Delyth Jewell: I thank the Deputy Minister for her statement. It's so important that we use Holocaust Memorial Day to remember those who lost their lives, the Jewish people, the Roma people, disabled people, LGBT people—anyone who didn't fit the twisted Nazi ideal. This date of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau has to be marked every year to remember, as you've said, and to learn from one of the...
Delyth Jewell: I thank the Deputy Minister for her statement. There is a lot to welcome in it. There's a growing realisation that towns have been left behind due to the inaction of Governments here and in Westminster, and there's a realisation as well, I think, that that needs to change because of how important town centres are for businesses, for the health of the local economy, and of course—most...
Delyth Jewell: Diolch, Llywydd. Can the Minister explain why the Welsh Government is still counting the 7,129 homes sold through Help to Buy since 2016 as counting towards its target of 20,000 affordable homes, of which you've claimed 13,143 have been delivered already?
Delyth Jewell: Thank you for that, Minister. It seems to me the crux of the problem with the term 'affordable' is that the definition of it is so relative. So, a staggering 78 per cent of homes, so that's 5,564 that were sold through Help to Buy, were sold at a price of over £150,000. Over 1,000 homes that you count in the statistics as affordable were sold for over £250,000. I just can't see how any...
Delyth Jewell: Thank you, Minister. I welcome the tone that you're engaging with us on. I'm glad that you do agree with the general thrust of what we're saying here. So, just to put on the record, then, that, if we were to take a more reasonable look at the track record of the Government in delivering affordable housing in the definition in its wider sense of what it should mean, which I think that you...
Delyth Jewell: No, thank you for agreeing with me on that. I wait to hear your answer more fully. But, as you were just saying about social housing, I also think that that is where we really need to be focusing delivery on. I welcome again what you've been saying on that. The figures show that, since 2016, there have been just 4,397 completed homes for the social housing sector, and that's around half of...
Delyth Jewell: 8. What action is the Welsh Government taking to ensure adequate provision of GP services in South Wales East? OAQ55063
Delyth Jewell: A vital step towards regenerating town centres has to be taking firm action to deal with the terrible plight of homelessness that causes so much great suffering to vulnerable people and has a very visible impact on town centres and city centres. Now, new figures on homelessness released by the Welsh Government today do show an increase in rough-sleeping. I know it's only a snapshot, but they...
Delyth Jewell: Thank you, First Minister. I am concerned at the potential closure of a number of surgeries within my region. Last week, I wrote to the health board to ask for assurance that Lansbury Park and Penyrheol surgeries will be kept open, following the news that the GP there is to retire with no replacement yet appointed, and I'm awaiting a response. I'm worried, however, about the general picture...
Delyth Jewell: What's more fundamental than the air that we breathe? It's something we should be able to take for granted as a human right, and the fact that we have to have this debate today, I'm afraid, is a damning indictment of the Government's record. We know that, in order to live healthily, everyone should have access to clean, unpolluted drinking water and nourishing food that isn't poisoned. Even...
Delyth Jewell: I'd like to ask for a statement from the economy and transport Minister about what the Welsh Government plans to do in relation to the rolling stock on the Rhymney line. We all want more people to use the trains. While capacity on that line will increase substantially over the next couple of years, it's now been confirmed through a freedom of information request that capacity on those trains...
Delyth Jewell: Thank you, Minister, for the statement.
Delyth Jewell: We welcome this legislation as a step in the right direction. For most of the past 25 years, the private rented sector has placed so much power with landlords and made the sector easy for some people to benefit from using unscrupulous methods, as the Minister has said. I think it's worth noting, and it's been alluded to already, that in a sector where the balance has for so long been so...
Delyth Jewell: I'd like to thank the Minister for sharing a copy of the housing support grant practice guidance ahead of her statement today. Now, of course, good intentions from the Government would mean little unless those responsible for delivering crucial services that help to tackle homelessness on the ground are on board, so I do welcome the emphasis placed on securing all around buy-in for the cause...
Delyth Jewell: Will the Minister make a statement on Welsh Government plans to expand the Welsh-medium education provision in South Wales East?
Delyth Jewell: I wasn't a member of the committee during the course of this inquiry, but having read the report subsequently, I'd like to thank my new colleagues for this comprehensive and detailed piece of work. So I'd like to start off by thanking the committee for doing a sterling job and to say that I look forward to playing an active role in future inquiries. I'd also like to thank all the...
Delyth Jewell: I'd like to ask for a statement from the Welsh Government covering what support will be made available for children who are affected by the recent flooding. This has affected communities throughout my region, in Monmouth, in Newbridge, in Llanbradach and lots of other places. Last week, I visited residents in Edward Street in Ystrad Mynach, who were woken at 2.30 a.m. by a neighbour who just...
Delyth Jewell: There has been a consensus in this Chamber that we need to substantially increase the amount of affordable housing, although there has been less of a consensus on whether it's fair to class homes sold for over £150,000 through Help to Buy as affordable. For that reason, Plaid Cymru has preferred to specifically use the term 'social housing' when talking about our own targets for house...
Delyth Jewell: I'd like to express my heartfelt sympathy with all of the hard-working staff at Kasai who are going to face losing their jobs through no fault of their own after many years of dedicated service. I know this will be an extremely difficult time for them and their families. I'd like to offer my own office's support; in any way that we can help, we want to be able to. Now, as has been mentioned,...
Delyth Jewell: Diolch, Llywydd. There can be few things more frightening than seeing your home damaged when you're powerless to stop it. Last week, residents across my region awoke to the devastation of flood damage and have been doing everything they can to piece their lives back together. Now, obviously efforts are focused, for now, on the immediate clean-up, but once the debris is cleared, questions will...
