Michelle Brown: No. Oxbridge intake from state schools has decreased since grammar schools were largely abolished and studies have shown social mobility has decreased. [Interruption.] Listen again: social mobility has decreased since the abolition of grammar schools. If you don’t care about working-class kids, carry on with your policy. To those who say grammar schools are for the elite, we say, ‘Yes,...
Michelle Brown: First Minister, many businesses in north Wales are dependent on tourism and have long been disadvantaged in north Wales, partly due to the failure to adequately advertise local attractions along the A55. It’s an ongoing problem experienced by local attractions—visitors get on the 55, stop at their destination, having no idea of the diverse activities off the 55 and which aren’t...
Michelle Brown: Thank you, Presiding Officer. Cabinet Secretary, if, as most experts predict, Wales fails to make any significant progress in the PISA rankings this December, what does the Cabinet Secretary propose to do to improve our rank for next time?
Michelle Brown: What does the Cabinet Secretary intend to do regarding tuition fees in Wales now that the Diamond report has been published? Would she agree that the current system of subsidising Welsh students to study in England is not sustainable and is not a good use of precious Welsh Government resources?
Michelle Brown: Welsh Labour and the Liberal Democrats are in favour of referenda when it suits their political purposes, namely on further devolution and voting reform. So, let me use this opportunity to ask the Liberal Democrat education Secretary in a Labour Government to give local people an opportunity to start new grammar schools, where there is sufficient local demand demonstrated through the means of...
Michelle Brown: First Minister, areas across Wales have a substantial amount of brownfield land that could be used to build social and affordable housing. Brownfield sites are often an unknown quantity though, and if we add into the mix the potential on some sites for contamination by asbestos, lead and other substances, it is easy to see why developers are often not prepared to take the risk of developing a...
Michelle Brown: The state of many of our high streets is a sad sight to see. Diverse and distinctive high streets that once bustled with activity have given way to gambling establishments, chain pubs, fast food or charity shops, or, otherwise, are standing empty. In some cases, you can almost see the tumbleweed rolling down the middle of the high street. The lifeblood of the high street is footfall and...
Michelle Brown: No. Against this backdrop, business rates are hammering the final nail into the coffin of our high streets. Calculated by crude means, based on nominal value, high street shops are penalised for their location. Shopkeepers may be paying their business rates, but too often this will be at the cost of falling behind with their rent or not recruiting staff. Local authorities and the Welsh...
Michelle Brown: Since the 1960s, Wales has seen many tens of thousands of new homes built that were never destined for local buyers. This has happened on a grand scale across Wales and, in particular, my home area of north-east Wales. The situation we find in rural north Wales, and particularly in parts of Flintshire, is that commuters from across the border buy up the houses as soon as they’re available,...
Michelle Brown: Okay. I’m coming to it now, Llywydd. [Continues.]—and along the A55 corridor will only exacerbate the problem. Are you willing to introduce legislation to reserve a percentage of the housing stock for local buyers, and, if so, when do you propose to do so?
Michelle Brown: I welcome effective measures to tackle hate crime and all forms of prejudice. Hate crime is a crime based in prejudice and bigotry. I have always lived by the principle of live how you choose, believe what you like as long as you don’t harm anyone. Sadly, there are many people who don’t live by that principle. There are people who want to drive out behaviours they see as aberrant, who...
Michelle Brown: Thank you, Presiding Officer. The ministerial determination to close John Summers High School in 2017 was announced by Kirsty Williams in August 2016. It is a matter of record that John Summers High School has served more Traveller children than any other school within Flintshire and possibly across Wales. Can the Minister give assurances that the education needs of the Traveller community...
Michelle Brown: Over the last few years, many of the main police stations in our towns, certainly in north Wales, have been closed. Follow the signpost to the police and you’ll wind up at a phone on the wall. What representations have you made to the police and crime commissioners and police authorities to ensure that the police service is visible, accessible and effectively builds relationships with local...
Michelle Brown: It’s still a community issue though, whether we have that easy access to the police, and obviously Welsh Government does have an input to how much access the local community does have to the police, and that the police service be visible and easy to find.
Michelle Brown: First Minister, could we have some more detail on how the Welsh Government proposes to market north Wales as a holiday destination, please?
Michelle Brown: I would first like to thank the committee for their work on the Wales Bill and for the comprehensive report produced by the committee. In principle, the move from a conferred-powers to a reserved-powers model is a positive step. However, as pointed out by the committee, the Bill is complex and inaccessible. The move to a reserved-powers model is therefore undermined by that complexity and by...
Michelle Brown: 8. Will the First Minister make a statement on waiting times at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd? OAQ(5)00230(FM)
Michelle Brown: Does the First Minister think it’s acceptable for someone experiencing chronic knee pain to have to wait 10 months to see a consultant, and what does the First Minister propose to do about it?
Michelle Brown: Thank you for your statement, Cabinet Secretary. There are estimated to be approximately 20,000 homes standing empty in Wales. If you bring those back into use, you will have hit your target for the term. I acknowledge the spending pledge, but how much of this £1.3 billion will actually be spent on homes, and how much will go on admin and into the pockets of developers as profit?...
Michelle Brown: Thank you, Presiding Officer. What provision is the Cabinet Secretary putting into place to ensure that young people in Wales can focus on technical and vocational education without being diverted by subjects in which they may have no interest?
