Llyr Gruffydd: They've outlined that leaving without easy, tariff-free access to the single market will leave our less favoured area livestock farm incomes—and that means Wales, to a large extent, of course, particularly hard hit—falling to negative figures in the worst case scenario. And I would ask the First Minister in his response to this debate to assure us that, if we do crash out in a 'no deal'...
Llyr Gruffydd: Thank you very much, Llywydd. I’m very pleased to contribute to this debate to outline the Finance Committee’s recommendations in relation to the financial implications of this Bill this afternoon. We have made, as a committee, nine recommendations and I'm pleased that the Deputy Minister has agreed to accept seven of these recommendations in full and has accepted two others in principle....
Llyr Gruffydd: 6. Will the Minister make a statement on the effect of the UK Government's recent financial announcement on the Welsh Government's budget? OAQ54320
Llyr Gruffydd: Thank you for that response. I’m not going to apologise for making a plea once again that you ensure that local authorities in Wales are given an improved settlement this year. We’ve already heard about the £6 million required for Anglesey to stand still. We’ve seen in the paper this morning that Flintshire council is at the edge of a financial precipice, and I wouldn’t like to...
Llyr Gruffydd: 1. What importance does the Welsh Government place on young people aged 16-18 in considering its target of reaching one million Welsh speakers by 2050? OAQ54321
Llyr Gruffydd: Can you tell me, therefore, what’s the purpose of expanding provision when more and more young people contact me saying that they can’t access that provision? Many of us in this Chamber, I’m sure, have seen an increase in the casework that we receive from sixth-form students in Welsh-medium schools who are facing a situation where the transport that was provided to those schools by...
Llyr Gruffydd: Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. May I welcome this motion? We'll be happy to support it, of course, but we do want to move an amendment just to expand a little on what we believe can be done. Plaid Cymru, of course, did hold a debate on this issue earlier this year, and, therefore, we are very happy to see that support continues, and this is something that we are all eager to...
Llyr Gruffydd: We've heard some of the statistics already listed. We know that Public Health Wales has said that air pollution is now a public health crisis second only to smoking, and this figure of 2,000 deaths a year is a startling figure. Maybe I and others are guilty of bandying this figure around so many times that you lose that sense of proportionality—2,000 deaths, or 40-odd deaths a week, from...
Llyr Gruffydd: Well, yes, okay.
Llyr Gruffydd: An absolutely valid point, and I'm glad you made it because it's important that we do remember that as well. It disproportionately affects, of course, people in deprived areas, which, again, is something that is of huge concern. We know that both short and long-term exposure to ambient air pollution can lead to reduced lung function, respiratory infections and aggravated asthma. Maternal...
Llyr Gruffydd: We need to ensure that diesel-only and petrol-only vehicles are phased out gradually by 2030, and before that if possible, but certainly the technology must allow us to do that. There are options. There is a place in mid Wales producing hydrogen vehicles. I went on a visit there—Riversimple. So, there are options out there. What we must do is ensure that people can take advantage of those...
Llyr Gruffydd: Thank you very much, Llywydd, and thank you for the opportunity to speak to this motion tabled by Plaid Cymru to declare this Assembly’s support for the school climate strikes. Fridays for future, youth for climate, youth strike for climate—whatever badge you want to give it, there is no doubt that it’s now an international movement of young people who have decided that the time has...
Llyr Gruffydd: I think we have to put missing the odd day of school into perspective. Before, back in the day—I can see the education Minister in her seat there, looking at me attentively and wondering what I'm going to say next. But, before my election to this Assembly, back in the day, I used to be a youth worker. Of course, we know there's a youth work curriculum, and, yes, formal education is very...
Llyr Gruffydd: Can I thank everyone for their participation? It is ironic that, in an earlier debate, Andrew R.T. Davies was berating a 'delete all' amendment and then getting up to speak to support a 'delete all' amendment in this debate, but there we are. Hefin David is absolutely right: frustration and fear—young people are scared of the consequences of the climate emergency, and your constituent...
Llyr Gruffydd: Diolch, Llywydd. Yesterday, a consultation into changes in nursing rotas at Betsi Cadwaladr health board came to an end. The proposal, ostensibly, to standardise and simplify nurses’ breaks and handovers is actually trying to save money for the health board, at a time, of course, when its chair is admitting that it’s having trouble meeting targets to reduce its £42 million deficit. Now,...
Llyr Gruffydd: Can I thank the Minister for her statement and reiterate her thanks as well to Chris Jofeh and the independent group of stakeholders who've been working on the report? I share the nervousness—when Government says that they accept something in principle, then you think, 'Oh crikey, there we are, it's a nod', and then they sort of walk away and come back to it a few years down the line. So, I...
Llyr Gruffydd: Thank you very much, temporary Deputy Presiding Officer, and as Chair of the Finance Committee, I'm very pleased to be opening this debate today on the future spending priorities for the Welsh Government. The Finance Committee has expressed its concern that the Assembly does not have a formal opportunity to debate and, through that, to potentially influence the Welsh Government’s spending...
Llyr Gruffydd: Now, while the committee strongly believes that an early debate is something that needs to be facilitated on a permanent basis in the future, it’s important, of course, that we have a debate on spending priorities this year, although a little later than we'd hoped, given the recent UK Government spending round and the proposed timings of the Welsh Government’s budget. Our scrutiny of the...
Llyr Gruffydd: Could I thank everybody who has contributed to the debate? I think the debate that we've had in the last hour has shown how valuable having this kind of discussion is, and indeed how having an even broader discussion in terms of timing and the number of contributions would enrich and help the Minister and others in developing the Government’s budget, but that it’s important to do that at...
Llyr Gruffydd: Thank you, Minister, for your statement, you make a number of valid points. I think there is certainly an irony that a number of people who wanted to leave the EU wanted to do so because of a perceived bureaucracy, and now of course they're facing greater bureaucracy from a 'no deal' Brexit, which I think is food for thought for many people. I also share your concerns that food supplies will...
