Peredur Owen Griffiths: It was clear from the coal tip safety statement yesterday that there is much more work to be done in the years ahead to make safe the legacy of our industrial past in Wales. It'll take many years and and hundreds of millions of pounds to sort this out. It goes without saying that Westminster, which reaped the benefits and the profits from the coal industry, should be footing the bill. It's...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Thank you, Minister, for your responses so far.
Peredur Owen Griffiths: During my numerous street surgeries throughout the region, a common complaint has been the service that patients have experienced at the Grange. This has been the case across the region. It seems people have difficulties in terms of site accessibility, the lack of adequate public transport, and the long waits to be seen when they eventually get there. Things have clearly come to a head in the...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: The manner in which Wales was exploited for its coal, draining our land of its mineral wealth and the vast profits that flowed from this resource came at a huge cost to local life and limb. This exploitation of the human cost of coal remains a scar on this so-called union. Now, we are being told by Westminster that we must bear the costs of making our communities safe. We're told that we must...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: 2. How is the Government ensuring local authorities have enough financial support to fulfil their duties and obligations? OQ57945
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Diolch yn fawr. From speaking to council leaders in my region, it's fair to say that many were pleasantly surprised by the latest financial settlement. It must therefore be disappointing, from your perspective, to see your party colleagues in Caerphilly county borough sitting on a reserve of £180 million, an increase of £40 million between the financial years of 2019 and 2021. This is £22...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and thank you, Minister, for your statement this afternoon.
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Policing is changing rapidly. In recent conversations with senior officers, it's clear that cyber crime, in all its forms, is preoccupying every constabulary throughout the country. New recruits now need to have the IT skills to tackle this growing menace. Having said that, there is still a place for the more traditional forms of policing; patrolling the streets and regular engagement with...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Thank you very much, Llywydd. I'm pleased to be able to speak in today's debate to outline the Finance Committee's main conclusions and recommendations in relation to the Bill. As the Bill's sole purpose is to delegate a power to the Welsh Ministers to amend Welsh tax legislation in certain circumstances, its provisions have been fully considered by the Finance Committee and the Legislation,...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: I'd like to thank the Minister for the meeting last Friday to discuss our reports and recommendations. I very much welcome her constructive approach. I'll begin with our views on the general principles. As a committee, we fully support the principle that Ministers need the ability to respond to external events to protect Welsh revenues raised through devolved taxes. However, much of our...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: In closing, I would like to thank everyone who has contributed their views to assist us in this important work. I'm also very grateful for the advice and guidance from our expert adviser, Charlotte Barbour, during our consideration of this complex subject area. I look forward to receiving a formal response to the recommendations. Thank you very much.
Peredur Owen Griffiths: My Plaid Cymru colleagues have set out the risks and outcomes of a failing housing support system. Another factor at play when it comes to housing support and homelessness is the housing market and supply. When it comes to the housing market, renters are truly at the bottom of the pile, and therefore their homelessness risk increases. Prospective renters are continually required to jump...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer, and Mabon has asked to contribute to the debate, and I'm happy to allow that.
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Yes, just Mabon.
Peredur Owen Griffiths: A key feature of the Welsh housing market over the past two decades has been a gradual ballooning of the private rented sector. The alterations in the profile of the Welsh housing stock and its consequences are well known, and have been debated many times in this Chamber. However, a not insignificant subsector within both the private and social rented sectors in Wales is houses in multiple...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: People within my region frequently express feelings of living in a divided community, of not being listened to, and of receiving no consultation, other than a letter through the door, before a HMO is unthinkingly permitted on their street. There are serious concerns around strains on infrastructure, the erosion of community cohesion and the opportunistic rogue landlords who feel that the...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd, and I move the amendment formally in the name of Siân Gwenllian.
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Many people in communities I represent will find it a bit rich that the Tories have brought this debate here today into the Senedd. I represent many former mining villages and towns throughout South Wales East. People living in these places will remember well that it was the Tories that did their best to rip out the heart of these communities during the 1980s. In the last 12 years, austerity...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Pubs have been part of the fabric of community life in Wales for centuries. The industrial revolution saw an increase in licensed premises, with many social clubs springing up in the new communities that were created to house the workers that were part of this population boom in Wales. These venues were a place where people could go after a gruelling shift to quench...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: The picture has changed since this plan was drawn up. The Government has an opportunity to react to the increased threat that alcohol abuse is posing to our communities. We need enhanced resources and measurable targets to combat alcohol-related harms within the Government's substance misuse delivery plan from 2023. The status quo just isn't working. That much, I hope, everyone can agree. I...
