Lynne Neagle: 1. Will the Minister provide an update on progress with regard to the Circuit of Wales? OAQ(5)0092(EI)
Lynne Neagle: Thank you, Minister. You will be aware of the significant cross-party support for the Circuit of Wales, with local authorities throughout Gwent, and many Labour Assembly Members, backing what this project can achieve. Do you recognise the enthusiasm and excitement for delivering this transformational infrastructure project, to demonstrate what Wales has to offer?
Lynne Neagle: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer and former Chair of the Children, Young People and Education Committee. [Laughter.] And what a fine job she did of it, as well. Thank you for your statement, Minister. I was so pleased to see this Bill introduced yesterday, and I think the exchanges here today demonstrate the almost unprecedented level, really, of cross-party support that there is for...
Lynne Neagle: 2. Will the Minister make a statement on how the Welsh Government is tackling child poverty in Torfaen? OAQ(5)0091(CC)
Lynne Neagle: The Communities First programme is playing a crucial role in Torfaen in tackling poverty. The programme has been very successful and was ranked No. 1 in Wales for helping people into employment, and No. 1 for adults completing employment-related courses. This is in addition to the vital role Communities First plays in mitigating the impact of welfare reforms. In the event of the Cabinet...
Lynne Neagle: Thank you for taking the intervention. There is a report, it just hasn’t been published yet. Will you acknowledge that whatever the challenges we face, your solution of reintroducing grammar schools in Wales is simply going to make matters worse?
Lynne Neagle: 2. Will the First Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government’s priorities for children and young people in Torfaen? OAQ(5)0355(FM)
Lynne Neagle: Thank you, First Minister. I’m sure that you’ll be aware of my concern that the decision was taken to end Schools Challenge Cymru in the draft budget, and that this decision was taken before the Welsh Government received the evaluation of the scheme. And it’s clear that lots of areas have seen very significant benefits through the programme, but it is also clear that there’s more work...
Lynne Neagle: Can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for his statement? I’m really, really pleased that we have reached this point today and, like others, I really welcome the commitment that you’ve made to ensuring that the voices, not just of families affected by dementia, but of people who are living with the condition are fully heard through this consultation. I think those are the most important voices...
Lynne Neagle: Can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for his statement? I very much welcome this announcement today and the additional funding that comes with it. I’m also very pleased that the money that’s going to be going out to health boards is going to be ring-fenced and monitored. With that in mind, I would just like to ask: my experience in Aneurin Bevan health board is that they are actually very,...
Lynne Neagle: 4. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on post-16 education provision in Torfaen? OAQ(5)0073(EDU)
Lynne Neagle: Thank you, Minister. You’ll be aware of unique challenges faced by young people in north Torfaen, who’ve had no access to post-16 education locally since 2008, with some young people having to try to access sixth forms at other schools or many having to take a long bus journey to Crosskeys college, which is two bus rides there and two bus rides back every day. As you’ve highlighted,...
Lynne Neagle: Can I thank the First Minister for his statement? I warmly welcome this White Paper and I’m also very pleased that the Welsh Government has worked with Plaid Cymru to develop this. I think that the threat of Brexit is so immense that it is going to be essential for all of us who want to put the interests of Wales and our communities first to work together. I’ve got two particular...
Lynne Neagle: How will the First Minister ensure that consideration of children's rights is central to the Welsh Government's handling of Brexit?
Lynne Neagle: 7. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on young people’s access to transport? OAQ(5)0113(EI)
Lynne Neagle: Thank you. That is encouraging, because I was very disappointed that the mytravelpass scheme was not going to be continued, particularly as one of the reasons given to the media was that young people were only using it to travel locally, which, for 16 and 17-year-olds, I don’t think should be particularly surprising. My concern is that young people will be prevented from having access to...
Lynne Neagle: Thank you, Llywydd. I welcome this opportunity to update Members on the work of the Children, Young People and Education Committee. As Chair of the committee, I am delighted by the progress made in scrutinising key areas of policy and legislation over such a short period of time.
Lynne Neagle: Over the summer, we consulted on what our committee’s priorities should be. I was pleased to see diverse and detailed submissions from nearly 90 organisations and individuals from across Wales. This led to the committee embarking on two inquiries that stakeholders had identified: statutory advocacy services for children and young people and educational outcomes for Gypsy/Traveller and...
Lynne Neagle: I don’t know what to say, other than ‘thank you’. [Laughter.] Thank you, Darren, for those kind words. Can I just say that I am very, very keen for the committee to work together as a team? We had an excellent strategic planning day, and it was very apparent that we all genuinely want to make a difference to the lives of children and young people, and I hope that we will be able to...
Lynne Neagle: Okay, thank you.
