Heledd Fychan: Thank you, Deputy Llywydd. I look forward today, hopefully, to convincing the Senedd of the merits of establishing a flood forum for Wales. John Griffiths, Delyth Jewell and Llyr Gruffydd have requested a minute of time as part of this debate, and I will ensure that there is time for them to make their contributions at the end of my contribution. As anyone who has suffered flooding will...
Heledd Fychan: I've collected countless testimonies from those that have been affected by flooding, and since there is time today, I'd like to read three quotes in full, including the first, which is from a resident in RCT six months after the 2020 floods, which illustrates the emotional and psychological impact: 'I honestly feel like this experience has pushed me to the brink. It's been one of the worst...
Heledd Fychan: But why do we need such a forum? In England and Scotland, there are established fora that support and provide practical assistance to those in need. While there is some support available in Wales—some through some county councils or through NRW, or through the National Flood Forum if it is funded to work in any particular area—it's fair to say that the support is pretty ad hoc and...
Heledd Fychan: The Scottish Flood Forum is a charity that was founded in 2009, and it is mainly funded by the Scottish Government, receiving £200,000 per annum, with additional donations and other small grants. It was initially set up by the Scottish Government before going on to become a charity—a model that we could emulate in Wales. It works alongside communities at risk of flooding to ensure that...
Heledd Fychan: I very much hope that I've therefore convinced the Deputy Minister today of the value of looking into this issue in more detail and of the benefits to our communities of establishing a flood forum for Wales.
Heledd Fychan: Trefnydd, I would like to ask for a statement, please. It relates to postal services delivered by the Royal Mail and how the Welsh Government can exert pressure for services to be improved. It is an issue that I have previously corresponded with the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership on, as I know that she regularly meets with the Royal Mail, and she has, and I'm grateful for this, made...
Heledd Fychan: Thank you, Llywydd. Minister, the most recent annual report on 'Cymraeg 2050', published last month, notes that there are now 19 immersion centres and three secondary centres across 10 counties in Wales, with counties providing late immersion support for learners across a range of ages. Also, last month, Estyn published a thematic report on Welsh immersion education, and this lists the Welsh...
Heledd Fychan: Diolch, Weinidog. On a similar theme, Samuel Kurtz referenced his constituent earlier, describing ALN as 'a postcode lottery', and, as you will be fully aware, one of the core aims of the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018 is for a bilingual system. Concerns were raised during the Act's journey through the Senedd, primarily on the availability of ALN services...
Heledd Fychan: Our communities deserve justice, and this is about accountability and putting right a historic injustice. And I think the question to Janet Finch-Saunders's comments is: who got rich from coal? And that's the crux of the matter and why we are pressing on the UK Government to put right this historic injustice. The arguments you mentioned in terms of my colleagues putting forward about the...
Heledd Fychan: Of course I will.
Heledd Fychan: Certainly. I think any Government should be able to be accountable, and it has been in the UK Government. But, at this time, it is your Conservative Government, and they have the opportunity to put this right.
Heledd Fychan: As expressed so eloquently by Delyth Jewell, so much of our modern history as a nation has been driven by the industrial revolution, when coal become such a crucial fuel. Despite this, the history of mining for coal goes back centuries before then, with the Romans mining for coal in Britain. Indeed, there is evidence of mining in Blaenavon dating back to the fourteenth century, and, in...
Heledd Fychan: People from the Rhondda and other coalfield areas did not reap the benefits and yet continue to be impacted negatively today. Coal tips are just one example of a bitter legacy of the coal industry and how our communities cannot escape from this whilst they continue to live in their shadows. It's incomprehensible to me, and many others, I’m sure, that this is an issue that remains today,...
Heledd Fychan: It's also worth thinking about the value of these sites in terms of heritage, and, as part of the commission’s consultation, Cadw and the Association of Local Government Archaeological Officers emphasised that some tips have value for their heritage, and that any restoration work should bear this in mind. The coal tips in the Blaenavon industrial landscape, for example, are designated by...
Heledd Fychan: But, after decades of silence on some of these coal tips, the shock and horror felt by many following what happened in Tylorstown as a result of storm Dennis has at last prompted further discussion and action. It was a stark reminder of the dangers that remain as a result of our industrial history, and how these communities have been abandoned by the UK Government following the decline of the...
Heledd Fychan: What steps is the Minister taking to safeguard the future of higher education?
Heledd Fychan: 8. What assessment has the First Minister made of the UK Government's ability to lead the inquiry into COVID-19 in Wales? OQ57921
Heledd Fychan: You were clear when the news came that Boris Johnson had received a fine for breaking the law that he should resign as Prime Minister, and I agree with you 100 per cent. As he has refused to do that and so many other people in Downing Street have also been fined for breaking the rules, isn't it time to rethink, because they have commissioned this independent inquiry that is relevant to Wales?...
Heledd Fychan: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Minister, similarly, sharing experiences from constituents of mine, in terms of not receiving visas for last members in the family, hence the delay in coming here, and also receiving calls from across the region about difficulties in securing school places for those coming to Wales, with not all local authorities being consistent in terms of ensuring that they're...
Heledd Fychan: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Minister, as we discussed in this Chamber during endometriosis month, the disease has a devastating impact on sufferers. A constituent of mine has contacted me saying that she was told by her consultant at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital yesterday that the NHS aren't doing any operations at all for women with endometriosis—so, no diagnostic laparoscopies, no excision,...
