John Griffiths: 5. What further steps will the Welsh Government take to develop the Welsh language in areas where there are fewer Welsh-speakers? OAQ54551
John Griffiths: Thank you very much, Minister. Welsh in Newport today is far more often heard now than when the Assembly came into existence. Welsh-medium education continues to grow, and pupils in all English-medium schools also learn Welsh. Signage and announcements are bilingual and there are opportunities for adults to learn and use the Welsh language, but the language is still relatively weak and only a...
John Griffiths: Diolch, Llywydd. I'm very pleased to open today's debate on the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee report on the blue badge scheme in Wales. I'd like to start by thanking all of those who contributed to our inquiry, in particular those who participated in the numerous focus-group sessions we held across the country. I'd like to welcome the representatives from Knighton...
John Griffiths: Recommendation 8 is accepted in principle. We discussed with the Minister the need to involve those with lived experience in the assessment process. He was confident that when joint transport authorities are established, this would be a significant feature to advise on how service provision can be improved. We realise that provisions around the establishment of JTAs primarily relate to bus...
John Griffiths: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I thank Members for their contributions. Mark Drakeford—sorry, Mark Isherwood—stressed—[Laughter.] It's very difficult to confuse the two, Dirprwy Lywydd—it must be an indication of tiredness, I think. Mark Isherwood stressed the social model of disability in considering these matters, and that's certainly something that came through loud and clear in the...
John Griffiths: I want to raise some issues that have already been touched upon by you, Minister, and, indeed, other contributors, and that's around private sector high-rise residential buildings. Just last week, the equality committee received correspondence from a leaseholder raising very significant concerns about basic quality and fire safety measures and the lack of them, and this followed a level 4...
John Griffiths: I must say, in my experience, the public believe that, in the fifth or sixth biggest economy in the world, it's a terrible indictment of the UK that so many people are sleeping rough and at risk of homelessness. People see it as morally indefensible, and indeed it is. I don't think we can get away from the background of UK Government austerity over something like a 10-year period in terms of...
John Griffiths: None of us would say that the problems haven't existed over—[Interruption.]
John Griffiths: Okay. I don't think any of us would deny that there are long-standing problems. Many of us would look to the experience of the Thatcher Governments over a period of time—you know, the sale of council houses without the ability to use the proceeds to build new council housing, the concentration on private purchase. We know now, for example, that the constant pressure of low wages and high...
John Griffiths: 3. What strategy will the Welsh Government follow to support the economy in Wales? OAQ54634
John Griffiths: First Minister, Newport is very well placed to help Welsh Government realise its ambitions in terms of sustainable development. It could play a much bigger part, I believe, in economic growth, job creation, together with the sort of environmental protections that we want to see in our country—sustainable development in the round. It's geographic location between our capital city and Bristol...
John Griffiths: First Minister, as we've heard, the criminal justice system in England and Wales is in need of much improvement. There's a body of evidence that establishes that, and I think this authoritative report significantly adds to it. We know that far too many people are sent to prison, as you mentioned in your opening statement, compared to our our western European neighbours, for example, and that...
John Griffiths: Minister, the Orb steelworks in Newport should continue in operation, and, with the right level of support from Tata Steel, UK Government and Welsh Government, it would be enabled to produce electrical steels for electric car production in the future. There's a very strong local campaign to keep the Orb works in production, and, indeed, it's been a feature of economic life in Newport since...
John Griffiths: 7. What measures is the Counsel General taking ahead of Brexit to safeguard the Welsh economy? OAQ54635
John Griffiths: Counsel General, a lot of the economic activity in Wales consists of the work of small and medium-sized enterprises, and I believe they're crucial to our economy. They face a lot of cash-flow and confidence pressures in the light of Brexit and what Brexit may bring. I believe a crucial support for them is the Development Bank of Wales, so, could you offer some reassurance today that that...
John Griffiths: Thank you for the opportunity to speak as Chair of the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee, as we will of course be scrutinising this Bill during its passage through the Assembly. This is a very important and indeed substantial Bill and we will be undertaking thorough scrutiny of the various provisions in due course. But at this stage I would like to ask the Minister about...
John Griffiths: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Minister, in Newport, we're in a particular position, of course, where we had the announcement in terms of Orb and the almost 400 jobs that are there and now this general Tata announcement across its European operations. So, we have Llanwern potentially affected, of course, as well as Orb. I very much welcome what you said about the Orb jobs and the assurances that...
John Griffiths: 2. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to strengthen the relationship between Wales and countries that have strong links to our most diverse communities? OAQ54724
John Griffiths: Thank you for that response, Minister. In Newport East, we're very fortunate in having diverse communities, including strong Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities, and, of course, they have many links with Pakistan and Bangladesh. I just wonder to what extent Welsh Government is drawing on that heritage and those links in fostering its relationships and the trade and the general activity that...
John Griffiths: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. ColegauCymru recently celebrated 10 years in their current building, and, to mark the occasion, a seminar event was held, and discussions were had on the past, present and future of skills in Wales. The value of education and training must not be underestimated. In 2017, there were just over 350,000 16 to 25-year-olds in Wales, and 50 per cent of these were in...
