Rhys ab Owen: I'd like to pay tribute to the late Tony Paris, who sadly passed away last week. Tony was one of the Cardiff Three, who were wrongly convicted of the tragic and violent murder of Lynette White only a few minutes' walk from this Chamber. I remember as a young boy the protests in Cardiff for justice for the Cardiff Three. I also remember the persistent gossip about them. I also remember, as a...
Rhys ab Owen: Thank you very much, Trefnydd, for your answers. The problem with this issue is that we don't have the tools here in the Senedd to deal with it. I very much hope that the First Minister, when Liz Truss does phone him eventually, says clearly to her, and to Keir Starmer, that we need to devolve justice to Wales to get to the core of these issues. I also hope that he will take the opportunity...
Rhys ab Owen: 7. What discussions has the First Minister had with the UK Government regarding future inter-governmental relations? OQ58483
Rhys ab Owen: Thank you, First Minister. First Minister, I read this morning that you still haven't received a phone call from the UK Prime Minister, but I know that she's been very busy recently, particularly with her u-turns, in destroying the economy, threatening to cut benefits and dealing with prominent members of the Cabinet, such as your new friend, the Secretary of State for Wales, who said today...
Rhys ab Owen: 8. Will the Minister make a statement on progress in relation to the race equality action plan? OQ58481
Rhys ab Owen: Diolch yn fawr, Weinidog. We cannot separate today from history. We must recognise some of the terrible miscarriages of justice faced by communities so close to the Senedd here. The other week, when mentioning the sad passing of Tony Paris, I raised the issue about his daughter wanting a street in his beloved Butetown named after him. Minister, will you support me in supporting a campaign to...
Rhys ab Owen: 2. What discussions has the Counsel General had with the Ministry of Justice following the resignation of the Victims' Commissioner for England and Wales? OQ58476
Rhys ab Owen: As you well know, many of the services that victims require are actually devolved to Wales and, at the end of June, when I asked the Prif Weinidog whether he was satisfied with the current system, he said that the 'system has so far served us well.' Well, in the resignation letter of last week by Dame Vera Baird, she complained about a lack of engagement from the very top in the Ministry of...
Rhys ab Owen: Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. On 5 July, the First Minister said that the Environmental Protection (Single-use Plastic Products) (Wales) Bill would be used as a practical example with the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020. It was for that reason that the Stage 1 process was bypassed. On Monday, in front of the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee, the Minister for Climate Change...
Rhys ab Owen: I'm very pleased to hear that answer, Cwnsler Cyffredinol, because that wasn't the impression given at the committee on Monday. I'm sure you'd agree with me there'll always be some policy importance for any legislation—we wouldn't pass any legislation in this place unless it was important. So, reasons could be used to bypass Stage 1, or whatever stage, at any point. But scrutiny is very...
Rhys ab Owen: 1. What events will be held on the Senedd estate to coincide with the football world cup? OQ58482
Rhys ab Owen: Thank you, Llywydd. I very much look forward to hearing about that. I'm not surprised that you've already been having discussions. It delights me to see children from the Urdd centre, many of them refugees, playing cricket and other games against the wall of the Senedd. It's so wonderful to see all the schools that visit the Senedd. It is so wonderful that we have a Parliament in Wales that...
Rhys ab Owen: Will the Counsel General provide an update on the progress of, and anticipated timescale for, the proposed Welsh Government needs analysis for apprenticeships in the legal sector in Wales?
Rhys ab Owen: 6. What recent discussions has the First Minister had with the UK Government regarding further powers for Wales? OQ58532
Rhys ab Owen: Thank you, First Minister, and I deeply regretted hearing your response to my colleague, Joyce Watson. The lack of communication from the UK Prime Minister is not only an insult to you and your function, but also to this whole Senedd, and I hope that my colleagues opposite will convey that message to the Prime Minister. If my colleagues opposite don't remove Liz Truss as Prime Minister, then...
Rhys ab Owen: Thank you very much, Counsel General, and we as Plaid Cymru welcome any attempt to make it easier for people to vote. We look forward to seeing the details as the consultation proceeds.
Rhys ab Owen: Why aren't we willing to change the voting system? Everything else in the world changes. But Mr Luddite over here wants us to remain in the age of steam when it comes to voting, rather than go into the digital age. But it's hardly surprising, though, Cwnsler Cyffredinol, to hear Darren Millar opposing reform. Of course, his party's opposed every reform since the great Reform Act 1832, haven't...
Rhys ab Owen: Minister, it's clear that there is a problem in this area. Last Friday I had two e-mails from constituents saying that they were concerned that they couldn't access service for their children. One had been encouraged to go private by the dentist, and the other had been told by their dentist that they would have to wait for their two-year-old child at least two years before they would have an...
Rhys ab Owen: First Minister, this Senedd has the capacity to pass emergency legislation and legislation passed quickly. Now, an example of emergency legislation was the Agricultural Sector (Wales) Act 2014, and emergency procedures for the single-use plastic Bill. The argument for the use of the legislative consent motion process for buildings safety was that it would be quicker than legislating here in...
Rhys ab Owen: 5. Will the Minister provide an update on building safety further to her written statement on 7 October? OQ58566
