Vikki Howells: First Minister, Rhigos Primary School in my constituency is celebrating after recently being awarded the title of best breakfast club in Wales. We've been providing free breakfasts for children in Wales for just under 20 years now, improving not just their health but also their concentration levels. And of course, the benefits of that universal access to good nutrition is set to be...
Vikki Howells: Diolch, Llywydd. As the Chair of the Standards of Conduct Committee, I formally move the motion. The committee considered the report from the commissioner for standards in relation to a complaint made against Eluned Morgan MS regarding her conviction for speeding offences. The Standards of Conduct Committee gave the commissioner's report careful consideration, and our report sets out the...
Vikki Howells: Diolch, Llywydd. I'd like to thank Eluned Morgan MS for her words here today. I'd also like to thank my fellow members of the Standards of Conduct Committee for their work on this matter and the clerking team for all of their hard work and professionalism in supporting our inquiry.
Vikki Howells: Thank you for your statement, Minister. I think there is certainly a lot to welcome in this new approach. I appreciate the need for transparency and openness, but when our schools, our learners and our communities are so varied, with widely different challenges, there were elements of the old system of categorization that could be somewhat reductive, and that was something that I saw and...
Vikki Howells: Thank you, Deputy Minister, for your statement today. I was delighted to have been able to visit one of the earlier Summer of Fun sessions back in 2017 in Penywaun in my constituency. I was really impressed with the way that the then lunch and fun club was providing benefit to learners, to staff with the additional hours that they could work, and to the local community. I've enjoyed following...
Vikki Howells: 8. What consideration did the Minister give to supporting small and medium-sized businesses when determining the Welsh Government's budget for 2022-23? OQ58259
Vikki Howells: Thank you, Minister. I've recently met with a number of businesses in the Cynon valley who are seeking to invest in renewable energy sources, or more modern energy efficient machinery. Of course, this can be very expensive for small family enterprises. How is the Welsh Government supporting this type of investment so that businesses can innovate, modernise and play their part in tackling the...
Vikki Howells: Minister, thank you for your statement here today. It was a real pleasure to accompany you last week on a visit to Pontypridd High School in my constituency to showcase the brilliant work that the school has been doing in conjunction with the Moondance Cancer Initiative, raising awareness of bowel cancer using a multipronged approach running through many different subject areas in the...
Vikki Howells: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. This month sees the hundred and fiftieth anniversary of Caradog leading the Côr Mawr to victory in the challenge cup. Caradog—Griffith Rhys Jones—was born in Trecynon and worked as a blacksmith in Aberdare ironworks. He was a talented musician, but learnt everlasting fame as a conductor. The 500-strong South Wales Choral Union was formed to compete in the...
Vikki Howells: Good afternoon, and thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd, for the opportunity to make this statement today. The committee has today laid a revised procedure for dealing with complains against Members of the Senedd, and an accompanying report. The procedure will come into force on 18 July 2022. As elected politicians, we have a responsibility to ensure that we set the highest standards of behaviour...
Vikki Howells: I'd like to thank Joyce Watson for her comments here today, and I sympathise very much with the comments that the Member has made. And what I would say in reply to that is that the issues that Joyce Watson has raised today fall mainly under the code, the code of conduct, which was subject to significant consultation and discussion in the latter half of the last Senedd, and the review that was...
Vikki Howells: 1. How is the Welsh Government supporting more people in Cynon Valley to access work? OQ58336
Vikki Howells: Thank you, First Minister, for that answer. It's also really positive to see the range of possible interventions under ReAct+ to support people into work. How will Welsh Government ensure this aligns with the opportunities created in a green economy as we transition to net zero, so that people in Cynon Valley can train and retrain for the jobs that we need now and in the future?
Vikki Howells: Thank you, Minister, for your statement today. I'm proud of the record of achievement that my local authority has for delivering Welsh-medium education in Cynon Valley and the ways in which they've taken advantage of Welsh Government funding to increase provision, with, for example, a £12.5 million expansion of Ysgol Gyfun Rhydywaun currently under way, and the new £4 million purpose-built...
Vikki Howells: Deputy Minister, when you and I have discussed inclusive play previously, we've agreed that key to improving access to these opportunities is making sure that information is easily available so that parents, guardians, children, young people and families know what inclusive play is available and where it's located. How will Welsh Government work with partners to ensure this sort of...
Vikki Howells: How is the Welsh Government supporting health boards and local authorities to tackle delayed transfers of care?
Vikki Howells: 8. How is the Welsh Government supporting people in Cynon Valley affected by the cost-of-living crisis? OQ58427
Vikki Howells: Diolch, Trefnydd. Child poverty is an issue of great concern to me, and today I sponsored an event held by the National Education Union and the Child Poverty Action Group, who've been working together to highlight the impact of poverty on education. The Welsh Government's roll-out of free school meals to all primary pupils is welcomed by families across the Cynon valley and across Wales, as...
Vikki Howells: 6. How is the Welsh Government supporting childcare provision in Cynon Valley? OQ58501
Vikki Howells: Thank you for that answer, First Minister. Across Cynon Valley, constituents frequently tell me how important the provision of good quality, locally accessible childcare is to allow them to progress their own careers and contribute to family finances. The significant additional funding of £100 million for childcare settings that was announced last week will be warmly welcomed by families and...
