Vaughan Gething: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'd like to thank Members who've contributed to this debate. Of course, access to primary care services is a key part of the Government strategy 'Prosperity for All'. Medical services are a vital part of primary care for people across Wales and valued by us all. It's a real positive that, in the latest national survey, 93 per cent of people were positive...
Vaughan Gething: I can.
Vaughan Gething: And that's a good example of the sort of progress we need to make to deliver real access to primary care. And I remember meeting the Member together with his local constituent to discuss the issues. I do get to go out and about and to hear directly from staff and residents. For example, I recently returned to Bryntirion with Hefin David to meet the team in a managed practice to hear about...
Vaughan Gething: As I've said many times in this Chamber, we will need to change the way that we deliver primary care. Single and double-handed practices, their ability to deliver the sort of range of services that we need, that's part of the reason we introduced clusters to help GP practices to work together with the wider primary care team to deliver a more sustainable way of delivering care. Primary care...
Vaughan Gething: Formally.
Vaughan Gething: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I thank Members for their varied contributions. I want to make clear at the outset that we won't support the Conservative or Brexit Party amendments. As I noted during the debate on this issue on 18 September, staffing rotas are an operational matter, as they should be, and the responsibility of individual organisations—in this case, obviously, Betsi...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'm happy to move the motion in my name today, and I'm pleased to open this debate that will, hopefully, approve the Public Health (Minimum Price for Alcohol) (Minimum Unit Price) (Wales) Regulations 2019. If the regulations are agreed by Members, a minimum unit price for alcohol of 50p will come into force from 2 March next year. As we know from the...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and thank you to both the Welsh Conservatives and Plaid Cymru for indicating their support today for the regulations that have been brought forward in my name. I'll happily deal with a number of the points that were made by both speakers. To be fair, Angela Burns has consistently raised issues about evaluation and impact during the passage of the Bill, as...
Vaughan Gething: Diolch, Llywydd. November always turns our minds to remembering the sacrifices made on our behalf, when we stop and take time out of our lives to remember the service and the debt of gratitude that we owe. On Saturday, I joined constituents of different ages and faiths to take part in the merchant navy remembrance service on the steps of the Senedd with other Members in the Chamber today....
Vaughan Gething: Yes. The Welsh Government continues to work with Transport for Wales to improve train services around north Wales, for the north-east Wales metro, whilst investing in station improvements and the building of at least five new stations in north Wales.
Vaughan Gething: Well, I'm happy to confirm again that we're waiting a decision that's due at the end of November about the ability to continue with our current stock, because this Government certainly does not want to see a diminution in services because of the issues about the stock. This is in the hands of the UK Government, and the Minister for Economy and Transport has made clear his willingness and his...
Vaughan Gething: Well, the transport Minister set out previously the investment that we're making not only in the north Wales growth deal, but in particular in the north-east Wales metro as well. And we are pleased to be working together with partners, not just the UK Government—of course, we part-fund the north Wales growth deal—but working together with the North Wales Economic Ambition Board. I think...
Vaughan Gething: No, look, we are continuing to invest in a programme of investment in railway services across Wales, and in particular in north Wales too. We have been clear about the need to do that over a period of time, and the significant investment that is coming not only in new facilities at stations, but in new services, new capacities and, indeed, a range of measures to make sure that fares are...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you. We are proud to be the first country in the UK to introduce a system of deemed consent. Last year saw the highest ever number of organ donors in Wales and the highest consent rate in the UK, at 77 per cent.
Vaughan Gething: Well, the Member will know, on Brexit, it's one of the issues of concern that we've raised about tissue transfer between different European nations, and that's still unresolved. We don't yet know about our future relationship with Europe, and I'm very clear about what that relationship should be. On your broader points, though, about organ donation specifically here in Wales, I continue to...
Vaughan Gething: I think there are two issues here. The first is that my party, not the Government, but my party acted promptly when discovering that the production firm had, without the agreement of the Labour Party, used an actor in the party political broadcast. That has been withdrawn and is not being circulated. The second point is that having made a point about wanting to praise staff within the NHS, to...
Vaughan Gething: I think there are three points I'd make in response to the Member. The first is that, of course, we have had the royal college's view because I acted, intervened and ordered that review to take place. I then acted and intervened in the health board in changing the escalation status of the health board. So, I have acted and I've put additional support around the health board, and, of course,...
Vaughan Gething: —and I've committed to doing just that and to being utterly transparent in the nature of the progress being made and in any action that I have to take and any action that I choose not to take in supporting this health board and requiring this health board to make the improvements that are plainly required.
Vaughan Gething: Can I first just deal with the regular accusation that I'm somehow complacent in my duties? I take my duties seriously. It's a job that I enjoy, despite all the pressures, but that requires you to understand issues and to actually work hard to go about your duties and to recognise the impact on staff and the public. And I do think it's distasteful to regularly suggest that I'm somehow...
Vaughan Gething: Well, it's a fairly predictable line that we hear yet again, and, in fact, what Helen Mary did say in her response was to recognise that, actually, following the intervention that I made, there has been a positive impact upon the organisation. The Wales Audit Office and HIW review recognises the new leadership in place are taking forward serious steps to address the issues of concern. And,...
