Llyr Gruffydd: I also want to start my contribution to this debate in the proper place by thanking councils, councillors and the staff of local authorities for the exceptional work that they've done over past few years. They have proved, if it needed to be proved—I don't think it does—the importance of that level of government, perhaps closest to the coal face. They stepped up, of course, and created...
Llyr Gruffydd: Thank you very much, Llywydd. Minister, you will be aware that every 1 per cent of the value of public procurement that remains in Wales accounts for 2,000 new jobs, and that's why the Plaid Cymru manifesto wanted to see an increase, from the 52 per cent of value that stays in Wales at the moment to 75 per cent, so that that, in turn, creates 46,000 additional jobs in Wales. Now, in the...
Llyr Gruffydd: And that prize of tens of thousands of additional jobs can happen without spending any additional funding, because it's funding that we're already spending on procurement, but it can be spent in a different way. So, I welcome the fact that this is being looked at properly. But it's not only economic benefits that come in light of strengthening procurement policy; there are all sorts of other...
Llyr Gruffydd: Of course, I'm eager to welcome any additional allocations in the supplementary budget, although I do share some of the concerns outlined by the previous speaker and the committee Chair, particularly in ensuring that we can demonstrate the value that those investments bring in terms of targets, or the impact that they have in the various areas where investment happens. But I just want to use...
Llyr Gruffydd: I also want to reiterate the committee's point about transparency from both the Welsh Government and the UK Government. It's a regular charade, isn't it, from the UK Government primarily, when they announce additional funding, they're giving more money, but, as we know, they're also taking with the other hand very often. But this constant confusion that we're facing over whether money is new...
Llyr Gruffydd: Oh, it's a statement. Sorry.
Llyr Gruffydd: The Senedd will, of course, be aware that Plaid Cymru opposed the creation of these corporate joint committees in the last Senedd. That's a battle that we lost, of course, and therefore if these joint committees are to come into existence, then they need to be accountable to the same standards and expectations as local authorities, particularly in terms of code of conduct standards. So, we...
Llyr Gruffydd: I mean right to buy is part of the reason that we're here discussing this, to be honest.
Llyr Gruffydd: Let us recall that we're talking about discretionary powers here—don't forget that. These are discretionary powers. This isn't an order saying, 'Use these powers', or, 'You must implement these powers.' This is but one element in a far broader range of possible tools that our local authorities could adopt. You mustn't look at this in isolation; this is simply one element of a far broader...
Llyr Gruffydd: The NRW review of the floods in February 2020 noted that around 60 or 70 staff were required above the baseline staff numbers that they had at that time to ensure sustainable and long-term improvements to the flood management service. Now, the Government, to be fair, provided that funding on a temporary basis. I raised with the First Minister a few months ago that it would be unwise not to...
Llyr Gruffydd: 2. Will the First Minister make a statement on the implications for Wales of the Chancellor's Spring Statement 2022? OQ57906
Llyr Gruffydd: I have to say that last night was the most appalling experience I've ever had in using a train in Wales. The journey, which was supposed to be three hours, was a seven-hour journey. My train was stationary for four hours. That was one train; I know of four other trains in the same situation. No information, because the loudspeaker in my carriage didn't work. And that's the state of our...
Llyr Gruffydd: An opportunity was missed, indeed, because the UK Government did nothing, for example, in the spring statement to tackle fuel poverty. We know, of course, that Wales is hit harder in that regard as we do have less efficient housing stock in terms of energy. We have more homes that are off the grid and, also, we in Wales are paying higher rates of standing charges for our electricity. Although...
Llyr Gruffydd: Thank you, Minister, for the statement. I don't want to be drawn into some debate as to which side of the border pays more or pays less; the question I want answered in this Chamber is: what side of the border has the fairest system and the system that is operated most effectively? Then the cost is unimportant, as long as people feel they're being fairly treated within the regime that exists....
Llyr Gruffydd: What is the Welsh Government doing to improve voter turnout in local elections?
Llyr Gruffydd: Thank you very much to the Minister for her statement. The results last week underlined again that the first-past-the-post system isn't working. We've seen an example in Cardiff of Plaid Cymru receiving 17 per cent of the vote and gaining two seats, and the Liberal Democrats receiving 13 per cent of the vote and winning 10 seats. I'm not making a party political point here, because I know...
Llyr Gruffydd: What analysis has the Welsh Government made of whether safe staffing levels are maintained in the health service in North Wales?
Llyr Gruffydd: 2. Will the Minister make a statement on Healthcare Inspectorate Wales's (HIW) decision that Ysbyty Glan Clwyd's emergency department has been identified as requiring significant improvement? TQ624
Llyr Gruffydd: Well, how many times have I heard that answer before, Minister? Another scandal, another damning report, another urgent question in the Senedd, and another poor response, I'm afraid, by the Government. We're going around in circles here, aren't we? We are going around in circles. How many times do we have to listen to you promising that things will improve, whilst bodies such as HIW and...
Llyr Gruffydd: Patients in north Wales have been promised improvements for years on end, and they just never seem to materialise. You tried special measures, and it failed; you tried all sorts of heightened interventions and they're clearly not delivering. Just a few weeks ago, we were here discussing the serious failings of vascular services in north Wales and the risk that was posing to patient safety....
