Vikki Howells: Thank you.
Vikki Howells: On 25 November, The Mousetrap celebrated the seventieth anniversary of its opening in the Ambassador Theatre. For many years, Agatha Christie's theatrical masterpiece has held the record of the longest-running stage play in the world. It has been performed just under 29,000 times on the London stage and seen by over 10 million people. It led the West End out of lockdown; the first show to...
Vikki Howells: I just want to start by explaining my reasons for speaking in this debate today. As Members will know, prior to being elected, I was a teacher, and, in my 16 years as a teacher, each summer we would hold an assembly with Welsh Water where we would outline the dangers of swimming in reservoirs. Each year we did this diligently and we felt secure in the knowledge that we'd done all we could to...
Vikki Howells: First Minister, credit unions have a vital role to play in supporting people in our communities, a role that is of course all the more critical during the cost-of-living crisis. At the last meeting of the cross-party group on co-operatives and mutuals, we had a presentation on how credit unions have come together to develop their Moneyworks Wales scheme, aimed at helping employers to help...
Vikki Howells: My first question, Minister: the move to a leader and cabinet model has led to more strategic decision making, however, it can also locate that decision making within a smaller group. So, what assessment has the Welsh Government made of this top tier of local government and how can we ensure that cabinets also reflect the diversity of communities? My second and final question is around votes...
Vikki Howells: Thanks to the committee, its members, the clerking team and witnesses for this very important report. I've really enjoyed following the inquiry, and I agree with many of the points that it contains. As today's report reminds us, the purpose of asset transfers is, of course, to ensure that assets that are really important to a local community can remain within that community. Sometimes, this...
Vikki Howells: Minister, it was a pleasure to join you fairly recently at the brand new Hirwaun primary school in my constituency, built under the twenty-first century schools programme, with £10.2 million of funding from Welsh Government and RCT council. I think it was probably one of the last schools to be built under that iteration of the plan that we're discussing now. The benefits of that project's...
Vikki Howells: What are the Welsh Government's priorities for eliminating child poverty in Cynon Valley?
Vikki Howells: 1. How is the Welsh Government prioritising interventions to eliminate fuel poverty within its draft budget for 2023-24? OQ58945
Vikki Howells: Thank you, Minister. Even before the recent increase in the fuel price cap, we know that nearly half of all households are at risk of fuel poverty, and I'm sure that colleagues, like me, will have experienced an increase in constituents contacting them in desperate need of advice and support. Welsh Government interventions have made a real difference in supporting communities such as Cynon...
Vikki Howells: 9. What are the Welsh Government's priorities for creating a vibrant agricultural industry sector? OQ58946
Vikki Howells: Thank you, Minister. As a Member of the Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee, I visited the Agriculture Research Centre at Gelli Aur last year to find out more about their farm-nutrient partnership. What conclusions have the Welsh Government drawn from this project in terms of the ways in which slurry treatment can be used to support the agricultural sector, but also to protect the...
Vikki Howells: Thank you to the Chair, the committee members and the clerking team of the climate change committee for producing such a comprehensive report. I'm glad to see the joint approach used of considering bus and rail services together. In the last Senedd, I sat on the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee, and I enjoyed taking part in our separate investigations then into bus and rail, but a...
Vikki Howells: First Minister, turning to bus services, which are, of course, the most heavily utilised part of our public transport system, and, obviously, in light of the fact that the Welsh Government is developing its proposals for legislative change and a new model for running bus services, talking signs are one solution whereby people affected by sight loss can access travel information at bus stops....
Vikki Howells: Trefnydd, this week is Cervical Cancer Prevention Week. Around 160 cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed annually. It's the most common type of cancer for women under 35. I've been working with Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust to increase take-up of the HPV vaccine and cervical screening, as we know that regular screening reduces risk by up to 70 per cent. Could we have an update from the health...
Vikki Howells: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Thank you, Minister, for your statement. I agree with your comments about the purpose of evaluation, improvement and accountability within the education process. They're all important procedures so that schools can improve their offer to and their outcomes for learners. I want to focus on your comments around national monitoring and sampling. As a former secondary...
Vikki Howells: Minister, Cynon Valley boasts 19 winter welcome centres, offering local people a safe, accessible and warm environment during the day, and I'm sure that you would like to join with me in thanking all who are providing this invaluable resource this winter. The provision of advice and support for those who attend is a key objective of the centres. So, I'd like to ask what work is being done by...
Vikki Howells: This week is Cervical Cancer Prevention Week, and the charity Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust have launched their biggest campaign yet, the campaign to end cervical cancer. Around 160 cases are diagnosed annually, and it's the most common form of cancer for women under 35. But, here in Wales, we have the tools to make cervical cancer a thing of the past: a wide-ranging HPV vaccination programme,...
Vikki Howells: Diolch, Llywydd.
Vikki Howells: 10. How is the Welsh Government working to improve optometry services in Wales? OQ59030
