Hannah Blythyn: Diolch. Cabinet Secretary, I’m sure you’ll be aware of SHARP, Flintshire County Council’s strategic housing and regeneration programme, the first of its kind in Wales to pioneer ambitious housing investment plans. The council’s leading by example on how to tackle housing shortages, including, for the first time in many, many years, building new council homes. In my own constituency,...
Hannah Blythyn: 3. Will the First Minister make a statement on the importance of investment in tourism in north Wales? OAQ(5)0216(FM)
Hannah Blythyn: Thank you. On Friday I was at a well-attended meeting of the Flintshire Tourism Association discussing the value of the visitor economy to north-east Wales. I welcome the Welsh Labour manifesto commitment and the Cabinet Secretary’s plans to create a culture corridor across the A55, which includes new signage to mark out our amazing heritage and tourism assets in the region. First Minister,...
Hannah Blythyn: I likewise welcome today’s statement and, Cabinet Secretary, your response to my colleague Vikki Howells when you alluded to the importance of having a clear pipeline for projects, which is something that was brought to me first hand in a visit to Tarmac in Hendre in my constituency yesterday, when they stressed the importance of a more structured approach to major infrastructure projects....
Hannah Blythyn: Thank you. It’s my intention to try and give a minute to Jeremy Miles, Mark Isherwood, Llyr Gruffydd and Michelle Brown. North Wales is proud of both our industrial heritage—steel, coal, slate and manufacturing—but also of the beauty and culture that can be found at our fingertips, from Snowdonia, Caernarfon castle and Conwy marina in the west, to the Clwydian range, Flint castle and...
Hannah Blythyn: 3. Will the First Minister provide an update on the Welsh Government's strategy to strengthen links between Wales and the USA? OAQ(5)0248(FM)
Hannah Blythyn: Thank you, First Minister. Wales has many historic links with the USA, and a number of the signatories on the declaration of independence were Welsh. And I’m sure you’ll agree that there is much to be made of these historic links to promote trade and tourism, the former all the more important in the light of Brexit. Indeed, today is a potentially historic day in the USA, as citizens go to...
Hannah Blythyn: I welcome the Minister’s further update to Members on this issue. I should be familiar with, and I’ve raised before, access to superfast broadband is something of significance to constituencies and businesses in Delyn. However, I recognise the lead that the Welsh Government has taken in rolling out and ensuring access to superfast broadband, in spite of the logistical challenges that my...
Hannah Blythyn: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Thanks for your statement, Cabinet Secretary, and I was pleased to hear you open by reiterating how north Wales was voted one of the world’s best regions by Lonely Planet. It won’t surprise colleagues to learn that I cannot hear that enough. The Year of Legends gives us a unique opportunity to showcase both our history and heritage, both the...
Hannah Blythyn: Will the First Minister provide an update on the Welsh Government's commitment to sustaining Wales's sporting successes?
Hannah Blythyn: We know that safe, accessible and fun play spaces for children are important and an integral part of our local communities. It’s equally as important that children have their say in shaping that which affects them. With that in mind, I’m very pleased to see that Ysgol Merllyn’s school parliament, led by their prime minister, Tony, are here in the gallery today. Can I ask, Cabinet...
Hannah Blythyn: 9. Will the Minister make a statement on how EU structural funds are assisting businesses and employment in north Wales? OAQ(5)0064(FLG)
Hannah Blythyn: Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. EU funds have helped enable innovation in north Wales, assisting the likes of ADC Biotechnology based in OpTIC in St Asaph, as well as ESF funding supporting the provision of intensive support and a range of bespoke interventions to help get people closer to the labour market through the North Wales Economic Ambition board’s OPUS programme and, of course, Jobs...
Hannah Blythyn: 3. Will the Minister provide an update on citizenship and political education in schools? OAQ(5)0055(EDU)
Hannah Blythyn: Thank you. I welcome the opportunities that the Welsh baccalaureate and the wholesale review of the curriculum gives to embed action and programmes that enable and empower our young people to become active citizens and, ultimately, hold people like us to account. There’s so many good examples out there. In my own constituency alone, there is the eco committee at Ysgol Croes Atti in Flint,...
Hannah Blythyn: 4. What assessment has the Counsel General made of the impact of the Human Rights Act on Welsh legislation? OAQ(5)0010(CG)
Hannah Blythyn: Thank you. The UK Government has indicated that it plans to abolish the Human Rights Act, and, Counsel General, you’ll be aware of Amnesty International’s campaign against this. Far from what its detractors will you have believe, the Act protects ordinary people’s freedom, safety and dignity, and helps people hold authority to account when things go wrong. Indeed, the Act was...
Hannah Blythyn: As an Assembly Member serving constituents for whom accessing specific services across the border is the norm, I welcome this debate and the opportunity to be able to briefly contribute. I have already raised many times in this Chamber how the north-east of Wales is economically and culturally connected to the north-west of England, and the border assists as a two-way path to prosperity, as...
Hannah Blythyn: In the past few months, two major banks have closed branches in Delyn—HSBC in Flint and Barclays in Holywell, with NatWest now being the latest to announce they’re closing a branch in Holywell as well. Whilst I recognise the steps these banks have taken to ensure that personal banking customers can access their accounts within the post office, in many areas, the future of these post...
Hannah Blythyn: The Welsh Government’s Taking Wales Forward programme makes it clear that there will be an additional £50 million to advance the development of the north Wales metro system. This is welcome, but, in anticipation of bringing in the metro system in north-east Wales, I think steps need to be taken to ensure that the current system we have there is metro-ready, so to speak. I’ve previously...
