Gareth Davies: Trefnydd, can I ask for a statement from the Minister for Health and Social Services this afternoon regarding support for armed services veterans in the healthcare system? I was contacted by a local resident from Rhyl over the weekend whose husband, sadly, nearly committed suicide, and, without being too graphic, he was nearly successful, unfortunately. He was since treated, but what was...
Gareth Davies: It's a pleasure to take part in this debate this afternoon. I thank the Government for tabling this debate today as we embark on the annual period of remembrance to consider those in the armed forces who have sacrificed so much for so many of the freedoms that we hold dear today. I'd like to use my short contribution to tell the Senedd about the brilliant work that my local British legion do...
Gareth Davies: I'm pleased that this question has been raised this afternoon over the Flying Start scheme, and it's not the first time I've raised this issue, but I get deeply concerned over the postcode lottery of the scheme, where funding is based on where somebody lives rather than on their financial situation, and essentially a scenario in which wealthy people can qualify and people who need it the most...
Gareth Davies: What we need to see is the Welsh Government taking responsibility for nurses' pay and stop passing the buck onto Westminster whenever the going gets tough. You slice the pie at the end of the day, Minister, and you have full control over this matter. The Scottish Government have put forward a pay offer that will see nurses in the country given an uplift of £2,205, with the health Secretary,...
Gareth Davies: Thank you very much for your statement this afternoon, Deputy Minister. It's concerning that the Welsh Government has been so quick to work on a Wales-wide digital childcare service when the NHS has been waiting over 10 years for systems to be updated, and fax machines are still being used throughout the estate. And although it's the 100-year anniversary of Labour's dominance in Wales today,...
Gareth Davies: Oh, come on. You're responsible for the—[Inaudible.]
Gareth Davies: I'm going to direct my spokesperson's questions this time towards my home area of Rhyl and the north Denbighshire community hospital up in that patch, or the lack of a north Denbighshire community hospital for that matter on the Royal Alexandra site. For 10 years now, this Welsh Labour Government, in the shadow of Nye Bevan, is depriving local people on the Denbighshire coast of a facility...
Gareth Davies: Come off it.
Gareth Davies: Well, I don't accept that answer really, health Minister, as this has been devolved as your Government's responsibility for nearly a quarter of a decade. And it's interesting you say that, as, back in 2018, 2019, when you were hopelessly scraping around for votes, your predecessor, Vaughan Gething, and my predecessor, Labour's Ann Jones, posted a social media video—[Interruption.]
Gareth Davies: As it should be. Labour's Ann Jones posted a social media video in this very Senedd saying that the Welsh Government would deliver on the north Denbighshire community hospital, and that Labour was working for the people of the Vale of Clwyd. Now, this video has been conveniently deleted and confined to the bowels of history, but I know what I've seen, Minister, and I have a good memory,...
Gareth Davies: Well, as a constituency Member who's very interested in this matter, I think it's only dutiful for me, as the Member for that constituency, to highlight the track record of this situation—[Interruption.]
Gareth Davies: Okay. You may say that, Minister, but I had a meeting with the chair and directors of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board just yesterday, and they categorically told me that they've done all they can on their side of the bargain in terms of submitting their business case to you, planning procedures and anything else that's pertinent to their remit. So, they are waiting for you, Minister....
Gareth Davies: The lot of you, grow up. Grow some backbone.
Gareth Davies: Had enough. Had enough.
Gareth Davies: Well, she hasn't—
Gareth Davies: If she's got the decency to respond, then, come on, let's have it. Let's have it. Come on.
Gareth Davies: Come on. I'm tired of this.
Gareth Davies: Constant shifting of blame all the time.
Gareth Davies: I will leave, and it's an affront to democracy. It's an affront to democracy.
Gareth Davies: I have, and there's no answer. There's no answer, so I will leave.
