John Griffiths: 2. What work is Welsh Government doing to support the economy in Newport by bringing employment to the city? OQ58348
John Griffiths: Minister, thankfully, Newport enjoys many advantages in terms of economic development. I think its geographical position between the powerhouses of Bristol and Cardiff, and its communication advantages in terms of the rail system and the motorway, for example, are very important strengths. And being part of the capital region, and also the western gateway, cross-border, are very important...
John Griffiths: 9. What progress is the Welsh Government making with its preventative healthcare agenda? OQ58347
John Griffiths: Thank you for that, Minister. I recently ran the Llanishen parkrun, which was celebrating links between parkrun organisers and GP practices to encourage more integrated and supportive local communities, centring on wellness. I note that parkrun organisers, Minister, would very much like to see a consistent approach right across Wales, making these links between those working in the health...
John Griffiths: I will be speaking in my capacity as Chair of the Local Government and Housing Committee. Appropriate housing has long been a key concern for our committee, and we would like to urge Welsh Government to prioritise funding to ensure that as many as possible in Wales have a safe place to live, working towards everyone in Wales having a safe place to live. When I spoke to you in the draft budget...
John Griffiths: First Minister, there is no doubt that very many families in the most vulnerable circumstances in Wales are extremely worried at what will come at them this winter, and I think we can all understand that, given the situation that we face. This does require urgent action, I believe, from all levels of Government and partner organisations. And of course, the UK Government has the prime...
John Griffiths: What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the impact of the rising cost of living on people in Newport East?
John Griffiths: Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. I’m pleased to open today’s debate on the Local Government and Housing Committee’s report on second homes, and I would like to start by thanking all those who contributed to our inquiry. As we all know, these issues are contentious in many communities across Wales. Although not all areas of the country are affected, many of our coastal and rural areas...
John Griffiths: As second homes are impacting many communities in Wales, we decided that this would be the focus of our first inquiry as a committee. One of the main aims of our work was to examine the recommendations made by Dr Simon Brooks in his report, 'Second homes: Developing new policies in Wales', and the Welsh Government's response to those proposals. We made 15 recommendations in our report, and we...
John Griffiths: Diolch, Llywydd. May I thank everyone for their contributions to the debate today? I think everybody understands that this is a very important, but complex area, and that much is happening, but much needs to be done. I would just say to Janet Finch-Saunders, who was the first to contribute, following my opening of the debate, Llywydd, that we do recognise, obviously, the tensions around...
John Griffiths: 8. What is the Welsh Government's assessment of the impact on devolved responsibilities of recent UK Government actions? OQ58533
John Griffiths: First Minister, we've already heard ample today, I think, to stress the view of many in the Senedd, reflecting their constituents, that people and organisations face unprecedented challenges at the moment with the cost-of-living crisis, fuel and energy costs, and everything else going up in price so much, with the interest rate situation created by the UK Government, and with, I fear,...
John Griffiths: What is the Welsh Government's latest assessment of the impact of its policies on asthma care services?
John Griffiths: This week marks the fifth year of Love Our Colleges Week, a campaign which highlights the amazing and transformational work further education colleges do day in and day out. The celebrations this year will focus on staff, students and skills. Keeping this in mind, I'd like to draw your attention today to the life-changing opportunities on offer at our colleges to international exchange...
John Griffiths: 2. What discussions has the Minister had with the newly elected leadership at Monmouthshire County Council? OQ58622
John Griffiths: Minister, you'll be aware that Newport East includes the Severnside area, which comes under Monmouthshire County Council. I was very pleased in May to see Labour take control of the council there, for the first time since the mid 1990s. I know the new leader, Mary Ann Brocklesby, and her cabinet have ambitious plans to tackle the affordability gap in housing in Monmouthshire. The area has...
John Griffiths: 9. What assessment has the Minister made of the impact of the Welsh Government's sustainable farming scheme on the Gwent levels? OQ58623
John Griffiths: Thank you very much, Minister, for the recognition of the value of what's been happening on the Gwent levels. Last month, I was pleased to speak at the Sustaining the Gwent Levels conference in Redwick, a small and historic village in the Newport East area. The Gwent levels, of course, was reclaimed from the sea in Roman times, and has a unique and historic watercourse system that contains a...
John Griffiths: I too thank you for your statement, Minister. You'll be well aware of the value of the Gwent levels, Minister, having set up the working group that I'm very pleased to chair and done much other work. They're a great example of sustainable drainage dating from the Roman times. There are, in fact, some 900 miles of waterways on those Gwent levels, and, of course, they sustain some very valuable...
John Griffiths: Thank you very much for your statement, Minister, and your commitment, and that of the Welsh Government, to lifelong learning and second chance education. It was good to see you at the adult learning awards back in September, Minister, with the Learning and Work Institute, where I think we heard some very powerful testimony from those who benefited from second chance education and found it...
