Vikki Howells: Leader of the house, it was good to join with you and many other Labour AMs outside the Senedd last week to support the women from all across Wales who are protesting against the unfair changes in women’s pension arrangements that have simply been steamrollered in by the UK Government. Could we have a statement from the Welsh Government on their assessment of the impact these changes have...
Vikki Howells: Thank you, Cabinet Secretary, for your statement. Teaching was a first-choice career for me and I spent 16 very rewarding years in the classroom. I know, from my own experience of working with ITE programmes as a student mentor myself, just how important they are in ensuring that teaching remains as a first-choice career, and also how beneficial it is for practicing teachers to have student...
Vikki Howells: With regard to ALN.
Vikki Howells: Diolch, Lywydd. Many colleagues here in this Chamber will be aware that, until March of this year, I was a full-time practising teacher. I certainly enjoyed my 16 years in the classroom, but my best memories of the job are the times spent outside of the classroom. By this, I’m not referring to the supposedly long holidays teachers receive, which, I can confirm, incidentally, are filled with...
Vikki Howells: Natural Resources Wales, in their evidence to the Children, Young People and Education Committee inquiry into their priorities for this Assembly term, succinctly list the benefits to a young person’s education from this contact with the great outdoors. I won’t repeat the list, but I do want to mention some examples that reinforce my own understanding of the benefits that this type of...
Vikki Howells: 2. What are the Welsh Government's priorities for increasing the number of tourists who visit Wales? OAQ(5)0156(FM)
Vikki Howells: Today is World Tourism Day, as I’m sure you know, First Minister, and it’s so important that we highlight what is on offer in all parts of our country to visitors. My own constituency, the Cynon Valley, possesses world-famous attractions like the Penderyn whisky distillery and unique events like the Nos Galan road races, which commemorate the memory of Guto Nyth Brân. So, how does the...
Vikki Howells: To date, Cynon Valley has been firmly aligned with the Cardiff city region, and, while I welcome this association and the many benefits it may bring, in geographic and economic terms, my constituency also has many links with the Swansea bay area. What assurances could you provide, First Minister, that the city region model will be flexible enough to incorporate the best interests of...
Vikki Howells: 6. What action is the Welsh Government taking to improve services for people affected by neuroendocrine tumours? OAQ(5)0043(HWS)
Vikki Howells: Cabinet Secretary, I’ve been contacted by constituents who are concerned about delays in neuroendocrine tumour referrals. What assurances can you give that such referrals take place within the timeframes and guidelines recommended by the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee?
Vikki Howells: What are the Welsh Government's priorities for the delivery of primary care services in the Cynon Valley?
Vikki Howells: First Minister, I recently met with Careers Wales staff in Aberdare, and they told me how they’re using the ReAct programme to ensure that people in my constituency who have been affected by redundancy have the skills they need to seek alternative employment. Do you agree with me, First Minister, that Careers Wales and the ReAct programme have a crucial role to play in helping people...
Vikki Howells: 1. Will the Minister provide an update on how the Welsh Government is supporting farmers in the Cynon Valley? OAQ(5)0042(ERA)
Vikki Howells: Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. I recently met with a group of farmers in Ynysybwl, which is a marginal farmland area in my constituency, at a meeting organised by the National Farmers Union. We discussed the acidic quality of local soil, and it was suggested that liming of the soil in the area may benefit farmers, but would also bring environmental improvements. Would the Welsh Government...
Vikki Howells: 3. What action is the Welsh Government taking to improve access to play for children in Cynon Valley? OAQ(5)0043(CC)
Vikki Howells: Thank you. I was pleased last week to be able to attend the opening of two accessible play areas in my constituency, at Cilfynydd and Glyncoch. In both cases, improvements have been the result of well-supported community campaigns and welcome investment from Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council. Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child sets out a right to play. How is...
Vikki Howells: 11. What are the Minister’s priorities for promoting regeneration within the Cynon Valley? OAQ(5)0044(CC)
Vikki Howells: Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. The town centre partnership fund has brought lots of benefits, including to Aberdare in my constituency. When I speak to people in many other town and village centres, they feel that they too could also benefit from support. Would Welsh Government have any plans for looking at what lessons can be drawn from the partnership fund, to develop targeted support so...
Vikki Howells: I’d like to start by thanking the Members in whose name this motion is tabled today. I’ll focus my remarks on the first two points of the motion, and in doing so, I’ll return to a theme I covered a few weeks ago in my short debate on outdoor education in Wales. As the motion notes, just under two thirds of Welsh children do not get the recommended hour of physical activity, which they...
Vikki Howells: It is important that we provide primary care facilities that are fit for purpose and that meet demand. Cwm Taf university health board and RCT council are collaborating to develop a new health centre in Mountain Ash that will do exactly this. How is the Welsh Government working with partners to improve primary care facilities across Wales?
