Sioned Williams: Minister, it's crucial now that the difficulties that I'm sure we, as Members, have all heard of in terms of getting the booster and these concerns that we've discussed this afternoon are resolved. A constituent of mine in her late seventies suffers from a serious allergy, and this is clear on her medical records and it was taken into account when she had the first two vaccinations. She has...
Sioned Williams: Thank you to the Minister for the statement. We are glad of the stated determination to tackle the inequity faced by disabled people in Wales that's included in the co-operation agreement with Plaid Cymru. One of my close family members is disabled, so I know first-hand the challenges and barriers that are, unfortunately, part of his everyday life and, of course, the lives of thousands of...
Sioned Williams: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I welcome the opportunity to open this important debate and move the motion before you. The first inquiry I had the privilege of being a part of as a member of the Equality and Social Justice Committee was on debt and the pandemic. As a committee, we decided that the picture of economic hardship that was clearly beginning to form a year and more into the COVID crisis...
Sioned Williams: A recent report by the Bevan Foundation on household debt in Wales found that tens of thousands of people across the country were living with problem debt long before the pandemic struck, but that the economic impact of COVID-19 had deepened that crisis. Across Wales, 130,000 households—that is, one in 10 of all households in Wales—were in arrears regarding a bill between January and May...
Sioned Williams: While the limited measures put in place by Welsh Government to mitigate this horrendous and unacceptable level of household debt are, of course, welcome, we feel that more could be done to support families not just over the coming months but also in the longer term. The recent announcement on the winter fuel support scheme means that households in receipt of working-age means-tested welfare...
Sioned Williams: Will the Minister make a statement on vaccination levels in South Wales West?
Sioned Williams: The First Minister made reference in his statement to some of the major changes made to the programme for government in light of the co-operation agreement between Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Government. Without doubt, the commitment to introduce free school meals for all primary school children, and to extend free childcare to all two-year-olds, are two practical steps that will benefit...
Sioned Williams: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I welcome the statement from the Minister today and the actions set out to tackle the current unacceptable level of violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence, which is scarring our society here in Wales. The latest statistics, as the Minister mentioned, show clearly that we need to do more to tackle the situations that lead to these types...
Sioned Williams: 'I couldn't phone services, friends or families and certainly couldn't risk accessing any help because everything was being monitored. Being deaf had its own issues but I am aware that accessing services wouldn't have been able to meet my needs if I had managed to make a call, I wouldn't have been able to hear the response.'
Sioned Williams: Such experiences are a symptom, I think, of the current deficiencies in the strategy and the way in which services are funded.
Sioned Williams: Only this morning on Radio Cymru I heard Rhian Bowen-Davies, who was appointed first national adviser for violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence back in September 2015, confirm that the voices of survivors are not being adequately listened to, especially those from marginalised and disadvantaged groups. I am therefore encouraged to see the Government's commitment to a...
Sioned Williams: I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this important debate, and Plaid Cymru will be supporting the motion, because it's crucial that we protect and promote the rights of children in Wales, and we cannot cut any corners while doing so. We know that children in Wales are particularly socioeconomically disadvantaged as we have the highest child poverty rate of any UK nation. The...
Sioned Williams: While areas in the co-operation agreement between the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru will now be of immense help to alleviate the disadvantage inflicted by poverty, such as the entitlement to free childcare for two-year-olds and free school meals for all primary school children, we shouldn't stop there. We cannot lose ambition when protecting those most vulnerable in our society—those who...
Sioned Williams: The channels outlined by which our young people can make their voices heard must be meaningful. To create cynicism and hopelessness in our young people is unforgivable, it'll erode and render meaningless not only any rights awareness campaign and modes of participation in decisions, but also the whole principle upon which this children's rights scheme rests. Diolch.
Sioned Williams: What is the Welsh Government doing to ensure that refugees and asylum seekers are able to seek sanctuary and support in Wales?
Sioned Williams: 9. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to ensure that builders complete housing estates to a satisfactory standard? OQ57327
Sioned Williams: Thank you, Minister. It's become apparent to me that there aren't adequate measures in place to tackle the huge problem that exists as some builders fail to complete housing estates to a satisfactory standard. In a number of cases, where someone buys a house under the mistaken impression that infrastructure such as pavements, streetlights and roads will be completed once all the houses in the...
Sioned Williams: 6. What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the provision of Welsh-medium education? OQ57328
Sioned Williams: Thank you, Minister. The co-operation agreement between Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Government commits to ensure that the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol and the National Centre for Learning Welsh are given additional funding in order to increase the number of apprenticeships and FE education available through the medium of Welsh, and to provide free Welsh lessons for young people between 16 and 25...
Sioned Williams: Thank you, Llywydd, and I'd like to thank everyone who's contributed to this afternoon's debate and encourage you to support the motion. It's good to hear from the Minister that the Government will be supporting our motion, because the essence of this motion is that we should aim not only towards creating a more sustainable and fairer food system for our people, but that this should be...
