Rhun ap Iorwerth: There are other parts of the announcement I certainly agree with: maintaining the 40 per cent increase in midwifery training places that happened this year, maintaining investment in training places for other key parts of the workforce— healthcare, scientists, paramedics, dental hygienists, therapists and radiographers—all very good news. I was unable, though, to find the bit about...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: I'm glad you're engaging on the issue of doctors today. It seemed, quite often recently, that you've wanted to direct me away from talking about doctors to talk about other parts of the health service, but we know that all health professionals within the health service are dependent on each other, and doctors are very important too. I cannot emphasise too much, though, the need to come...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: It's very relevant.
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Thank you, Llywydd, for the opportunity to say a few words. I feel that I have to say a few words as the only one who represents an island here at the National Assembly—as a constituency. I certainly welcome the fact that we now have a draft of a national marine plan. I remember in the last Assembly, when I was a member of the economy committee, some impact was had on me by the document...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: 2. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the economic benefits of infrastructure developments on Ynys Môn? OAQ51522
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Thank you. In the debate yesterday on the marine plan, I emphasised to your colleague, the Cabinet Secretary for the environment, the need to ensure that an electrical connection is developed urgently to develop the exciting Morlais scheme—the test zone for marine energy on the west coast of Anglesey. It’s important that we make the best of any opportunities with regard to renewable...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: This Welsh Labour Government tells us that the pressure over the 2017-18 winter so far has been down entirely to unprecedented peaks in demand. Now, I have no doubt whatsoever that peaks exist. They exist around winter, as they do at other times of the year as well, and we've heard that there have been some particularly big spikes. But you cannot keep fobbing people off with the...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: We all in this Chamber are involved in the work of developing policy. Perhaps there is an ambition, perhaps there is a problem that we are trying to solve, perhaps we'll find a solution sometimes, but the question, 'Yes, but how much does it cost?', is an inevitable question to be asked and, often, I'm afraid it's asked as a way to prevent the implementation of new policy perhaps. But, yes,...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Instead of asking how much measures to address homelessness cost, we should be asking how much does homelessness itself cost. All the research, all the financial modelling that’s been done on this, comes up with pretty stark conclusions. It is always cheaper to prevent homelessness than to let it happen. It is always cheaper to rapidly resolve homelessness than to let it persist. The longer...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Certainly.
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Certainly, I am very aware of the concern in the sector now about how that protected money can be used by them. Now it’s up to Government to show that it is listening to that sector in giving them the flexibility to spend the money as they wish. I will conclude. Enough really is enough. Let’s not let the human tragedy of rough-sleeping happen simply because different layers of government...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: I drew to the attention of the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services the problem of ambulance taxis being cancelled at the very last moment—something that causes distress to patients who have been waiting a while to go to hospital. In a response I received on 8 January, the Cabinet Secretary said that he was disappointed to hear of these concerns, that a transformation programme...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: 4. Will the First Minister make a statement on communicating with people who are waiting for superfast broadband services? OAQ51582
Rhun ap Iorwerth: A constituent from Talwrn contacted me recently, not that he was angry because he didn't have any superfast broadband, but that he's now found out that it has been available for some months and he wasn't aware of it. As it happens, I'm in the same situation, where a neighbour told me that we could access superfast broadband and have been able to do so for a few months. This is very...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: I'd also like to place on record my thanks to Ruth Hussey and her team for the way they conducted this review. And I think it has been a very timely look at the state of health and social care in Wales. I would say that, in that Plaid Cymru pushed the agenda on having this parliamentary review, and we've been only too pleased to play our part in being part of a discussion panel, every now and...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: I'm very willing to help the Minister to fill a day of visits in north Wales by asking her to visit Anglesey as well. We had floods in many parts of Anglesey before Christmas, and, of course, I have visited those communities from Dwyran to Lanfairpwll to Menai Bridge and Llangefni, and so forth. I would like to mention the situation in Llangefni specifically. I, of course, have been...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Will you take an intervention?
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Thank you for taking the intervention. Just very briefly, much along the lines of a libertarian argument on public surveillance—if you've nothing to hide, you've nothing to fear—is it not the case also that, if there's nothing to fear from the undermining of the integrity of devolution from what the UK Government are seeking to do, why not just have a belt-and-braces approach...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: I'm very pleased to be supporting this debate today. To me, it's a simple matter—a very, very simple matter. When people are suffering an illness that has symptoms that most of us don't have an idea of their seriousness, nor how they bring everyday life to a stop; where living with the condition is a real pain that paralyses someone, or makes them feel that life is not worth living; where...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: 'Cannabis, whether used for medicinal or recreational purposes, is a dangerous substance and would have catastrophic consequences to health and society if it was ever legalised.' You cannot, though, just slip out the phrase 'whether for medicinal or recreational purposes' as if the two are one and the same, because they're not, and that is the appeal I make today and, of course, I'll welcome...
