Bethan Sayed: Leanne Wood.
Bethan Sayed: 3. Will the First Minister make a statement on the steel industry? OAQ(5)0010(FM)
Bethan Sayed: Over the election period, First Minister, I and Plaid Cymru colleagues went to visit the engineering department within the new innovation campus. Following on from that meeting, I requested Swansea University to send me some figures as to what it would cost to set up a new steel and innovation unit in the university, because it’s so close—it’s in prime, premium position—to Tata Steel...
Bethan Sayed: First Minister, in the previous taskforce minutes I noted that Nick Bourne had offered to create a seminar on the dumping of steel so that the steel companies could come together to discuss those possibilities. I personally feel that that is more pertinent than ever considering that we’re hearing a lot of blatant mistruths from some quarters in this Assembly with regard to the dumping of...
Bethan Sayed: I’m grateful to the First Minister for bringing this statement and I agree with some of the comments that have been raised here today, although I would like to say, in relation to the dumping of steel, the UK Government has already previously refused higher measures on the dumping of steel, and so, if we did come out of the European Union, you would expect opposition on that level. So, I...
Bethan Sayed: Will the First Minister make a statement on traffic arrangements in Port Talbot?
Bethan Sayed: 2. Will the First Minister make a statement on opencast mining in Wales? OAQ(5)0043(FM)
Bethan Sayed: Thank you for that answer, First Minister. You will know that Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council recently passed a partial restoration of Margam opencast area. But, of course, that’s partial restoration, and many of the residents there are concerned about the future and the void not being restored, and also, with it being in Celtic Energy’s hands, for that full restoration to take...
Bethan Sayed: Thank you, Minister, for the statement. First of all, I think it’s important that we should, in the culture of having the European championships in France at the moment, acknowledge all the sporting volunteers, especially with regard to grass-roots football, who are doing so much to make sure that players can come through from communities, because, quite often, many young people come...
Bethan Sayed: In the last Assembly, I raised the point with the Minister on the land opposite Harbour Way, which I’m sure will be part of the new enterprise zone. There is land there that could be utilised for new businesses. Have you spoken to local businesses to encourage them to actually apply for that land at a reduced cost under these new circumstances of an enterprise zone in Port Talbot, to...
Bethan Sayed: Will the Minister make a statement on economic support for Port Talbot?
Bethan Sayed: 2. Will the First Minister make a statement on the latest survey of staff at Natural Resources Wales? OAQ(5)0059(FM)
Bethan Sayed: Thank you for the answer, First Minister. The survey results clearly indicate that there’s a problem with senior management, and it’s far worse than last year. I’ve had constituents who’ve contacted me who don’t wish to be named, and they’re fearful for the comments that they’ve sent me, saying that they had a Skype meeting with the directors and their leaders last week—and...
Bethan Sayed: Can I ask for a statement or a debate in Government time on post-education provision for people aged 19 to 25 specifically with autism? I don’t particularly want to be going into constituents’ casework here but I feel I have to briefly because it’s come to the position where the grandmother was at my office on Friday, crying her eyes out because she’s trying to keep her grandson at...
Bethan Sayed: Thank you, Minister, for your statement. While you may be happy to know that I won’t be shadowing you from here on in, considering the work that I’ve done and with yourself and others previously, I felt it incumbent on me to speak today in terms of the work that we have done but also the work we need to do. Because, obviously, you sat on our committee with us previously, in the last...
Bethan Sayed: Thank you and good luck in your portfolio, Minister. I think it’s important that we have an objective view at this particular stage as to the nature of your portfolio, especially with regard to the poverty agenda. There was a very damning report a year ago, and also a report in the last term, by the Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee, with regard to the lack of robust data...
Bethan Sayed: Thank you for that answer. Obviously, I’m not against other Ministers having poverty within their portfolios, but we must make sure that there is, ultimately, one Minister who will be responsible. We have had experiences in committee where we have asked various Ministers questions on poverty, and they have always potentially not answered those questions because it has not been within their...
Bethan Sayed: Thank you for that answer. The third question, and I’m sure you are very much aware of this—. I had a Bill on financial inclusion and education in the last Assembly term, and I worked closely with the former Minister and a group working on new ideas and a new strategy for financial inclusion and education. Can I ask you what is happening with that crucial work? I had a representative on...
Bethan Sayed: First Minister, I echo the concerns raised by Julie Morgan in relation to the racist comments that have happened since the European vote last week, and I would condemn that approach to the reaction to the European referendum. But I wonder whether you have considered how, moving forward—with the communities Minister, potentially—we can try and bring communities together. Because, a lot of...
Bethan Sayed: I was wondering whether we could have a statement on safety levels at Tata Steel. I say this because I have had a trickle of concerns, initially from constituents, with regard to safety aspects with the job cuts there, but it’s actually turned into quite a torrent from constituents who work at Tata Steel. I wonder if we could have a statement to understand if the Government has been talking...
