Siân Gwenllian: Leanne Wood.
Siân Gwenllian: Will the First Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government’s plans to train more doctors? [W]
Siân Gwenllian: Thank you very much. I’m very pleased to hear that you acknowledge that there is a need to move on now to train doctors. Will those plans include looking at the provision for north Wales? Because the problems, as you know, are very serious in north Wales, and the need for doctors in hospitals and in rural surgeries is very great. Would you, therefore, be willing to move forward to create a...
Siân Gwenllian: 8. Will the First Minister make a statement on the government’s plan to increase the number of Welsh speakers in Wales? OAQ(5)0046(FM)[W]
Siân Gwenllian: Thank you. I’m very pleased to hear that, but your manifesto did set a target of a million speakers by 2050—I’m sure that you agree with that, and that is an excellent thing, and I congratulate you on setting such a target, which means that, 34 years hence, we will have doubled the number of Welsh speakers that we have at present, but how are you going to proceed to do that, what are...
Siân Gwenllian: May I congratulate you, Mark Drakeford, on your recent appointment, and I look forward to working with you? Plaid Cymru and I welcome this report today. There are clear, robust recommendations made, and we congratulate Rhodri Glyn Thomas, who is a former Member of this place, on his excellent work, as well as his fellow members, on their work too. I’m sure you would agree that bilingual,...
Siân Gwenllian: I have a great deal of sympathy with this desire to be more flexible in terms of temporary badges. But, I do disagree with the Member’s approach to this. Supporting his motion would mean one thing: no rights to a temporary blue badge, which is a situation that would be far worse than the one we’re currently in. So, I’m encouraging you to vote against this motion. There is no reason to...
Siân Gwenllian: 3. Will the Minister make a statement on improvements to the road network in Arfon? OAQ(5)0004(EI)[W]
Siân Gwenllian: Thank you very much. I’d like to draw your attention to a scheme to build a 9 km bypass in my area, in Arfon, in the Caernarfon and Bontnewydd area, a scheme that was secured by my predecessor, Alun Ffred Jones, in the last Assembly, which will be a significant boost to our area. I would like to hear from you whether you are aware of the significant delay in this scheme. There has been no...
Siân Gwenllian: I’m very pleased to participate in this debate on a crucially important issue, and to share some of my concerns, if truth be told. Now, I don’t need to emphasise just how important the law is in our daily lives. It is central to the effective operation of any state in ensuring the safety and security of our citizens. Access to the justice system is an integral and fundamental part of...
Siân Gwenllian: Will the Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's plans to train new doctors in north Wales?
Siân Gwenllian: Thank you very much, and thank you for that update. Of course, you acknowledge here that the central grant has been increased, but much of the funding for this area in terms of assistance to women in refuges does come through local authorities, and local authorities have faced financial cuts year on year. Some of these services are suffering as a result of cuts that vary from 3 per cent to 20...
Siân Gwenllian: 1. Will the Minister make a statement on the role of community energy projects as part of the Welsh Government’s climate change strategy? OAQ(5)0014(ERA)[W]
Siân Gwenllian: During the last Assembly term, my predecessor, Alun Ffred Jones, worked tirelessly in order to secure the success of two community hydro schemes as they started the process of providing an opportunity for the public to buy shares in these projects. I’m pleased to be able to say that these projects have been exceptionally successful, attracting a number of people in those communities to...
Siân Gwenllian: The history of the Welsh Government’s strategy on tackling poverty appears to me anyway to be one of setting long-term aspirations in order to end poverty but without setting short-term specific targets with the appropriate resources to achieve them. Very often, the aspirations are either postponed or completely dropped once the Government realises that they’re not attainable. Because...
Siân Gwenllian: It’s a pleasure to participate in this important debate this afternoon and I’m pleased to hear the Conservatives alluding to Plaid Cymru very frequently in their speech this afternoon. As we’ve already heard from Rhun, there are a number of challenges facing the health service, and very often they are at their most intense in the rural and most deprived areas. It’s quite obvious, and...
Siân Gwenllian: Thank you. I wish, on behalf of Plaid Cymru, to move our amendments on the reform of local government in Wales. There’s a great deal to be said about the subject, but today I will focus on two specific aspects that were included as part of Plaid Cymru policy during the Assembly election in May. That is, first of all, the need for Welsh Government to act to implement single transferrable...
Siân Gwenllian: You both have alluded to the increase in racist incidents during and post the referendum, and I share your view in condemning those occurrences. But could you go further than just making a statement in the Chamber today? Are you able to consider running a campaign to raise awareness and educate people about the contribution that people from the different countries of Europe and the world make...
Siân Gwenllian: Thank you. We’ve tabled this debate today because it’s become clear that there is a need to change the present democratic process. Forget about the referendum for a moment, if you can, because, generally, people believe or feel that their vote doesn’t count. There is a need for them to see that there is a purpose for them voting and reforming the system is one way of tackling this...
Siân Gwenllian: Before coming to that, I will touch on two other issues. The first is the need for young people between 16 and 17 to be allowed to vote. That is vital by now, because young people were angry and frustrated that their voices were not heard in the referendum, and there is also a need for us to create a youth parliament in Wales, because Wales is the only country without such a parliament. We...
