Cefin Campbell: The pandemic has seen us change our daily habits, including our work, our family lives and our social lives, a period that saw households across Wales tune in to weekly Welsh Government press conferences, eager to know more about the pandemic in Wales and our response to it. The word 'our' is significant here. I believe that it is by no means an exaggeration to say that the COVID-19 pandemic...
Cefin Campbell: So, to close, in the face of this lack of pluralism and fairness, let us take another step forward today to ensure a healthy and viable democracy in Wales by supporting this motion before us, so that our voice can be heard and our story as a people can be told on the whole range of possible media. Thank you.
Cefin Campbell: Thank you, Llywydd. I'd like to pay tribute to Phil Bennett, who passed away at the age of 73 over the weekend. Phil was one of the best ever rugby players to represent Wales, the Lions and the Barbarians. For those of us who had the privilege of seeing him play in the red shirt of Llanelli or Wales, it was a feast for the eyes. The way that Benny ran and sidestepped was described as poetry...
Cefin Campbell: 7. What discussions has the Welsh Government had with the UK Government about tackling fuel poverty in Mid and West Wales? OQ58268
Cefin Campbell: Thank you very much, First Minister. It is good to hear that this issue is on the agenda, because, as you know, fuel costs have increased in all parts of Wales, but particularly in rural areas. When travelling from Carmarthenshire to Cardiff this morning, it was clear that the price of petrol and diesel was 5p or 6p per litre more in the west as compared to here in the capital city. People in...
Cefin Campbell: I’m very grateful for this opportunity to respond to this petition. Much of what I had intended to say has already been said. But certainly, during last year's election campaign, concern about the future of Withybush hospital, specifically the future of the accident and emergency department, was something that was frequently raised on the doorstep when I was canvassing in Pembrokeshire....
Cefin Campbell: Plaid Cymru has long argued that people should have the right to essential services, which clearly includes A&E departments, within a reasonable distance of their homes in all parts of Wales. The potential for healthcare reform in the area by building, potentially, a new hospital is creating more uncertainty in Pembrokeshire. Whilst I recognise the opportunities that opening a brand new...
Cefin Campbell: It's also important to note, Dirprwy Lywydd, that the concerns about the impact of the loss of accident and emergency provision aren't just anecdotal. Evidence exists that supports wider concerns, not to mention the importance of the golden hour response, as the public in general are aware of. A previous study by the University of Sheffield, which investigated 10,500 emergency cases, found...
Cefin Campbell: Well, thank you very much, Llywydd. I want to start by making one thing clear: unlike the virtual life of James Evans, leaving the single market has been a complete disaster for Wales and for all the countries of the United Kingdom. All of the promises made by the Brexiteers have been nothing more than a fraud, and the effect of this on our communities has been hugely detrimental. Let us...
Cefin Campbell: As we've already heard, but it's worth mentioning again, as our manufacturing and small business sectors face endless bureaucratic challenges, it's no wonder that business exports to the EU by small companies are expected to be 38 per cent lower by 2030. Next year, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development calculates that the UK will record the lowest growth in the G20, with...
Cefin Campbell: As we look around us, what we see is a cost-of-living crisis—
Cefin Campbell: From whom?
Cefin Campbell: Yes, of course.
Cefin Campbell: Well, Joyce, Brexit has been a decidedly detrimental factor. We cannot just allow this to happen; we have to set ourselves a goal to make things better, and our ambition is to rejoin the European Union and certainly the single market, and, as we’ve already heard from Luke Fletcher, other countries are doing this and it’s perfectly possible for us to do it as well. So, let’s not lower...
Cefin Campbell: I won't be long. What we see around us is a cost-of-living crisis, the cost of fuel and food increasing, inflation at its highest level for 40 years, and some sectors unable to recruit workers—and there are a number of them here; I won't list them all. In the view of Plaid Cymru, rejoining the single market is the only sensible way of responding to these acute problems that have been caused...
Cefin Campbell: 9. What benefits will the establishment of a community bank for Wales bring to mid and west Wales? OQ58353
Cefin Campbell: Thank you very much for that answer. Last month, Barclays bank announced that it was closing branches across the region, including Welshpool, Newtown and Lampeter. This has become a very common pattern over recent years. Indeed, there are about 40 per cent fewer branches that now exist in the region I represent than there were nine years ago. The impact of this is very great on our rural...
Cefin Campbell: Trefnydd, we've already heard about the concerns expressed by residents in mid and north Wales on the possible intention of reconfiguring Wales Air Ambulance services. We've heard from the First Minister that perhaps it's not the role of Welsh Government to deal with this issue, but I would argue that the air ambulance service is part of that bigger jigsaw, part of the range of services that...
Cefin Campbell: 9. What support is the Welsh Government providing to local authorities in Mid and West Wales as the cost-of-living crisis intensifies? OQ58456
Cefin Campbell: Thank you very much. I've already called publicly on councils in my region to open warm banks to help people to cope with the worst effects of the high cost of paying for energy over the winter. So, of course, I welcome the fact that the Welsh Government has already provided £1 million to support local authorities to establish warm banks, while being amazed that we need this kind of...
