John Griffiths: 3. What strategy is the Welsh Government following to support local government non-statutory services in Wales? OAQ51565
John Griffiths: Minister, what would certainly help address any increase in house prices would be delivery of Welsh Government plans for 20,000 extra affordable homes in this Assembly term. So, will your discussions with Newport City Council and Monmouthshire County Council include discussion as to how affordable homes can be best taken forward in that area?
John Griffiths: Cabinet Secretary, leisure services are vital to health and quality of life and enjoyment for our people here in Wales. Will you join me in recognising the value and the contribution of Newport Live, which delivers recreational, sport and cultural services? I've been involved in a number of meetings they've had with Aneurin Bevan Local Health Board and a range of partners, including Newport...
John Griffiths: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Cabinet Secretary, you will be aware that there are many issues in terms of rail services around Newport. Commuters are often on grossly overcrowded trains travelling to Bristol, for example. There are issues of people being asked to stand in toilets to allow more people to get on, people fainting, people being left on the platforms, issues of unreliability and,...
John Griffiths: 1. A wnaiff Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ddatganiad am ddyraniad Llywodraeth Cymru o arian cyfalaf? OAQ51619
John Griffiths: Cabinet Secretary, Coleg Gwent plans to relocate its Newport campus to the city-centre riverfront, which could be transformative for further education in Newport, would involve collaboration with the University of South Wales and their city-centre campus in Newport, and is also very much backed by Newport City Council in terms of wider regeneration plans. In general terms, I wonder whether...
John Griffiths: 7. What Welsh Government support is available for initiatives to prevent ill-health in Wales? OAQ51653
John Griffiths: Cabinet Secretary, in accordance with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, I think it's widely accepted, and I think Welsh Government would certainly support a move to a more preventative approach in dealing with ill health in Wales, and being more proactive. Where there are examples, as I believe there is a particularly good one in Newport of the local health board coming...
John Griffiths: Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. I welcome the Government statement and action plan. As we've heard, rough-sleeper numbers do appear to be increasing in terms of the counts that are taking place. That's why I'm very pleased that the committee that I chair, the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee, is doing a piece of work on rough-sleepers. We've already made visits to Solas in...
John Griffiths: What further steps will the Welsh Government take to promote and develop the Welsh language in Newport?
John Griffiths: Can I very much welcome the statement, Cabinet Secretary, and your commitment, which I think is very clear? Some of the answers you've given on funding, for example, I think are very welcome. You will have the support, I'm confident, across this Chamber, that you're looking for in terms of the difficult decisions around implementation. Could I just say that interest groups, I think, are...
John Griffiths: I will be very quick. It's all connected with behavioural change, Deputy Presiding Officer.
John Griffiths: So, I just ask about cycle training as well, and Cymru Travel Challenge has ended in terms of workplace behavioural change, Cabinet Secretary, with no replacement.
John Griffiths: 4. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to support local authorities to protect their non-statutory services? OAQ51814
John Griffiths: Thank you for that answer, Cabinet Secretary. We know that the UK Government's austerity policies are placing great pressure on our local authorities, and obviously they have to meet what many would say are their primary statutory responsibilities in terms of education and social services, for example. But leisure services, libraries, museums, youth services and many other services are also...
John Griffiths: Will the First Minister make a statement on Welsh Government support for regeneration in Newport?
John Griffiths: I agree with many speakers today that criminal justice in England and Wales is a story of regressive and unproductive policies. We would do much better, I'm sure, if we had devolution of responsibility for criminal justice here in Wales. As many have said, we have the highest rate of imprisonment in western Europe in England and Wales—those are Council of Europe annual penal statistics....
John Griffiths: I think if the prisons are grossly overcrowded, as they are, and many of the people there shouldn't be there in the first place, it makes rehabilitation much more difficult. There are much better ways of dealing with these unfortunate people, in many respects, with mental health issues, substance misuse problems—probably they may well be illiterate or innumerate or have very poor skills....
John Griffiths: 8. What further steps will the Welsh Government take towards a more preventative approach to ill-health in Wales? OAQ51891
John Griffiths: First Minister, a few weeks ago, Sophie Howe as Future Generations Commissioner for Wales gave evidence in facing scrutiny to the committee I chair, the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee. She mentioned that she's proposing to Welsh Government that new money for health should be earmarked for the preventative agenda, and subject to joint work between health and non-health...
