Llyr Gruffydd: Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. Could I thank you for the opportunity to have this short debate this afternoon? I want to start my contribution by trying something that will underline the point that I want to make, and make that much more effectively than I can, perhaps, in a speech. I don’t doubt that this will be perhaps the first time in any parliament in the world that...
Llyr Gruffydd: Well, evidently, Siri hasn’t quite understood what I asked. I’ll try another one. Hey, Siri, who is the First Minister of Wales?
Llyr Gruffydd: No. Well, there we are. We’ll try once again. Hey, Siri, do you understand Welsh?
Llyr Gruffydd: Well, evidently, from that answer, ‘no’ is the answer, in truth, and that is a regret, of course, and a disappointment, because the future is digital, and devices like Apple Siri, which recognise speech and answer questions, are becoming more common in our everyday lives. But, as you can see, there is a risk that that digital future is a future without Welsh if we don’t show leadership...
Llyr Gruffydd: Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on fire safety in North Wales?
Llyr Gruffydd: A fortnight ago, a motorcyclist was killed on what is unfortunately called the ‘“Evo” triangle’, which is a series or network of roads in the Pentrefoelas-Cerrigydrudion area, which has been promoted by the ‘Evo’ car magazine as a good place to test your driving skills and to push your car to the limit. Now, all of this, over a period of time, has created a culture where you can...
Llyr Gruffydd: Thank you, Cabinet Secretary, for your statement. I don’t think it takes us in an unexpected direction. Much of it confirms what you’ve outlined in the past, but it is good to have that confirmation, particularly as universities and students, of course, have been seeking that clarity in order to make decisions in the ensuing months. Now, the most significant announcement here is the fact...
Llyr Gruffydd: Can I thank you for your statement this afternoon? Certainly, we welcome the move towards a much more streamlined support environment, and that’s something I’ve previously indicated to you after previous statements. Can I also welcome the continued emphasis on a truly cross-government approach, which I think is essential? We’ve heard these words being said in the past, but I am...
Llyr Gruffydd: Diolch yn fawr. Cabinet Secretary, what did Carwyn Jones tell you when you asked him whether you could raise tuition fees?
Llyr Gruffydd: Of course, Lord Adonis, Labour’s architect of tuition fees, has admitted that they’ve turned into a Frankenstein’s monster of £50,000 plus debts for graduates on modest salaries who can’t remotely afford to pay them back. Many of those students are clearly on the brink. What do you think is an acceptable level of debt for students in Wales?
Llyr Gruffydd: Well, piling the pressure on the students isn’t the answer, is it? And trying to make it sound as if the NUS is supporting the increase in the fee that was announced yesterday is plain wrong. Yes, there’s a shift in how you support students—nobody’s doubting that. But raising the burden of debt that students in Wales are suffering—and you didn’t answer my question, by the way—is...
Llyr Gruffydd: 6. Will the First Minister make a statement on the importance of patients’ voices in the provision and development of health services? OAQ(5)0743(FM)[W]
Llyr Gruffydd: Well, yes, it is, and your Government is currently consulting on scrapping statutory community health councils. I see this as a retrograde step and a dangerous step, particularly for us in north Wales, because we need a strong, independent voice that is locally based, and that can challenge the health boards and challenge the Government when needs be. The health council in north Wales has...
Llyr Gruffydd: One of the centres trying to establish itself as a venue for events with some of the major bands is the Racecourse. I have regularly raised the need to invest in the Racecourse with you, because it needs to be—and it should be—an important centre for entertainment, but also an international standard sport stadium. We constantly hear this Government making very proactive statements about...
Llyr Gruffydd: 7. Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on the proposed national football museum? OAQ(5)0205(EI)[W]
Llyr Gruffydd: Well, thank you for your answer, and I welcome, obviously, the commissioning of this study as a consequence of an agreement between the Government and Plaid Cymru, of course. But some people are asking the question of whether there’s a slight change in direction here because the original commitment was to look into a football museum located in the north, whereas the feasibility study looks...
Llyr Gruffydd: Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the standard of GP surgeries in north Wales?
Llyr Gruffydd: I am aware that there is a debate tomorrow, or a policy discussion around getting rid of the community health councils, but the point that I want to raise refers more specifically to the broader consultation processes of this Government. I would be pleased to have a statement from the Cabinet Secretary with responsibility—the finance Secretary, as far as I can see, is responsible for...
Llyr Gruffydd: 8. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on floods on agricultural land? (OAQ51031)[W]
Llyr Gruffydd: Thank you for that response. I did raise this with one of your predecessors three years ago: the need to do more to empower landowners, farmers, environmental groups and so on to be responsible, within specific parameters, of course, for clearing river banks themselves, for example—that they should have the powers to do that within specific circumstances. I referred at that point to a pilot...
