the north to be a part of the English Northern Powerhouse. Last summer, he also said he wanted mid Wales to join a midlands powerhouse. The First Minister is on record in...
Steffan Lewis: I would, of course, agree with that. There’s nothing wrong with the concept of regional economic growth, or indeed with the city region models. There are OECD reports that are demonstrating that where city regions work, and where regional development works—it’s by how you measure the peripheral areas to the population centres. I fear, from what we’ve heard so far from this Government,...
Steffan Lewis: Today, the UK National Cyber Security Centre is being opened in London, and the First Minister will be aware of the excellent National Cyber Security Academy in Newport, a partnership between Welsh Government, the private sector and higher education. So, it’s very disappointing that the UK’s centre is going to be located in London, as if London hasn’t got enough support from the UK...
Steffan Lewis: I’d like to request a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government. A number of residents in Blaenau Gwent are concerned about reports of further hikes in fees and charges for the use of sport and recreation grounds in the borough on top of previous hikes. So, could we have a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government on the issue more...
Steffan Lewis: The reduction of funding in the police settlement 2017-18 by 1.4 per cent across all forces in Wales and England comes after year upon year of cuts since 2010. We’ve seen real-term reductions of 26 per cent in funding for police forces in Wales. Police forces in Wales have shrunk. In my area, Gwent Police’s workforce has dropped by 14 per cent since 2010. The fractional devolution of...
Steffan Lewis: What steps is the Welsh Government taking to ensure that any collaboration between local authorities is accountable to local people?
Steffan Lewis: I thank the Member for Caerphilly for raising this important question. I was interested in the response of the Cabinet Secretary where he talked about the statutory duty. To what extent will that statutory duty impose provisions for equitable redistribution of wealth across the Cardiff capital region? Will there, for example, be an expectation of the capital region to create designated growth...
Steffan Lewis: Before Christmas recess, I asked the health Secretary to reconsider the Government’s decision to close Wales’s only perinatal in-patient unit in 2013. He declined and told me that enhanced community provision was adequately addressing the needs of mothers with perinatal mental health needs. I have obtained information showing that two LHBs have no data to illustrate what potential demand...
Steffan Lewis: Will the Welsh Government pursue a growth-pole strategy for regional economic development?
Steffan Lewis: What are the Welsh Government's proposals for growth in foundation industries?
Steffan Lewis: A report by the What Works Centre for Wellbeing published recently, identified four south-east local authorities as ranking among the highest for well-being inequality. These included Torfaen, Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly and Merthyr Tydfil. The report makes clear that there are a number of contributory factors, of course, and a number of possible solutions, but we shouldn’t dismiss the...
Steffan Lewis: Yesterday, Newsquest announced the closure of its hub in Newport, with the loss of 14 jobs. Sadly, of course, this is a reflection of the general trend in print media, and, obviously, we are even more susceptible to that here in Wales. I notice the Cabinet Secretary for the economy is in the Chamber. I wonder if we could have at least a written statement from him, which could include perhaps...
Steffan Lewis: 6. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on public parks? OAQ(5)0108(ERA)
Steffan Lewis: I thank the Cabinet Secretary for her answer. I have to declare an interest as the species champion for the shrill carder bee, an important part of the Gwent ecosystem. The Cabinet Secretary, I’m sure, appreciates the importance of public parks to our ecosystem and to its habitats, and she’ll be aware I’m sure of the Heritage Lottery Fund’s ‘State of UK Public Parks 2016’ report...
Steffan Lewis: A number of organisations have published comprehensive analysis, and academics and Government, on the impact of UK welfare reform on Wales. I’d like to ask the Cabinet Secretary—not going against the spirit of what the Member for Ogmore said—but perhaps we can go beyond analysing the impact to seeking solutions made here in Wales. Will the Cabinet Secretary therefore commit to publish a...
Steffan Lewis: Will the First Minister make a statement on his proposals for the future governance of the UK's internal market?
Steffan Lewis: In previous UK budgets, there has been considerable disagreement on how the UK Government has classified certain spending lines, particularly in capital spending—so, whether they designate a project UK-wide where there is no Barnett consequential, or England only where there is. Has the Cabinet Secretary made any assessment on the recent budget in terms of whether there has been any...
Steffan Lewis: I was disappointed that the First Minister’s response to the developments last week was what sounded like calls for an internal constitutional convention for the Labour Party. But in moving forward, we know that the Welsh Government-Plaid Cymru White Paper on Europe has been rejected out of hand by the UK Government. We know that the UK Government has broken its promise to have a UK-wide...
