Huw Irranca-Davies: Trefnydd, could we have a statement from the health Minister on whether he will ask the joint council for vaccinations to add front-line funeral workers, mortuary technicians and embalmers to the list of front-line healthcare staff in Wales for whom occupational immunisation with the COVID-19 vaccination is recommended? I understand Northern Ireland are likely to do so within the coming days,...
Huw Irranca-Davies: 5. What assessment has the Minister made of any gaps between the supply of vaccines and the capacity to deploy those vaccinations in Wales? OQ56124
Huw Irranca-Davies: Thank you, Minister, and that assurance is good to hear, because we have, of course, heard separate stories over the last few days of some supply chain and production challenges, and we should anticipate that there will be glitches as we go along; it's not going to be perfect. Firstly, we heard of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine challenges, because one of the four batches of the vaccine over...
Huw Irranca-Davies: 4. What discussions has the Welsh Government had with the UK Government regarding plans for a post-Brexit review of UK workers' rights? OQ56170
Huw Irranca-Davies: First Minister, thank you for your answer. I raised this, as you know, last week in questions, but over the course of the last week, despite initial denials, we've now seen a UK business Secretary confirm proposals for a bonfire of hard-won workers' rights and terms and conditions, despite repeated promises from the Prime Minister that this would not happen on leaving the EU. These proposals...
Huw Irranca-Davies: 5. Will the Minister provide an update on the WelTAG process that is examining increased frequency on the Maesteg-Bridgend rail route? OQ56169
Huw Irranca-Davies: Minister, can I welcome that response? I genuinely give my thanks to you, your officials, Network Rail, TfW and Bridgend council officers for their engagement on this vital matter of increasing the frequency of the service on the Maesteg to Bridgend and Cardiff line. It's something, as you know, I've been campaigning on relentlessly—probably to your frustration in some ways—since I...
Huw Irranca-Davies: 5. What discussions has the Counsel General had with the Minister for the Economy, Transport and North Wales regarding the impact of the expansion of direct shipping routes from Ireland to the EU on the Welsh economy? OQ56168
Huw Irranca-Davies: I welcome, genuinely, that constructive engagement by the Minister with UK counterparts, but, you know, I've got to call a spade a spade here. Minister, those people who said that we would have, after EU withdrawal, frictionless trade that would allow these land routes across the UK to continue were either too daft to realise what they were saying to the public in Wales, and across Britain,...
Huw Irranca-Davies: It's a pleasure to follow on from Nick and from Dai, and from the work of the cross-party group this year, who have worked with the support of the Stroke Association, providing the backbone of the secretariat, to go out and listen to people who themselves have experienced stroke during the pandemic, but also their family, their friends, their carers and their loved ones as well. It has been...
Huw Irranca-Davies: 7. Will the First Minister provide an update on support for European Union citizens living in Wales? OQ56244
Huw Irranca-Davies: Thank you for that answer, First Minister. As you know, Wales is home, and has been for some time, to people from right across the EU; they've established their families here, brought their families up, they've rooted themselves in our culture in Wales, and, I have to say, have enriched it with theirs as well. Many of them have worked throughout this pandemic to keep our key services running,...
Huw Irranca-Davies: 4. What discussions has the Minister had with local authorities regarding the use of emergency accommodation for homeless persons during the pandemic? OQ56229
Huw Irranca-Davies: Minister, thank you very much for that response, and also for the engagement you've had with me on queries from my local authorities, some of whom have traditionally used what we know as emergency night shelter accommodation, which, of its day, was an appropriate way forward. But, actually, when you're dealing with a pandemic situation, let alone an approach that really requires us not simply...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Trefnydd, in November, we celebrated 20 years of the Wales Union Learning Fund. It's a programme that allows trade unions to support workers back into learning, and, since April alone, in 2020, the fund has supported more than 5,000 workers with learning, advice, guidance, on essential skills and career progression. So, with the worrying news that the Conservatives are axing the funding of...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Minister, can I commend Dr Sarah Medlicott of Bron-y-Garn surgery and other GPs who contacted me over a week ago expressing their desire to begin vaccinations of a relatively small group of front-line police medics, who are at higher risk of exposure to the virus in a very specialised line of work? As you know, Minister, we hit a frustrating problem immediately in that the JCVI did not, at...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Building on the comments of my colleagues Dawn Bowden and Mick Antoniw, it's definitely true, Minister, that the social partnership in Wales is a model for the UK of how businesses and unions, workers and the Government, constructively work together on jobs and the economy and the skills agenda and much more. Now, I don't want to be presumptuous, but can I ask whether the Minister would...
Huw Irranca-Davies: I wonder if I can ask you, Minister, as well to pay particular regard to the loss of the European social fund and structural funds on our works and skills programmes in Wales. I'm hearing some rather disconcerting rumours—well, they're more than rumours—that there's an intention now with the Department for Work and Pensions to centralise their work programmes. Now, we've had some...
Huw Irranca-Davies: 11. What provision will the Minister put in place to enable pupils to catch up on education impacted by the pandemic measures? OQ56251
Huw Irranca-Davies: Minister, I'm glad to hear that, and I know you'll join with me in applauding those teachers, headteachers, all of the people who've actually made huge efforts over the last year to continue teaching in some form or another, and to provide that welfare support and pastoral support as well through our education system. But I know that I'm having teachers in my own area saying to me now that...
