Mike Hedges: As others have said, we are fast losing biodiversity in Wales, with the latest 'The State of Natural Resources Report' stating that the overall trend is one of serious decline, reflecting the global situation of an internationally recognised nature emergency. The danger is a dystopian future, with the only mammals surviving being pets, farm animals and scavengers such as rats. Could Kenneth...
Mike Hedges: I welcome the Welsh Government's programme; fair work rights are long overdue. I hope that the social partnership Bill will ensure that companies who engage in fire and rehire, and who have exploitative contracts paying less that the real living wage, will not get public sector contracts. I welcome the taxation Bill to enable a quick end to tax-evasion loopholes—I have previously asked for...
Mike Hedges: I'm very pleased that we have had this statement today. We have too few houses, we have too few affordable houses. House prices have increased due to a shortage of accommodation, but also Government policies such as Help to Buy and the land transaction tax holiday have pushed up prices. The biggest housing shortages are in Cardiff and Swansea and I refer the Minister to the council house...
Mike Hedges: I'm asking for two statements by the Government. The first one is on how health will be improved and how life expectancies will be increased by improving the overall health of people in Wales, as opposed to intervening when people are seriously ill and need hospitalisation. Take type 2 diabetes—the number of cases can be reduced by diet and exercise. We need to do more in prevention,...
Mike Hedges: I welcome the setting up of a constitutional commission. Up until now, only Plaid Cymru, with independence, and abolish supporters have been consistent and have had an end point. Despite that, the majority of the Welsh people, in every opinion poll we've seen, want devolution either as we've got it now, or extended. I welcome the co-chair suggestion. Can I just remind the Minister that...
Mike Hedges: I welcome the Welsh Government's statement. I requested a statement on trees a few weeks ago, and thankfully we've now got one. Can I also say how much I welcome the tone of the Minister's statement? We need a lot more trees to meet our climate change needs, to reduce flooding risk and to protect biodiversity. But we need to involve the public. If everyone with a garden planted one tree, that...
Mike Hedges: I've just understood the Conservatives' economic policy: you spend more, and you tax less. I'm not quite sure how that has worked, and I'm sure that Peter Fox didn't do that when he was leading Monmouthshire County Council, so why he wants the Welsh Government to do it, I'm not quite sure. The aim of every budget is the same: to improve health, improve the environment, reduce carbon...
Mike Hedges: 6. Will the Minister make a statement on educational attainment in Wales? OQ56758
Mike Hedges: Can I thank the Minister for that response? Educational attainment is the key to economic development. Successful parts of the world have economies built on highly qualified individuals, not on driving companies to bring branch factories for a short time. What is Welsh Government doing to continue to improve educational attainment in our schools and universities in order to improve our economy?
Mike Hedges: I'll be voting against the Plaid motion today because I am opposed to universal free school meals. I do not believe that providing free school meals to children who are being privately educated is the right thing to do or the right use of resources—if you look at your motion there, it says 'all'; it doesn't say 'all in the public sector', it says 'all' and 'all' includes those in private...
Mike Hedges: Thank you, Presiding Officer. I wish you'd called me before Rhys ab Owen, because I was also going to raise the problem of problem high rises. I'll still raise it because it is a serious concern to a number of my constituents living in SA1. I believe we are now in the autumn and, as such, how soon can we expect this statement, because it is really affecting a number of people? We talk about...
Mike Hedges: Diolch. Thank you. Can I just agree with what Sarah Murphy raised, because I think that's a matter that is going to be of grave concern and greater concern as time goes on? But the question I want to ask is: what can we do to make contracts smaller? I agree that far too little is given out to smaller companies inside communities, but the reason is that people package it—including the Welsh...
Mike Hedges: Anyone who has not been barred by a court can buy an animal. There are no tests for ownership, no statutory instructions of how to look after animals. Is it any surprise that so many animals are badly treated, not always because people want to badly treat them, but due to ignorance? Will the Government introduce some online instructions and tests for those seeking to buy different animals as...
Mike Hedges: I agree it's very important that membership of public bodies reflects society, but it's not only about protected characteristics; it's about life experiences. Too often, diversity deals with protected characteristics, not diversity of life experiences. What is being done to get members on boards from different life experiences in different parts of Wales, including different parts of towns...
Mike Hedges: Firstly, unfortunately, we have to accept that a large number of people do not want to vote for any of us. [Laughter.] For a generation brought up on using their phones for everything, asking them to queue and put a cross on a piece of paper appears very old fashioned. Has the Government considered trialling online voting to engage younger people? If online banking can be made safe, I'm sure...
Mike Hedges: Prepayment meters are amongst the most cruel of things because people don't put their heating on because they've got no money to put the heating on. It doesn't show as being cut off; they just don't have any heating. And I think that, sometimes, that is underestimated, but people will be going cold tonight. As do you, Deputy Presiding Officer, I have a serious concern about the steel...
Mike Hedges: I thank the Conservatives for bringing this debate today. As Members who were present in the last Senedd know, I rarely spoke in health debates. Fortunately, for the first time since I was elected, we have a health Minister who I am confident will address the problems. I also recognise the hard work and dedication of the Welsh ambulance staff in very, very challenging circumstances. I also...
Mike Hedges: Certainly.
Mike Hedges: I agree with you entirely. I've only got five minutes, so I will not be addressing social care; I'm just sticking with hospitals and A&E and health. But, yes, I agree entirely. To help deal with patients who attend, the GP out-of-hours service should be given the job of assessing patients upon arrival, deciding in what order they should be treated and dealing with non-medical emergencies....
Mike Hedges: Certainly. But it's the last intervention I will take.
