Mark Isherwood: Diolch. Well, according to its substance misuse annual report 2018, the Welsh Government’s 10-year substance misuse strategy, published in 2008, sets out a clear national agenda for tackling and reducing the harms associated with substance misuse in Wales. It adds that it has commenced work to develop substance misuse priorities going forward from 2019. But the July 2018 Healthcare...
Mark Isherwood: Will you give way?
Mark Isherwood: Have you looked at the latest published ONS figures, which do show that the figures, on the latest published figures, go up? That's the Office for National Statistics figures.
Mark Isherwood: Diolch, Llywydd. As you said, and when you cut the first sod on 17 January, you anticipated completion by autumn 2021. What contractual safeguards have you secured regarding that, and, given the concerns raised by some significant local businesses, when the first two initial preferred routes were announced, that there hadn't been a local business impact assessment, what dialogue have you had...
Mark Isherwood: In his 13 January letter to the First Minister, the Secretary of State for Wales invited the First Minister to attend meetings of the new EU exit preparedness committee, chaired by the Prime Minister, when relevant issues to Wales were on the agenda. They also stated: 'I have asked officials to share with you the experiences around the recent exercises in Kent, and similarly it would be...
Mark Isherwood: Diolch, Llywydd. Independent living enables disabled people to achieve their own goals and live their own lives in the way that they choose for themselves. The independent living fund enabled severely disabled people to choose to live an independent life in the community, rather than in residential care. I move amendment 2, calling on the Welsh Government 'to ensure that disabled people are...
Mark Isherwood: We've not got time to debate the whole of welfare here, but I made the point that the UK Government, which you are not a great fan of, has nonetheless prevented people with severe disabilities having to be reassessed for a range of benefits—PIP, ESA, universal credit—and yet we've told people with severe disabilities that they will have to be reassessed again to get what they should have...
Mark Isherwood: Will the Member give way?
Mark Isherwood: Given that former recipients of the independent living fund had to qualify for that by proving that they were severely disabled, why should they have to prove it again when, rightly, we criticised UK Government when they told people they'd have to prove it again?
Mark Isherwood: Could I just ask a question, if I may? If it's wrong, as it is, for UK Government to state to a severely disabled person that they have to be reassessed because the benefits have changed, to see whether they qualify for the successor benefit, why is it right in Wales to say to somebody who qualified on the grounds of their severe disability for a benefit that they have to be reassessed? I...
Mark Isherwood: Diolch, Llywydd. Prisons should be places of reform and rehabilitation, and imprisonment is a punishment for those found guilty of a crime. The UK Ministry of Justice is focused on rehabilitative services, community sentences and reducing reoffending. Last August, I attended the event in Wrexham held by HM Prison and Probation Service in Wales to discuss the 'Strengthening probation, building...
Mark Isherwood: Every year, the councils in Wales receive discretionary housing payment money from the Department for Work and Pensions, and, last year, Merthyr Tydfil, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Anglesey were criticised for handing money back that should have gone to people who receive housing benefit or universal credit and need extra help with rent or housing costs. Commenting on this, Merthyr Tydfil said...
Mark Isherwood: The Welsh Local Government Association website states that, involving councils, police, as well as fire and rescue, health boards and probation services, community safety partnerships work to offer an effective multi-agency approach. But other than referring to working with councils and communities, there is no reference to the third sector. However, the Welsh Government, in its document...
Mark Isherwood: I have to say that my taxi driver who lives in Connah's Quay actually raised the match as well with me, so I was keeping an eager eye on it. I was actually in Coleg Cambria yesterday for a community event—a Vision Support Flintshire sight-loss event—and some of your colleagues and friends were there as well, so I support your comments in that respect. I call for a single statement on...
Mark Isherwood: Thanks for your statement, and you began again by referring to last Thursday's National Energy Action Wales conference, 'Tackling Fuel Poverty & Inequality: The Road Ahead', ahead of Friday's Fuel Poverty Awareness Day, and I also spoke at that event in the afternoon, and set on a question panel as we moved on. Now, as you know, according to the latest estimate, although some years out of...
Mark Isherwood: Diolch. Yesterday, the UK defence Secretary announced that service leavers and their families will now be able to access military accommodation for up to a year after leaving, giving them more time to look for permanent accommodation as they transition back to civilian life, because housing is key to veterans and their families. First Choice Housing Association, which led the way on this in...
Mark Isherwood: The concern remains about the other problems that patients can suffer, even if they access vascular services, and that the first point of contact is Ysbyty Gwynedd. Last February, the health board told us that emergency vascular services without qualification would remain in the three district general hospitals in north Wales, supported by a petition signed by over 3,000 people, and questions...
Mark Isherwood: The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 Part 2 code of practice states that, 'the Public Sector Equality Duty contained in section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 requires all public authorities to have due regard to protected characteristics when exercising their functions', and that, 'The Equality Act 2010 requires that reasonable adjustments are made to ensure that people have...
Mark Isherwood: Wrexham Maelor Hospital's urology unit is one of 11 units across England and Wales that took part in the prostate MRI imaging study PROMIS trial to discover improved ways of diagnosing prostate cancer. The results showed that 27 per cent of men who had a negative mpMRI did not need a biopsy at all, but, crucially, 93 per cent of aggressive cancers were detected by using the mpMRI scan to...
Mark Isherwood: How is the Welsh Government promoting North Wales as a tourist destination?
