Dawn Bowden: 4. Will the First Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's spending priorities for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney? OAQ54537
Dawn Bowden: Thank you for that answer, First Minister. I know that a number of those core priorities are important to the well-being of my constituents, particularly in the areas of health, housing and social care, but can I focus my supplementary question on the needs of the local economy? We know that there has recently been some bad economic news about job losses in the town, but I also know of...
Dawn Bowden: 7. Will the Minister make a statement on how the Welsh Government promotes tourism in Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney? OAQ54540
Dawn Bowden: Thank you for that reply, Deputy Minister. Of course, you've been no stranger to my constituency. You've visited many times, and you've already talked about the excellent attractions of BikePark Wales and Rock UK, and of course we've got the Brecon Mountain Railway, Cyfarthfa castle, and I could go on. It doesn't just put Merthyr Tydfil on the tourist map, it puts the Valleys on the tourist...
Dawn Bowden: Although I'm now a member of the committee, I wasn't at the time the inquiry was taking place, but I'd like to thank everyone involved with gathering the evidence and delivering the report on an issue that is important to so many people who use the blue badge scheme. Like other Members, I see lots of these coming through my office on a regular basis, and, actually, the staff in my office have...
Dawn Bowden: Can I start by thanking those who participated in the inquiry, and thank the Welsh Government for its very positive response to the committee's recommendations? Inevitably, I think we will probably all be covering a number of the same areas, so please bear with me. But, for me, this inquiry clearly showed that the issue of school funding is not as straightforward as some would like to...
Dawn Bowden: —and the spending cuts that you have imposed on Wales. I'll take your intervention.
Dawn Bowden: Well, I assume Llywydd will give me some extra time now in my contribution because I'm sick to death of standing in this Chamber week after week hearing the Tories call for more spending on all our public services when you have presided over 10 years of austerity. We will take no lessons from the Conservatives on spending. Secondly, Welsh Government budget decisions, which I'm now going to...
Dawn Bowden: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. It seems to be that today is the day for debates on housing. I'm sorry that I wasn't around actually to participate in much of the Conservatives' debate earlier on, because there's much in what was tabled in that debate that I do support, and I think that we are in a process of reaching some kind of consensus around some of the issues that we need to...
Dawn Bowden: But, in this debate, and sitting amongst the many solutions, I want to highlight the opportunities for co-operative solutions to help meet the housing needs in our communities. And I'll focus on that now in this second section of my debate. Because I'm fortunate to have, in my constituency, an organisation called Merthyr Valleys Homes. And this association emerged from the stock transfer...
Dawn Bowden: Trefnydd, I know many Members in the Chamber are supporting the valuable work of Tŷ Hafan and the hospice movement in general across Wales, and I think we all recognise on a cross-party basis the value of the support they provide to individuals and families, both in the hospice premises themselves but also out in the community. I'm also sure that many Members will have seen the publicity...
Dawn Bowden: 3. Will the Minister make a statement on digital connectivity infrastructure for the south Wales valleys? OAQ54618
Dawn Bowden: Thank you for that answer, Deputy Minister. I know, of course, this is a largely non-devolved area of work, but I do recognise that, over the last few years, because of the failure of the UK Government to provide sufficient investment where the commercial market won't provide this vital service for our communities and business, the Welsh Government has stepped into this space and invested in...
Dawn Bowden: 5. Will the First Minister provide an update on the Welsh Government's actions to tackle modern day slavery? OAQ54686
Dawn Bowden: Thank you for that answer, First Minister. I will be careful what I say in my question, because there are current police investigations in my constituency on this matter. But such investigations highlight the importance of everyone remaining vigilant to the problems of human trafficking and modern day slavery and to the horrible exploitation of vulnerable people that can happen in a wide...
Dawn Bowden: 1. Will the Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's priorities for managing the natural environment in Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney? OAQ54666
Dawn Bowden: Thank you for that answer, Minister. The natural environment of Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney, like other communities in the south Wales Valleys, needs that continuing investment from the Welsh Government in order to build on the growing recognition of the importance of projects like the Valleys regional park. The natural environment of our valleys is also a backdrop for important tourist...
Dawn Bowden: 5. Will the Minister provide an update on Welsh Government support for credit unions in Wales? OAQ54667
Dawn Bowden: Thank you for that answer, Minister. You'll be aware that we're approaching a time of the year that can be a huge pressure on household budgets, and the pressure of advertising and wanting to buy the right thing can often lead to wrong decisions on spending and fuel the growth of personal debt, and unsustainable debt, actually. So, would you join me in thanking the credit unions across Wales,...
Dawn Bowden: 4. Will the First Minister outline how the economic priorities set out in the Government's programme are delivering for people in Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney? OAQ54714
