Mark Isherwood: Diolch, Lywydd. In this Remembrance week we propose that the National Assembly for Wales recognises that those who serve or have served in the armed forces, and their families, should be treated with fairness and respect, and believes that Wales should be at the forefront of implementing the armed forces covenant, which is intended to redress the disadvantages that the armed forces community...
Mark Isherwood: What action or engagement is the Welsh Government taking following the new Equality and Human Rights Commission report estimating the financial cost of pregnancy and maternity-related discrimination and disadvantage, which found that UK businesses are losing nearly £280 million each year as a result of women being forced out of their jobs by pregnancy and maternity discrimination in work?
Mark Isherwood: I call for two statements, the first in relation to the role of local authorities in supporting women with multiple needs. This follows a report of that name, entitled ‘Leading Change’, sent to me by the North Wales Women’s Centre last week. They say that, although it’s from an England perspective, it has much useful information applicable to our aims and joint working and...
Mark Isherwood: As you state, small and rural schools can provide real academic, cultural and social benefits. When I called on the previous Welsh Government to respond to concerns that Flintshire County Council was using old and inaccurate data and acting in breach of the school organisation code in respect of a number of proposed school closures there, including small and rural schools, Ysgol Llanfynydd...
Mark Isherwood: Diolch, Lywydd. Last Friday, I spoke at the Meaningful Change conference in Llanrwst in north Wales, organised by the Co-production Network for Wales, which focused, amongst other things, on learning about inspirational examples where co-production has been effectively adopted and discussed ways in which we can increasingly involve people in the design and delivery of services in accordance...
Mark Isherwood: I hope you’ll agree with me that actually it’s not just not far away, but core to it, because last week’s Future Generations Commissioner for Wales ‘Talking Future Generations’ report gave many examples from stakeholder group meetings across the length and breadth of north Wales, including north-east Wales, where we both live, and she said that there’s a ‘Need for change in...
Mark Isherwood: Thank you. Clearly, it is language, but this is a global movement with a global term, to which hundreds of organisations across Wales have now signed up. So, finally, you may have heard me—I think you did yesterday—refer to a report sent to me by the North Wales Women’s Centre, ‘Leading change: the role of local authorities in supporting women with multiple needs’, and although an...
Mark Isherwood: Older people in Wales are everyday heroes, making huge contributions through work, activism, volunteering and community work, and caring for families and providing childcare, that are often overlooked by society. They deserve dignity and respect, independence and the freedom to make decisions about their own lives. In last week’s report from the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales,...
Mark Isherwood: How is the Welsh Government helping people in fuel poverty in Wales?
Mark Isherwood: The Welsh Government consultation document on the commission makes it clear that the commission would be advisory and non-statutory, and that Ministers would retain control over investment decisions. If, as you’ve just indicated, the evolution of Finance Wales into a development bank for Wales might incorporate some infrastructure bank functions, how will you ensure that it complies with...
Mark Isherwood: I call for a single statement, or even better a debate in Government time, on the changing Welsh Government fuel poverty strategy. A number of small matters I’ll touch on, which are significant for many. In light of the Welsh Government’s review of building regulations, we need to explore Welsh Government’s position in respect of energy performance certificates, which can go up or down...
Mark Isherwood: Thank you for your statement, ahead of Friday’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and also for your comments at today’s White Ribbon Day event, championing the National Federation of Women’s Institutes Wales’s Not in My Name campaign to end violence against women, where a domestic abuse survivor ended her brave and moving contribution by asking all of us...
Mark Isherwood: Clearly, the environment knows no borders or boundaries. What is the Welsh Government’s view on the form of enforcement mechanism that will be required at a UK level for environment policy after we leave the EU? Evidence to the External Affairs and Additional Legislation Committee from Aberystwyth University refers to discussions about the creation of a UK environment court. A...
Mark Isherwood: Diolch. As a Girlguiding Clwyd ambassador, I’m charged to act as a representative to tell others about what Girlguiding does and the opportunities it gives to girls and young women. This month saw the opening in Buckley Library of the ‘Pushing Boundaries’ exhibition that had previously been at the National Library of Wales, charting the history of Girlguiding in Wales to date. Also this...
Mark Isherwood: I contacted Arriva Trains Wales after disruption to services on the Wrexham-to-Bidston line at the end of October caused by leaf fall and weather conditions. They replied that they’d been trying to overcome the issue for a number of years, and were working in partnership with colleagues on the line to try and reduce the effect on their customers. They produced a paper in March of this year,...
Mark Isherwood: You mentioned the think tank British Influence, and they said there’s no provision in the European Economic Area agreement for UK membership to lapse if the UK withdraws from the EU, and therefore the UK will have to extract itself from the European Economic Area separately to its departure from the EU itself. However, professor of European law at the University of Cambridge, Kenneth...
Mark Isherwood: In addition to endorsing Julie Morgan’s call regarding haemophilia and contaminated blood, having also attended that cross-party group last week, I call for a statement by the health and social services Minister on HIV/AIDS, recognising that Thursday 1 December marks World Aids Day. The Terrence Higgins Trust’s theme for World Aids Day this year is HIV ‘It’s Not Over’. They say...
Mark Isherwood: Claiming that it will ‘Transform the education support for children and young people’ with autistic spectrum conditions, the ‘Refreshed Autistic Spectrum DisorderStrategic Action Plan’, published today, then only really refers to the Bill you’ve already referred to, the additional learning needs and education tribunal (Wales) Bill. How will you provide assurance to parents such as...
Mark Isherwood: Speaking in the Welsh Conservative debate on cross-border issues here in May 2009, I stated: ‘Cross-border movements in health…services are a long-established fact of life, reflecting geographic and demographic realities.’ I referred to the Welsh Affairs Committee report on cross-border services then, which concluded that there was a lack of effective communication between the Welsh...
Mark Isherwood: Shared space or shared services remain a significant issue for people living with vision loss in Wales, where no kerbs, no safe crossing points, pavement obstacles and a reliance on eye contact turns high streets into no-go zones for blind and partially sighted people and guide dogs. A Flintshire constituent told me, ‘Both of my children and I have vision loss, and if we want to access the...
