Siân Gwenllian: Thank you very much for the statement. I agree entirely with what you say, namely that language transmission is one of the most important elements of language planning. In March 2017, myself and Plaid Cymru published this, which is 'Reaching the Million, which was commissioned by Iaith, the language planning centre, one of the main policy and independent language planning agencies in Wales....
Siân Gwenllian: Thank you, Llywydd. We are aware that recruitment and retention of teachers is a challenge in Wales, and in other nations too, and there are a number of reasons behind this, and we need to tackle the problem in a number of different ways. Welsh Government statistics show that 40 per cent less than the target set for trainees in the secondary sector are in place, for example, and recent...
Siân Gwenllian: Thank you very much, and I do look forward to seeing the upshot of that work, because the teachers are our most important, valuable asset in our schools, of course. Given the million Welsh speakers strategy and the importance of Welsh-medium education to the success of that particular aim, the recruitment of teachers who can teach through the medium of Welsh is a specific concern, isn't it?...
Siân Gwenllian: Certainly, we are pleased to see these targets being put in place. It's something that we've been calling for for some time, and we do see it as a positive step forward. I would like an assurance from you that you will be monitoring delivery against that target. Perhaps you can confirm today that you will have a system to monitor progress so that the target is truly meaningful. You have now...
Siân Gwenllian: 5. Will the First Minister make a statement on the safety of vascular services in the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board since they were restructured? OAQ55124
Siân Gwenllian: Thank you for confirming that the board will be holding an internal review of the very grave and concerning problems that have arisen as a result of the restructuring of vascular services. But, First Minister, an internal review is not good enough. People in north Wales have lost all confidence in the managers of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, whilst, of course, appreciating the...
Siân Gwenllian: Will the First Minister make a statement on how regional capital expenditure is allocated?
Siân Gwenllian: 2. How many people are on waiting lists for social housing throughout Wales? OAQ55160
Siân Gwenllian: It's astonishing that you don't have, as a Government, detailed national data on the number of people who are waiting for social housing in Wales. Given that this is one of your priorities, namely, providing more social housing, how are you monitoring that your policies are effective if you don't know exactly what is the position? In Arfon, I know that there are too many people waiting for...
Siân Gwenllian: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. There is huge concern, of course, about the increasing levels of children in care in Wales, to such an extent that it formed a large part of the Thomas report, looking at the justice system. In that report, they highlight the fact that the percentage of children receiving care in Wales is quite a bit higher than in England and Northern Ireland, and we...
Siân Gwenllian: Will you take an intervention, Deputy Minister, or are you out of time?
Siân Gwenllian: Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. I was just going to make the point that whilst welcoming, of course, the interim mother and baby unit in Tonna, Tonna is four and a half hours away from mothers in the north of Wales. Would you agree that we need a bespoke solution for the problem in the north-west in particular? I think the health board is willing to start discussions around that with a view to...
Siân Gwenllian: 1. Will the Minister make a statement on perinatal mental health services for women in Arfon? OAQ55228
Siân Gwenllian: At a recent meeting of the Children, Young People and Education Committee, a psychiatric consultant and medical director for mental health at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board said that it appears that, 'we probably need about four beds of a mother and baby unit' in north Wales. He went on to say that the board was willing to pilot a new model of care. Now, what becomes clear,...
Siân Gwenllian: Just on that particular point, we've heard how successful that particular diagnostic hub is. I'm sure you'd agree with me that it would be great to have more of them, especially in north Wales. Will the cancer care plan—will that be looking at that particular aspect as well?
Siân Gwenllian: Now, it is a very concerning time for everyone, of course, including parents, teachers, pupils and workers in our schools. I am trying to put myself in their shoes here. We know that schools will need to close for the majority of pupils in due course, and that’s inevitable to prevent the spread of the virus. Now, anyone who says differently, I'm sorry, they are burying their heads in the...
Siân Gwenllian: I want to ask about three areas: two relating to health, but if you will forgive me, one is to do with education, because there is no opportunity to discuss education here this afternoon, and also because a development has reached us in the last half an hour. We’ve become aware that there is a school that has closed its doors already to pupils. Ysgol Brynhyfryd in Ruthin has found that 23...
Siân Gwenllian: So, what exactly are the guidelines of the Government for schools that are going to be finding themselves in the situation where there is a large percentage of staff—nearly half of the staff, in this case—finding themselves in the vulnerable category? And what is the Government saying to those schools when they find themselves in that situation? And what are the guidelines for safe...
Siân Gwenllian: Do you agree with me that the work of the North Wales Community Health Council is a laudable example of why we need this scrutiny to continue? The concern is that, by creating one national body, that local-level scrutiny won’t be able to take place.
Siân Gwenllian: Thank you very much. Could I also welcome the announcement that you made at 1 o’clock today that schools will close for statutory provision? But, of course, we need clarity urgently and clear guidelines from you for the schools about what the definition will be now of a school—what the role of our schools will be as we move forward. They won't need to do the statutory provision, but they...
