Leanne Wood: Thank you for your answer, First Minister. It doesn’t fill me with a great deal of confidence that you don’t know exactly what’s going to be in that letter. The think tank Demos yesterday set out that Wales could be hardest hit by the economic impact of Brexit, and we face, as you know, a high risk from any loss of exports, and that’s why continued participation in the single market...
Leanne Wood: I thank you for that answer, First Minister. I’ve got no confidence in the UK Government’s ability to reflect our specific Welsh national interests, and there isn’t any information that you’ve given us this afternoon to give us any more confidence. Wales can’t afford to pay a high price for a hard Brexit, and we know that we’re going to have to defend our interests during the...
Leanne Wood: I, too, was horrified by the grass fires that raged throughout my constituency over the weekend. The grass fire in Tonypandy was visible from my home in Penygraig, and I know that that locally many people were concerned about it spreading to local properties. These fires tend to peak at this time of year, in April. We possibly would have had more fires by now had we not had so much rain. But...
Leanne Wood: 2. What progress has the Welsh Government made to improve the economy within the former coalfields of south Wales? OAQ(5)0153(EI)
Leanne Wood: 1. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on access to the health service in the Rhondda? OAQ(5)0148(HWS)
Leanne Wood: It’s a sad fact that there’s been very little done to replace the old heavy industries that once provided employment, housing and infrastructure throughout the Valleys. Much is promised by the city region, but there’s little detail, and, in those communities that will be affected, there’s much confusion as to exactly what it will deliver. We also then have the Valleys taskforce,...
Leanne Wood: On this significant day in politics, I think it’s worth noting that 22 per cent of general practitioners in Cwm Taf university health board are not originally from the UK. The constituency that I live in and represent relies heavily on doctors from overseas. This is not a new phenomenon, I’m sure, and it’s not a unique situation to ours locally. There are now serious concerns about how...
Leanne Wood: Today will mark a profound day in the history of Wales. While Wales voted narrowly to leave the European Union, the UK Government’s intention is to take us out of the European single market as well. This is the largest economic and trading bloc in the world. For Wales, that single market is the destination for some 67 per cent of our exports, a higher level than any other part of the UK....
Leanne Wood: I think that it’s going to be made even more difficult when you’ve got opposition at a local level to the tiny steps that are being made towards achieving a million Welsh speakers. So, why have you been so oppositional to it?
Leanne Wood: No you haven’t—you haven’t at all.
Leanne Wood: He will permit a contribution if he’s serious about that.
Leanne Wood: I don’t think you would have made this contribution today if you were serious about what you were saying. You’ve joined forces with the leader of UKIP to oppose this development, which is a policy by your own Government. I think you’ve behaved irresponsibly and, for the comments that you’ve received on social media—when you take positions like that, you have to be prepared to take...
Leanne Wood: Will you take an intervention?
Leanne Wood: You’ve got form for being divisive. Would you accept that?
Leanne Wood: 5. Will the First Minister provide an update on the work of the Valleys taskforce? OAQ(5)0550(FM)
Leanne Wood: On behalf of Plaid Cymru, I’d like to place on record our gratitude to Claire Clancy for having served the National Assembly for 10 years. She’s been a constant source of support and guidance for all Members, across the Chamber. And, alongside the current and previous Presiding Officers, she’s developed and improved the Assembly since 2007—a period of significant change in how laws...
Leanne Wood: Diolch, Llywydd. First Minister, the proposed job cuts at the University of South Wales are of great concern, and I’m sure you share that concern. The plan is to cut 139 jobs to deal with rising costs and various other challenges. The University of Wales Trinity Saint David is also looking to downsize its workforce. I’d like to place on record mine and Plaid Cymru’s support for the...
Leanne Wood: As a former student at Treforest, I know how important this institution is for the Valleys. It’s always played a leading role in upskilling people to do the work that our local economies need doing. Now, there are demographic challenges, which you’ve alluded to, and rising costs facing that university, but I don't think that should mean that we should lose the positive economic impact...
Leanne Wood: Both the institutions are feeling the pinch as well from the decision taken to lift the universities admission cap in England. We know that the situation around European and international student recruitment remains volatile and is likely to be for some time, but the responsibility to navigate through these difficult waters falls to us here in Wales, and it’s you, First Minister, who has...
Leanne Wood: First Minister, depressed wages and high unemployment have been blighting the Valleys for at least three decades, so the obvious question is: what’s taken you so long? Places like Maerdy and Treherbert are desperate for investment and well-paid jobs, and the commute to Treforest, or further afield from the Heads of the Valleys, is a joke. There were two trains cancelled this morning. If the...
