Lesley Griffiths: I understand the Minister for Social Justice is aware of your concerns and shares the view that there is a real need to maximise investment in new sites and improvements to existing sites. I understand the Minister's officials met residents at sites in north Wales at the end of last year, and that engagement is going on right across Wales over the coming months. I think the Minister would be...
Lesley Griffiths: Diolch, Llywydd. The negative impact of bovine viral diarrhoea and sheep scab on animal welfare and the sustainability of our cattle and sheep farms is of great concern. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of our livestock sector stepping up and working together to eradicate these two diseases from Wales. The control, local and, ultimately, national eradication of BVD and sheep scab are...
Lesley Griffiths: One of the key principles of the Wales animal health and welfare framework is partnership working. The Gwaredu BVD programme is an excellent example of what can be achieved through such successful collaboration. I would like to recognise the importance of the veterinary delivery partners and surgeons who helped deliver this scheme on the ground. Following the success of the industry-led...
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you very much for welcoming the statement this afternoon and the announcements around the eradication of both BVD and sheep scab. I think, in relation to BVD, it was good to give the voluntary scheme some significant time. I think there's been a real push to go for legislation, and I absolutely understand that, because I think what the sector didn't want was to lose the gains that had...
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. I'm disappointed to hear your disappointment, Mabon, because, as I said, we've made some significant progress—over 80 per cent of herds have been tested while we've had the voluntary scheme. And while there has been a call for legislation, you heard me say in my earlier answer to Sam Kurtz that it was really important that we had that evidence that was needed to go ahead with the...
Lesley Griffiths: Diolch. Welsh Government had no prior knowledge of the announcement of the 2 Sisters Food Group's consultation. We are committed to doing all we can to support the people affected and ensure all parties work together to deliver a sustainable future for the local economy.
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. I think 2 Sisters Poultry Ltd are maintaining it's a meaningful consultation and no decision has been made. But, I think you are quite right—we do need, obviously, to prepare for the worst. As I say, we had no prior knowledge of that. I think it would have been helpful had we have had some prior knowledge. We worked very closely with that plant, particularly during the COVID-19...
Lesley Griffiths: Diolch. So, the taskforce does include Welsh Government, Ynys Môn council, UK Government, the Department for Work and Pensions, the company itself and Unite trade union. There are going to be two parts to it: there's going to be a leadership group, which will obviously have the ministerial input, and then there'll be an operational group, which will be at an official level. And that's to...
Lesley Griffiths: Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board is responsible for the condition of its own estate. Business cases can be submitted to Welsh Government for capital funding for the health board's assessed priorities, which have to be considered against the backdrop of significant capital pressures across NHS Wales.
Lesley Griffiths: Well, I know what steps you could take, and you could put some pressure on your Government in Westminster to increase our capital budgets. Our capital budgets have not been increased by the UK Government. However, we have committed more than £335 million towards important NHS and social care capital projects this financial year, and a further £375 million next year to support those...
Lesley Griffiths: I know the Minister for Social Justice has asked her officials to begin those discussions with the UK Government. She herself will be making a statement to the Senedd—probably a written statement, I would imagine. Those discussions have started and, as I say, further information will come forward. You're absolutely right, we do have a very proud tradition. I'm sure there are already people...
Lesley Griffiths: I have to say, I am a Minister that does make a lot of notes. I've always done that, and I've always dated them. I think that's really important. But, I think what we need to look at in relation to the auditor general's letter—. I think it did make for interesting reading. There were a lot of positives in there, which I'm sure you won't welcome, but there were a lot of positives around the...
Lesley Griffiths: I think it's fair to say there had been discussions with Green Man about potential sites for some time. This wasn't just something that happened very quickly. Those discussions had been going on for some time, and the high-level outline business case that had been provided was enough to progress with the purchase. So, as I say, I think there were a lot of positives in that letter from the...
Lesley Griffiths: Well, we're very pleased to announce that an enhanced pay offer was able to be made last week to the health trade unions, and that did call for several of the health unions to call off the strike action yesterday and today, and those discussions are obviously ongoing. We've had to prioritise money, we've had to look at reserves, we've had to look at underspends, and, obviously, as the year...
Lesley Griffiths: Well, we've already used the next two years' reserve, so we've already done that. What we've done in that 3 per cent additional offer is—1.5 per cent is consolidated, as you said, and the other 1.5 per cent isn't. I have to say that we're doing this at risk obviously. This has been the hardest budget I've ever dealt with as a Minister, and I'm sure everybody sitting around me on the front...
Lesley Griffiths: We are a socialist Government, and I think just what we've done in this last week absolutely shows that; it shows the difference between us and the UK Government. But our position on tax is very clear; any analysis of the levers that are available to us as a Government via the Welsh rates of income tax demonstrates we simply cannot raise enough fairly enough to make good the holes that have...
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. We continue to provide significant and sustained funding to support the provision of mental health services across the whole of Wales. In addition to its mental health ring-fenced allocation, Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board has received an additional £3.3 million of recurrent mental health funding this year to continue to improve mental health support.
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. I absolutely agree with you; I think this is an excellent initiative, and all health boards across Wales are at different phases of the implementation now, but we are looking towards having that 24/7 coverage right across Wales by the end of this financial year. I know officials are working with colleagues in 111 to develop marketing materials for preparation for the national...
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. Well, the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Well-being has been working closely with all the health boards to make sure additional funding has been targeted to support the services to which you refer. We've also worked with the police and other emergency services to make sure that the real-time suicide surveillance system in Wales is available. It's provided much more rapid...
Lesley Griffiths: Our Transforming Towns programme is supporting the redevelopment of Rhyl's Queen's Buildings, bringing new vibrancy to the town centre. The market is expected to open this summer, following a £13.2 million investment, which builds on a broader programme of regeneration delivered in the town over recent years through strong local partnerships.
