Darren Millar: Thank you, Minister, for your statement. You’ll know of my long-standing interest in the armed forces, and I’ve been very pleased to see the Welsh Government pick up on many of the issues that I’ve raised in the past, and in particular the ongoing support for the Veterans’ NHS Wales service. You will know, though, that there is inconsistency, as has already been alluded to, in terms...
Darren Millar: I’m very grateful for the opportunity to take part in this particular debate because, of course, I come from an area where air quality is actually very, very good—on the north Wales coast. In fact it’s so good that historically it’s been one of those places that has received investment in its health services in order to look after people who were impacted by poor air quality from many...
Darren Millar: Cabinet Secretary, will you take an intervention?
Darren Millar: It’s just on this particular issue of trees and shrubs alongside roads in particular. I’ve noticed that there’s been a significant move to fencing roads at the moment to act as buffers for sound, as opposed to planting, which, obviously, would have the added benefit of reducing pollution. Is this something that you will look at, with your Cabinet colleagues, to see how that might be...
Darren Millar: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Could I also welcome the Cabinet Secretary to her first questions—[Interruption.]
Darren Millar: [Continues.]—on education matters here in the Senedd? [Interruption.] If Members are ready, I’ll continue.
Darren Millar: Cabinet Secretary, you published a statement recently on the additional learning needs Bill and the progress that you hope to make on that. Can you set out the timetable by which you expect to publish a draft Bill for consideration by the Assembly?
Darren Millar: Can you give us some confidence about the resources that might be attached to that Bill, Cabinet Secretary? One of the concerns that many people have is that it will be inadequately resourced in terms of the outcomes that that Bill hopes to achieve and that that will have a detrimental impact on the education opportunities for individuals with additional learning needs. What resources are...
Darren Millar: One way, of course, of releasing resources would be to scrap the regional consortia that you so heartily recommended to the Assembly should have been done prior to the elections. I checked your manifesto earlier today, in terms of your commitment, and at no point did it suggest that the commitment to abolish the regional consortia was attached to local government reform. So, I think that has...
Darren Millar: First Minister, there are a number of adults across Wales who want to learn Welsh, fel y mae Siân Gwenllian wedi’i ddweud, gan gynnwys llawer o bobl yn fy etholaeth i, ac mae cymorth ariannol er mwyn eu galluogi i ddysgu'r iaith yn hynod o bwysig. Rwy’n meddwl tybed pa gymorth ariannol penodol yr ydych chi'n mynd i’w roi ar gael dros y blynyddoedd nesaf i gefnogi a meithrin yr iaith,...
Darren Millar: Minister, thank you for your statement. This was an absolutely appalling case, which has shocked everybody, I think, in this Chamber, and, indeed, across Wales. When people hear that, in modern-day Wales, a young boy, aged eight, died as a result of scurvy—a condition that everybody here hoped was consigned to the bin of history—I think we should all be ashamed of ourselves that this boy...
Darren Millar: Thank you, Minister, for your statement. I’m encouraged, actually, by a lot of what I’ve heard, particularly in terms of your vision for more federation of schools and, presumably, not just in rural areas, but also in urban areas as well. I do think that that gives opportunities to teachers to develop specialisms and expertise that are more exciting for them as they embark on their...
Darren Millar: 3. Will the Minister make a statement on access to NHS services in north Wales? OAQ(5)0020(HWS)
Darren Millar: It doesn’t surprise me, Cabinet Secretary, that you fail to mention the referral-to-treatment-times targets, which of course have been missed on a regular basis and have been for many years here in Wales. And, of course, the hospital that serves my constituents, Ysbyty Glan Clwyd in Bodelwyddan, has some appalling referral-to-treatment times that it’s currently working to: ear, nose and...
Darren Millar: Will you take an intervention?
Darren Millar: Do you accept some responsibility from your party’s perspective, given that your Deputy First Minister, who was in office for five years, did nothing to improve the prosperity of those parts of Wales to which you refer?
Darren Millar: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and can I thank everybody in the Chamber who has contributed to this debate? Most of the debate has been very good spirited and I think it’s important that we take things forward in support of our armed forces community and the veterans that we have in Wales on a cross-party basis wherever possible. I’m pleased that the Minister put on record his...
Darren Millar: Leader of the house, can I call for two statements, please—one from the Cabinet Secretary for Education in relation to recognition of the Welsh baccalaureate qualification by universities across the UK? I’ve had a number of constituent cases this year where certain universities, and even departments within universities, are rejecting the baccalaureate as a qualification that is acceptable...
Darren Millar: Minister, I’m very pleased to hear that you’re paying attention to this very important field, but what work are you specifically doing, or your officials doing, to engage with the education sectors—not just higher education, but also the further education sector—in maximising the potential benefits that precision agriculture can bring to the yields, particularly in terms of crops,...
Darren Millar: Minister, one of the successes, really, in north Wales of the previous administration’s approach to regeneration has been in Colwyn Bay, where we’ve seen a revitalisation of that particular town. But of course, there are many other seaside towns around Wales that could benefit from a strategic regeneration approach. Will you take on board our policy proposal from the recent Assembly...
