Mabon ap Gwynfor: At the beginning of January, I raised the issue of a lack of Welsh-language assessments in a timely manner for children and young people who are neurodiverse. I have a few cases in my constituency of children who need Welsh-language assessments and are having to wait years for those assessments. One, for example, has been waiting for assessment since February, and an initial online assessment...
Mabon ap Gwynfor: Does the Minister recognise that the maximum personal income rate tax in Germany is 45 per cent, while it's 55 per cent in Austria, and have you seen that transfer of people moving from Austria to Germany, based on the high tax rates in Austria?
Mabon ap Gwynfor: The announcement regarding the decision to stop the Llanbedr bypass was made in the autumn of 2021. It was the wrong decision and it came as a very bitter pill after decades of promises. So, while we accept that everything must be done to tackle climate change, not only should this action allow for a just transition, but it should also be commensurate with the likely impact on the communities...
Mabon ap Gwynfor: 3. What discussions has the Minister had with the Minister for Climate Change regarding the impact of the Government's draft budget on the future of national parks? OQ59135
Mabon ap Gwynfor: Thank you for that response. It was very ironic to read the statement by the Deputy Minister for Climate Change on public transport in rural Wales when he was talking about the Sherpa service to Yr Wyddfa as a good example of the kind of system that should be used across Wales. The irony is, of course, that, as things stand, this service could be under threat because of the Government's...
Mabon ap Gwynfor: Thank you, Llywydd. We are now at the beginning, or, in some cases, in the middle, of the lambing season. Naturally, therefore, we turn our sights towards securing the safety of our stock from attacks. Recent data from NFU Mutual shows that out-of-control dogs threaten sheep in Wales, with the data showing that animals to the value of around £440,000 have been seriously injured or killed in...
Mabon ap Gwynfor: Thank you, Minister for that response.
Mabon ap Gwynfor: If I may change to the other sector within your portfolio, from agriculture to aquaculture and fisheries, the most recent data on the fishing industry in Wales shows us that farmed finfish and shellfish saw a massive 82 per cent fall in value between 2019 and 2021. Over the last 10 years, we've seen Welsh fishing fleet landings reduced by 75 per cent in weight and 41 per cent in value. Their...
Mabon ap Gwynfor: 5. What discussions has the Minister had with the Minister for Climate Change regarding the impact of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill on the national peatland action programme? OQ59136
Mabon ap Gwynfor: Thank you for the answer. The success of the national peatland action programme is its ability to deliver in the here and now, but it's come to my attention that a lot of works are held up or not progressing due to landowners holding on to see if they will require degraded peat to enter into the new sustainable farming scheme, or that they might be better off undertaking the work through the...
Mabon ap Gwynfor: This Government doesn't do irony, surely. On the one hand, yesterday, the Deputy Minister announced that plans to build many rural roads in Wales were to be ceased, talking at that point about the importance of public transport and how the most disadvantaged, women, the disabled and vulnerable people are the most reliant on public transport, and how important it is, therefore. Then, in...
Mabon ap Gwynfor: Thank you very much to Luke Fletcher for putting forward this motion and to everyone who co-supports it. The EMA has provided vital support to many students in Wales since it was first introduced. It was first introduced as a pilot back in 1999 before it was rolled out across the United Kingdom in 2004-05. Regretfully, the Government in England abolished it as an allowance, but it’s a...
Mabon ap Gwynfor: May I ask for a statement from the health Minister on an update to the computer system within the national health service? I have a cancer patient in Dinas Mawddwy who's had to go to have initial treatment and gone to see a doctor locally in Dolgellau, and then had to go to hospital in Bronglais in Aberystwyth, and then in turn down to Glangwili in Carmarthen, and then back up to Ysbyty...
Mabon ap Gwynfor: It's clear to everyone now that taking the board out of special measures was a cynical political step, which was done less than three years ago. And in that time, some things have deteriorated: vascular, urology, and emergency services, for example. But, I have a series of questions that constituents in Dwyfor Meirionnydd have asked me to put to you today. We've been here before, and...
Mabon ap Gwynfor: —and would be less disruptive than what is currently happening. When will you accept that the board is too large, is ineffective and needs to be reorganised? Thank you.
Mabon ap Gwynfor: I welcome this statement today, because AMR is having a detrimental impact on our farms and on public health. Indeed, by 2050, it is estimated that AMR will cause 10 million deaths across the world, and will cost $100 trillion to the world economy. So, as we consider this, what economic assessment has the Government made of the impact of AMR on the agricultural sector in Wales? And what...
Mabon ap Gwynfor: For instance, lamb farms have benefited from tightened disinfection protocols and placing greater emphasis on the quality and timeliness of colostrum feeding, as well as targeted selective treatment in lambs. On cattle farms, the trialled use of bolus technology has provided farmers with an early warning system, alerting them to potential infection in a cow when it is in heat or the early...
Mabon ap Gwynfor: Of course, it is a complex matter, and it is necessary to approach this from many perspectives. We must promote good hygiene practices to prevent the spread of disease, and we must promote the responsible use of antibiotics. It is the overuse and misuse of antibiotics that drives antimicrobial resistance. We must, therefore, ensure that the use of antibiotics is limited to necessary doses...
Mabon ap Gwynfor: Well, following the contribution of John Griffiths, it will come as no surprise to any of you that I, and those of us on these benches, oppose this motion today and, in the process, will upset my new friend, Janet Finch-Saunders. This Bill, like so many of the legislative consent memoranda that we've seen over the last 18 months, undermines our national legislature here, and, therefore,...
Mabon ap Gwynfor: 5. Will the Minister make a statement on the report into misogyny and sexual misconduct in the North Wales Police force published by the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner? OQ59183
