Dawn Bowden: Can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for his statement and the opportunity to contribute to this debate? For my relatively brief contribution I want to highlight a very important principle that’s contained and underpinned in this budget and the key elements of that which help to make the Welsh Government spending effective, and that is something that the First Minister alluded to earlier on,...
Dawn Bowden: Will the First Minister make a statement on services for vulnerable people in Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney?
Dawn Bowden: Seeing as everybody else is also talking about their online experiences, I’ll just say a little bit about mine. I have certainly been trolled by far-right extremist organisations for doing little more than supporting an event that I attended in the Senedd on Wales as a nation of sanctuary. I think Leanne Wood was trolled by the same organisations for attending the same event, and we were...
Dawn Bowden: 8. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the use of notices served under section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 in Wales? (OAQ51195)
Dawn Bowden: Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. As you’ll be aware, the use of section 21 notices—the so-called no-fault eviction notices—can be served at any time on a tenant who is not protected by a fixed-term contract. The notice can be served without any grounds being given or proven and can bring an abrupt end to tenancies and total disruption to the lives of tenants. Not surprisingly, the increase...
Dawn Bowden: 2. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on how various elements of the draft budget help the most vulnerable groups of people in Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney? (OAQ51237)
Dawn Bowden: I thank the Cabinet Secretary for that answer, and I’m sure, Cabinet Secretary, you will agree that the support offered to vulnerable people by this draft Welsh budget stands in stark contrast to the grotesque chaos of the Tories’ universal credit scheme. Welfare reforms, Cabinet Secretary, are stripping billions of pounds—yes, billions of pounds—from our Valleys communities,...
Dawn Bowden: Last week, I was delighted to attend Merthyr Tydfil’s civic centre for the rededication of the plaque that honours volunteers from the town who joined the international brigades to fight fascism in Spain—a fight that they hoped would save Spanish democracy and avert a world war. The event was attended by relatives of the volunteers and it was touching to listen to their stories about the...
Dawn Bowden: Firstly, like others, can I thank the committee for the comprehensive, if sometimes uncomfortable, reading in terms of the report? I’m not going to deal specifically with any of the recommendations in the report, but there are three key issues that I wanted to raise, focusing on the future and the actions that still need to be taken, and we will draw lessons from that report in terms of...
Dawn Bowden: Will the First Minister make a statement on Welsh Government support for economic development in the Rhymney Valley?
Dawn Bowden: Can I also support the importance of preventative services, but across all of our public services? For example, in Cwm Taf Local Health Board, they've been piloting free health checks funded by Welsh Government for the over-50s and, as a result, are picking up early signals of health problems that allows for cost-effective, preventative actions. Would the First Minister agree that this type...
Dawn Bowden: Can I take this first formal chance to congratulate the Leader of the House in her new role and wish her well in her work? Can I please request that the Cabinet Secretary for Education bring forward a statement to update the Assembly on the important issue of asbestos in school buildings? We know from representations to the Petitions Committee and also from some related correspondence that...
Dawn Bowden: Will the First Minister make a statement on the success of the interagency approach involved with the work of the Gwent Missing Children Hub?
Dawn Bowden: 2. What discussions has the Counsel General held regarding the role of human rights in Welsh legislation? OAQ51334
Dawn Bowden: Thank you for that answer, Counsel General. Firstly, can I congratulate you, obviously, on your appointment as Counsel General, and wish you well in your work going forward? We know that Wales has a proud record when it comes to embedding human rights in our legislation policies and our actions, but we face a number of uncertainties ahead as the UK negotiates to leave the European Union....
Dawn Bowden: Can I thank Llyr for the opportunity of making a short contribution on this very important issue? I'm grateful to him for making reference in his speech to the work of the Gwent missing children's hub, which covers the Rhymney side of my constituency. I hope that my contribution can highlight, just in a little more detail, some of the useful work taking place there. I'd certainly urge Members...
Dawn Bowden: —lessons learned up until that point in time. But as the Gwent hub is the only one of its type in Wales, and has shown some proved benefits in dealing with missing children and the wider issues associated with this, now would seem an appropriate time for other Welsh police forces and agencies to consider this model to help tackle many of the issues that Llyr has raised.
Dawn Bowden: First Minister, I've spoken many times in the Chamber about the need to capitalise on the industrial heritage of Merthyr Tydfil as part of an economic strategy for the whole area, and I'm sure that you'll join me in thanking the organisers and the many experts who recently gave their time at the industrial heritage charrette that was held in Cyfarthfa Castle, which looked at new and...
Dawn Bowden: Will the First Minister make a statement on the provision of advice services for people dealing with problems of personal debt?
Dawn Bowden: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. First of all, can I thank Mick for the very detailed background to, and analysis of, actually, the issues leading to the tabling of this motion? So, I personally just want to add a few comments of my own to support what Mick has already said, particularly in relation to the impact on some of my constituents. What became apparent to me very early on in my...
