Mark Isherwood: Can I call for a single statement on the roll-out of smart meters in Wales? Tomorrow, I'm actually hosting an event with Smart Energy GB, a drop-in event between 11.00 a.m. and 1.30 p.m. in Dining Room 1, and I encourage Members to go along to celebrate International Coffee Day, but also to find out how many cups of coffee your constituents could make through their energy saving, but also,...
Mark Isherwood: Obviously, you made references—repeated to death—on austerity. What concerns did you raise when the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development issued a warning about the rise in the UK budget deficit in January 2004? Keynesian economics is often presented as an alternative to austerity. I don't know where your personal economics lie, but certainly your colleagues have quoted...
Mark Isherwood: Diolch, Llywydd. This morning you issued a joint written statement with the Minister for Housing and Regeneration on the early prevention, intervention and support grant. You spoke about planning, commissioning and delivering services reflecting the complexity of people's lives, and the inter-relationships between their support needs. You confirmed what the finance Secretary said yesterday:...
Mark Isherwood: Well, I'll look forward to exploring that further with you in the future to establish what 'integrity' means in that context. Now, we know—and I know it's not directly in your brief, but I'll get to the relevance—that the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 Part 2 code of practice and guidance puts in place a system where people are full partners in the design and operation of...
Mark Isherwood: Well, I hope the Welsh Government will help local authorities better understand how they're supposed to reconcile commissioning and procurement requirements with co-production and co-design of services with local people, where the co-design may be different to the commissioning choice. My final question relates to poverty—again, not a matter in your brief, although many of the key...
Mark Isherwood: Diolch, Llywydd. October is Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month, and next Saturday is awareness day. Cerebral palsy is the most common childhood disability in the world, affecting one in every 400 children across the UK. Around 70 babies born in Wales this year will have cerebral palsy. It affects posture and movement as a result of brain damage. It can also affect sensation, perception,...
Mark Isherwood: Thank you. You have been honest, very honest, in saying that you wish to campaign to reverse Brexit. Will you be also honest in admitting that, if we were to announce that there was going to be a second referendum, that would give a green light to EU negotiators to deliver a bad deal or no deal in the expectation that people would then vote to remain?
Mark Isherwood: How does the Welsh Government ensure transparency and accountability in local government?
Mark Isherwood: I'm sure you'll join me in congratulating the winners of RSPCA Cymru's community animal welfare footprint awards in north Wales—Conwy council, Denbighshire council, Wrexham council, Ynys Môn council, Clwyd Alyn Housing Association and Cartrefi Cymunedol Gwynedd—and also in acknowledging the delivery of animal welfare through local authorities being an important requirement of those...
Mark Isherwood: Diolch. Well, as this report shows, almost two thirds of Welsh offenders are being held in Wales and 70 per cent of all offenders held in Wales had an address in Wales prior to entering custody. In referring to the extent of distance problems facing Welsh people in prisons, it provides the example of male offenders from Flintshire being held at 44 different prisons in England. However, over...
Mark Isherwood: How is the Welsh Government supporting the arts sector in Wales?
Mark Isherwood: 1. What consideration did the Cabinet Secretary give to preventative services when deciding on the draft budget? OAQ52717
Mark Isherwood: Notwithstanding that, you have repeatedly and, I believe, sincerely committed yourself to driving forward preventative approaches to health and care in Wales. Yesterday's local government provisional settlement figures show an overall 1 per cent reduction for local government, with every local authority in north Wales seeing a reduction, although seven in south Wales saw a standstill or...
Mark Isherwood: Thank you and good afternoon.
Mark Isherwood: Your responsibilities, as you know, include covering the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 and human rights in relation to UN conventions. The Equality Act 2010 requires service—
Mark Isherwood: I shall repeat it. I'll speak a little bit slower. Your responsibilities include equality, covering the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 and human rights in relation to UN conventions. The Equality Act 2010 requires that service providers must think ahead and take steps to address barriers that impede disabled people and states you should not wait until a disabled...
Mark Isherwood: Thank you. Well, I hope that will help local authorities and health boards to better understand how to reconcile their procurement obligations with their obligations to design and deliver services for local people, because there is a conflict between the two. Again, noting your responsibilities, you know that the Welsh Government's 'A Healthier Wales: our Plan for Health and Social Care' has...
Mark Isherwood: Well, given your responsibility for the Equality Act 2010 and the UN convention, I would argue that you have some overarching responsibility, although clearly it's not your departmental responsibility.
Mark Isherwood: Right. And finally, again, a similar question, relating to another part of your responsibility areas: the Gypsy, Roma, Traveller, Fairground, Circus-folk, Show-people and Bargees community. They've issued a notice of a training day in Cardiff on 5 December, and I'm wondering how you respond to this, which is within the information on the notice that's gone out: 'The...workshop will focus upon...
Mark Isherwood: This week is Hospice Care Week, the annual week of activity to raise the profile of hospice care across Wales and the UK. The theme of Hospice Care Week this year is 'Heart my Hospice'. The cross-party group on hospices and palliative care's recent inquiry into inequalities in access heard how limited awareness of the full range of services offered by hospices and the stigma around talking...
