Siân Gwenllian: Thank you.
Siân Gwenllian: We have brought forward a detailed and comprehensive motion before the Senedd today, and the intention is to move the debate away from the problem and to the solutions and the need to take urgent action at a time where there are clear signs that the issue is intensifying. We know that local people are being shut out of the housing market in communities across Wales and that that is...
Siân Gwenllian: 3. What discussions is the Welsh Government having with relevant partners about visitor experiences in Wales in 2021? OQ55621
Siân Gwenllian: We have welcomed far more visitors than usual to tourist areas in my constituency this year. They have brought a boost of a second summer to the local economy, but the experience for the visitor and the local population hasn't always been pleasant—parking problems; travel problems; long queues, and not just on the top of Snowdon; there are also litter problems. These all have a negative...
Siân Gwenllian: I'm going to ask for something very simple from the Trefnydd. I would like a phone call. I was given to understand that a new testing centre was to be established in Bangor, but that's still a fortnight away, and nobody is entirely clear of the details, including who will be allowed to go there for testing. There is a lack of clarity in my constituency as to where it's possible to get a test...
Siân Gwenllian: It is true to say that the OECD report is useful and does highlight important and crucial issues; issues and concerns that are already being discussed by stakeholders in Wales. It's true to say that there are no surprises, as the education Minister said, but the report does underline the fact that there is a great deal of work still to be done, that the issues and concerns are very real and...
Siân Gwenllian: 'To ensure the intentions of the new curriculum translate into practice, it is essential for Wales to address several issues, including a lack of deep understanding of what successful realisation of the curriculum might look like in practice'.
Siân Gwenllian: So, clearly, we do need to focus in on that, that lack of connectivity between the vision and the practice that will be expected within schools. There's no doubt that that's a major challenge in the face of inadequate funding. As the children and young people committee has highlighted, there isn't enough funding reaching our schools. Therefore, the challenge of ensuring that the curriculum...
Siân Gwenllian: 'There is a risk of inequalities increasing due to the challenges that disadvantaged schools can have in implementing the curriculum, which accentuates the need for clarifying resources available for schools.'
Siân Gwenllian: It's this problem of schools that are in deprived areas, schools that aren't reaching the necessary standards, and the risks for them as they try to put an entirely new curriculum in place. I do want an assurance from you that equality within the policy will be given more prominence in the discussions on the curriculum from here on in. And the third point, and the final point in a way, is the...
Siân Gwenllian: 'lack of clarity around the accountability framework and the school-leaving qualifications, which risk that misaligned accountability and assessment measures could undermine the curriculum.'
Siân Gwenllian: This is something that we in Plaid Cymru have been highlighting over the weekend, as it happens. A section of the report notes that there is a major risk that teaching and learning from 14 to 16 will be veered to the content of the qualifications rather than helping the students attain the four purposes of the curriculum. And we in Plaid Cymru are convinced that we need to redraw our...
Siân Gwenllian: Thank you very much, Llywydd. I wish to focus on one particular aspect of the motion related to the socioeconomic sub-group established by the First Minister at the height of the pandemic to look at the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on black and minority ethnic communities. This is a very thorough approach and report and provides a way forward for action, and that's what we need:...
Siân Gwenllian: Will the First MInister make a statement on support for outdoor education centres in Arfon?
Siân Gwenllian: I speak in my role as Plaid Cymru business manager and chief whip. We accept the content of this report and we will be voting in favour of it. However, I do believe that there are broader issues arising from this case, as the commissioner recognises, which raise important questions about the maturity of our democracy and our ability to recognise the totally appropriate interweaving between...
Siân Gwenllian: 'almost inconceivable that at any party meeting during an election period there will not be some discussion of the forthcoming election.'
Siân Gwenllian: It is crucial for the smooth running of the Senedd and to secure a vibrant democracy that there is a safe space for political groups to discuss and arrange their work in a way that recognises the party-political context. It is also crucial that there is an appropriate opportunity for opposition parties within a particular framework to use their resources to develop an alternative policy...
Siân Gwenllian: Thank you very much. This is a comprehensive report, without doubt, and there is great and detailed work that's been done by Members and committee staff. It is disappointing, despite that, that we by now have missed the opportunity in this Senedd to act on the evidence of another very detailed piece of work that was done at the start of the fifth Senedd under the chairship of Laura...
Siân Gwenllian: Thank you, Llywydd. I apologise for that slight delay. The arts in Wales touch each and every one of us and every community in Wales. Wales is a melting pot of talent. We are a nation where culture is at the heart of our way of life. How would the past few months have been if it hadn't been for the arts? Without the entertainment, the time to reflect and the opportunity to come together...
Siân Gwenllian: In Ireland, there is an ongoing, positive dialogue between the sector and the Government, and a full appreciation of the importance of the arts in the recovery programmes. In New Zealand, the sector is central to their recovery; work has been given to hundreds of artists in the nation's schools as part of their recovery programmes, and there are many different funds and proposals in place, as...
