Cefin Campbell: Trefnydd, may I ask for a statement on digital connectivity in rural areas, which has a major impact on citizens in the region that I represent, namely Mid and West Wales? As we all know, the additional top-up that the Welsh Government has been providing to the voucher system from the Westminster Government is coming to an end on Thursday of this week, and that, of course, leads to a great...
Cefin Campbell: Thank you very much. As you know, Carmarthenshire County Council has been promoting cycle tourism over the past few years and has seen the development of the national closed road circuit in Pembrey, redeveloping the velodrome in Carmarthen, and there's also a cycle path along the Tywi valley about to be completed, and Carmarthenshire has held several stages of the Tour of Britain over the...
Cefin Campbell: 5. What assessment has the First Minister made of the impact of the UK Government's shared prosperity fund on Mid and West Wales? OQ57944
Cefin Campbell: Thank you very much. It's clear that you've had a few opportunities to rehearse an answer to this question already, but we need to emphasise, of course, that the European funding had been given to the most disadvantaged areas in Wales, and Mid and West Wales had benefited significantly over the years from funding from various European sources—for example, £2.8 million to develop Llanelli...
Cefin Campbell: 7. What assessment has the Minister made of the impact of the war in Ukraine on the agriculture sector in mid and west Wales? OQ57931
Cefin Campbell: Thank you very much, Minister. Well, as you will know, there is no doubt that this is a very serious and difficult situation for farmers, with prices for products, energy and fuel increasing, and this on top of the cuts to the agriculture budgets from the Conservative Government and the trade deals that are going to be very damaging to the sector. And the disastrous scenes in Ukraine are...
Cefin Campbell: Thank you very much, Llywydd. Before I turn to the contribution I want to make, I want to make a declaration of interest for the final time, because I am a county councillor for one final day. It is rather ironic that the Conservatives have brought forward this motion today, as not only is their party against allowing Wales to have the proper economic and fiscal levers available to us that we...
Cefin Campbell: Wales represents 4.7 per cent of the UK population, but, in 2020, we only received 2 per cent of the UK research and development budget, which is crucial for the growth of our economy. On top of this, we've historically seen chronic underinvestment, leaving us underprepared for a crisis like the current cost-of-living crisis, whilst unable to take control of the situation ourselves....
Cefin Campbell: Let's throw—to conclude, Llywydd—Brexit into the mix. The Prime Minister secured a very weak Brexit deal for these nations, which has meant that Wales has lost out to the tune of almost £1 billion over the next three years, and the impact of this on our agricultural sector and the most deprived areas in Wales is very, very significant. Yes, certainly, the Welsh Government could be doing...
Cefin Campbell: I'd like to extend my best wishes to the ColegauCymru multi-sport duathlon event that is being held today in Pembrey Country Park, near Llanelli, following an absence of three years due to the pandemic. The event will see over 250 learners and further education staff from eight colleges across the whole of Wales coming together during this inclusive event, with participants attempting either...
Cefin Campbell: 1. Will the Minister make a statement on the management of water levels in Llyn Clywedog reservoir, Powys? OQ58059
Cefin Campbell: Thank you very much. Recently I had a meeting with a number of farmers in the Llanidloes area in Powys and I discussed with them concerns about how water levels are managed in the Clywedog reservoir and the impact this was having further down the valley, with agricultural land and property being affected by flooding as recently as February this year. Now, my fellow Member for Montgomeryshire,...
Cefin Campbell: Women's health is something that we all need to understand. There is a duty on us to ensure improved awareness, and that there's better care provision available for the various conditions suffered by women of all ages, very often in silence and without sufficient support, as we heard earlier from Sioned Williams. In the last few months, a number of constituents have contacted me regarding one...
Cefin Campbell: I want to share with you the story of one of my constituents, Emily from Carmarthenshire. She is now 23 years old, but Emily knew things weren't quite right when she started having her periods at the age of 12. Every month, she had unbearable pain. However, for years, her doctor didn't believe the severity of her condition. It was only after Emily collapsed and was rushed to hospital with...
Cefin Campbell: Well, I thank you for that, and I think that we've heard already how the symptoms are treated, not the root cause of the problem. Can I just quote Emily once again? I remind you that she's only 23 years of age: 'I live in everyday pain and try to manage as best I can. My fertility isn't looking great. I just hope all the time for some sort of relief. But because my endometriosis was left to...
Cefin Campbell: Listing her concerns regarding the care available to sufferers, Emily's mother was clear in her view that there is a need for more endometriosis centres across the whole of Wales to provide specialist care that is completely necessary for patients. While there is a specialist centre in Cardiff, she is of the view that there needs to be an improvement in the care provided. Secondly, and I...
Cefin Campbell: Half a minute, if I may.
Cefin Campbell: Okay. I'll bring this to a close.
Cefin Campbell: Thank you very much, Diprwy Lywydd, and I'd like to thank Jack Sargeant for introducing this important debate this afternoon. I’d like to begin by echoing some of the words spoken by the young people of Wales in the Urdd's message of peace and goodwill last week: 'The clock is ticking and our world is on fire'. Indeed, in this powerful statement by our young people, we were all reminded of...
Cefin Campbell: Could I declare an interest as a designated Member who has this as one of my responsibilities as part of the co-operation agreement? I'm very delighted to be able to contribute to this debate today, a debate that's very important to our democracy as a nation and one that has the potential to be historic, as we prepare the ground for the devolution of broadcasting to Wales. And I don't use the...
