David Lloyd: Well, as you've said there, First Minister, we know that stress is increasingly becoming the reason for staff absenteeism in Welsh councils, and budget cuts initiated by Westminster, and passed on by this Labour Welsh Government, have led to significant job losses within our councils, meaning that staff are having to deliver the same service with less resource. Will you recognise that, in...
David Lloyd: 2. What legal advice has the Counsel General provided to the Welsh Government in relation to the appropriateness of the guidance issued to local authorities on the blue badge scheme? OAQ54531
David Lloyd: Thank you for that. Well, notwithstanding any debate, I've had constituents saying that, while the guidance issued by the Welsh Government on the blue badge scheme says that it supports the social model, they find that the legislation is medically focused and is inconsistently applied. In Neath Port Talbot, for example, we find that the council have insisted on evidence being provided by a...
David Lloyd: Can I warmly welcome this statement, and also the National Health Service (Indemnities) (Wales) Bill? I'll declare my usual interest as a GP who has been known to pay his medical indemnity for many years, otherwise I wouldn't be allowed to practice being a GP at all. Now, this Bill brings GPs into line with what has always happened with hospital doctors and hospital consultants, in that the...
David Lloyd: Can I thank the Minister for the statement on NHS planning? Obviously, NHS planning—any planning in the NHS—is a huge arena that both goes down to the micro level and, obviously, macro, future, blue-skies thinking. Can I start first of all—? My first point is on the new planning academy, which I think is a concept that is greatly to be welcomed in terms of improving the quality of...
David Lloyd: We hear that front-line staff in social care are concerned that cuts to social care funding are undermining the independence and well-being of disabled people physically and mentally. Now, austerity means that care packages are reduced to the most fundamental and basic tasks, and social workers have to battle for funding to support social and community needs. Do you accept, therefore, that...
David Lloyd: Can I thank the Minister for his answers thus far and just explore a couple of issues perhaps in a little bit more depth? Obviously, the Hi-Lex cable system plant in Baglan is on Baglan energy park, and you might find a couple of Assembly Members' regional offices on Baglan energy park as well; Bethan Sayed and I share an office not far from this company. So, yes, it's a car parts plant, it...
David Lloyd: Will the Minister make a statement on developing the tourism industry in South Wales West?
David Lloyd: Trefnydd, as the constituency AM, you will be aware of the recent decision by the UK Government to grant development consent for 300 MW gas-fired power station on land at Abergelli, north of Swansea. Now, clearly, the Welsh Government has made a number of policy announcements over recent months that are relevant to this application, none more so than becoming the first Parliament in the world...
David Lloyd: Can I thank the Minister for his statement on 'Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales'? Obviously it's quite comprehensive. I just wanted to drill down on what we can actually do as a matter of urgency because this is an emergency. We've been talking about an obesity epidemic for some time now and really we need to see a step change, because as you say here, over 60 per cent of our adult population...
David Lloyd: Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer, and may I also thank the Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government for her statement on Remembrance Day and supporting our armed forces, wherever they may be? Of course, in remembering the sacrifice of those lost, as the Deputy Minister has already mentioned, we also remember the suffering of those who have survived, and we all, of course,...
David Lloyd: I rise happily in support of this minimum alcohol pricing legislation, as laid before us. Obviously, this is a major public health initiative, as the Minister has outlined. We've rehearsed previously, during the course of this Bill through the Senedd, the various direct impacts of alcohol on health in terms of liver diseases and the rest but also, obviously, as we'd appreciate, the wider...
David Lloyd: Yes, thank you, Minister. I hear what you say about regional partnership boards, but, just to develop the argument a bit, with the range of what makes people ill in the first place—the so-called determinants of ill health, as you'll be aware—they already fall within the ambit of local government: bad housing and environmental health, education particularly and public transport. They're...
David Lloyd: 2. Will the First Minister make a statement on organ donation rates in Wales? OAQ54696
David Lloyd: Diolch. As you've said, Wales has the highest organ donor rates in the United Kingdom and this is a huge success story. As the Minister will be aware, one individual donating their organs can transform the lives of eight other people at least. So, can I ask what more is the Welsh Government doing to promote organ donation within families to address the small number of family refusals for...
David Lloyd: Can I thank the Minister for the statement? Can I, in fact, welcome the statement and welcome the general direction of travel? Can I also thank the Minister for arranging the briefing by officers earlier today? I found that very valuable. Obviously, it's a very extensive Bill, and I'm not going to indulge in a long list of quotes and discussion points, but I was going to concentrate on the...
David Lloyd: Thank you, Llywydd. At the outset here I should say, as I've already said in the past on a number of occasions, that as a GP I have in the past paid indemnities, but I have no direct interest in this Bill before us today. Now the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee considered the Bill in its meeting of 23 October of this year. And as part of this, we heard evidence from the Minister, the...
David Lloyd: Value Wales state that every 1 per cent increase in procurement levels in Wales will create 2,000 jobs. So, the gains are clear. Now, given that Scotland awards 75 per cent of Scottish contracts to Scottish firms, what is the Welsh Government doing to learn from that experience and deliver a similar, much-needed boost to the Welsh economy?
David Lloyd: 1. What assessment has the Minister made of the efforts of local authorities in south-west Wales to achieve the Welsh language standards? OAQ54697
David Lloyd: Translations units are key as local authorities are trying to achieve the Welsh language standards, but, unfortunately, there are problems facing the translation unit of Swansea council. There are concerns regarding the numbers of staff, lack of leadership and lack of investment, and uncertainty regarding the service. All of this is having a negative impact on the service and the staff. The...
