Dawn Bowden: Diolch, Lywydd. Nine-fifteen a.m., Friday 21 October 1966—the terrible events visited on Aberfan that day reverberated around the world. On the last day of the school term, one small mining village lost 116 children and 28 adults. Nothing would ever be the same for Aberfan, for Wales, for the world. Just one day later, just one hour earlier, things would have been so different. Aberfan was...
Dawn Bowden: 6. Will the Minister make a statement on the real living wage in the Welsh public sector? OAQ(5)0037(FLG)
Dawn Bowden: Thank you, Cabinet Secretary, for your response. Recent research by Middlesex University and the University of Liverpool showed a clear case in support of the real living wage, as opposed to, of course, the Tories’ phony living wage, with businesses who are paying it experiencing fewer employee disputes, an increase in productivity and staff motivation, and reputational and corporate brand...
Dawn Bowden: Will the Minister make a statement on the trade union bill?
Dawn Bowden: 3. What assessment has the Counsel General made of the implications of triggering article 50 on the devolution settlement? OAQ(4)0007(CG)
Dawn Bowden: Thank you, Counsel General. You will be aware of the ongoing High Court action in respect of article 50. What steps has he taken to ensure that Welsh interests are being protected in respect of this action?
Dawn Bowden: What is the Welsh Government’s response to the announcement that 350 jobs are at risk due to the decision of 2 Sisters Food Group to move all its retail services from Merthyr Tydfil to Cornwall? EAQ(5)0065(EI)
Dawn Bowden: Thank you, Cabinet Secretary, for your response because it certainly was with considerable shock that we learned about this announcement only yesterday afternoon, and we know that we’re now starting a 45-day statutory consultation process. It was only earlier this week that I was at a conference, speaking at the Bevan Foundation, on the living wage, when I was talking about the signs of...
Dawn Bowden: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, but actually Bethan Jenkins has already asked the question I was going to ask in terms of the issue around FIFA, and I think the Cabinet Secretary has responded to that. But, while I’m on my feet, I would like to just add my congratulations to D.J. Rees Decorating Services of Merthyr, which won the gold award for supporting the employability of our armed...
Dawn Bowden: Cabinet Secretary, from previous contributions I’ve made on this subject you’ll know of my personal interest in raising awareness of the industrial and social heritage of Merthyr Tydfil, in particular, and I’ve been working with the council, discussing options for developing these into significant tourism opportunities. Indeed, last week I was pleased to address Merthyr’s heritage and...
Dawn Bowden: Yes, I’m coming to the question. I realise that TISS is a scheme based on the funder of last resort and, you know, after all others have been exhausted, and I know that it’s only limited to £0.5 million and it mostly covers projects around accommodation, activity and restaurants and so on—
Dawn Bowden: The question is: can the Cabinet Secretary advise me whether there is flexibility within the rules governing the scheme that would allow access to funding that could assist with some minor heritage projects that couldn’t attract any other funding, but which, if developed, could help to draw people into the town?
Dawn Bowden: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for his comprehensive statement, which is very welcome? I do think it shows that the Government has given much thought and consideration to the issue, because it is evident. There are a whole variety of factors that impact on the preparedness of health and social services to cope with those additional winter pressures, and...
Dawn Bowden: Firstly, can I join everybody else in thanking the Children’s Commissioner for Wales and her staff for presenting us with such a comprehensive report? Again, like others, she should be applauded, I think, for the wide-scale consultation undertaken by her and her staff, having met with the thousands of children, parents and professionals that she did. The report does cover several...
Dawn Bowden: Thank you, Cabinet Secretary, for your response on the question. I certainly welcome this initiative as yet another example of the Welsh Labour Government delivering on its manifesto commitments. We’ve heard, increasingly in recent years, of the adverse impact of the Government’s austerity measures and welfare cuts for many in our society. I talked about, yesterday, the in-work poverty...
Dawn Bowden: Can I thank Plaid Cymru for bringing this debate before us? Because it is a very important issue that we need to be dealing with at this moment and it’s very immediate, of course. In my previous life as Unison’s head of health here in Wales, I had a high level of engagement with the Welsh NHS as an employer, and my experience in that position made me acutely aware of how crucial to the...
Dawn Bowden: Thanks to Steffan Lewis for raising this very important issue and for bringing the motion to us today, which I fully support, and I also fully support the comments of the majority of colleagues who have spoken already in this debate. As Steffan said, the issue does date back to 1994 when the John Major Conservative Government put in place the new arrangements that would underwrite the future...
Dawn Bowden: 9. Will the First Minister make a statement on the prospects for economic growth in the south Wales valleys? OAQ(5)0289(FM)
Dawn Bowden: Thank you for that statement, First Minister. I recently met with the Bevan Foundation to discuss ideas and strategies for economic regeneration in my constituency. Part of those discussions focused on the Cardiff capital region and the metro. The Cardiff capital region will undoubtedly bring significant benefits to the south Wales area, but there is a danger that areas like Merthyr Tydfil...
Dawn Bowden: Will you take an intervention?
