Peredur Owen Griffiths: First of all, I'd like to thank all of you for the opportunity to contribute this afternoon, and congratulations indeed to all of the Members on their election. I'd like to thank my constituents for putting their faith in me to represent them as a regional Member.
Peredur Owen Griffiths: The coronavirus pandemic has sparked in us a renewed appreciation for our green spaces, the importance and the beauty of Wales and the Welsh outdoors, and the need for a green recovery. However, last June, when we saw fast-food drive-throughs reopening, our green spaces became plagued with litter. Littering is a pervasive problem across Wales, no less in the south-east, and my constituents...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and thank you to the Minister for her statement.
Peredur Owen Griffiths: It's important that people wishing to apply for this scheme are offered as much support as possible, and, as has been mentioned previously, the deadline is fast approaching at the end of this month. In the last Senedd, the External Affairs and Additional Legislation Committee wrote to the Welsh Government with their recommendations. Their recommendations were for the Welsh Government to...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Thank you very much, and thank you to you for your statement. I'd like to add my thanks to those heroes that we have—those unsung heroes, those unpaid heroes the length and breadth of Wales—who care for others every day.
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Research from Carers Wales shows that unpaid carers looking after disabled, ill or elderly family members or friends have saved the Welsh Government £33 million every single day since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Against that backdrop, the provision of £3 million during the whole of 2021-22—split into two phases, with a first phase of £1.75 million further split between 22 local...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Will the Minister make a statement on the recovery of health services in south-east Wales in light of the COVID-19 pandemic?
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Gwent Police covers the South Wales East region that I represent. In recent years, they were the only police force to record a rise in road traffic accidents. A closer look at these figures shows that incidents where someone was seriously injured have more than doubled from 82 in 2015 to 179 in 2019. I've been involved in a speed reduction campaign on the streets of Six Bells in Blaenau...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: During the past few weeks, we've heard a great deal about the housing crisis in Wales, and the media focus has particularly been on the impacts of second homes on Welsh-speaking communities. The importance of this issue is clear, but we must tackle the broader problem that we face in Wales.
Peredur Owen Griffiths: While there are not as many holiday homes in South Wales East as in other parts of the country, the crux of the issue here is the same: people can't afford to buy homes in the place they consider home. Property prices and average wages are both going up, but when the former outpaces the latter, we have a problem. Local people can't afford houses in their neighbourhoods. The communities I...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: —by a lack of political will, how will a Government be judged if they fail to act in the face of a housing crisis? Diolch.
Peredur Owen Griffiths: COVID has undoubtedly had a big impact on public finances and local authorities have been no exception. The way in which the public sector has come together and given up resources to help in the fight against the pandemic has been inspiring. I'm also aware that some councils in Wales have been unable to spend some of their budgets, as operations have ceased or been curtailed in certain...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: 6. What support is the Welsh Government providing to businesses affected by social distancing during the pandemic? OQ56712
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Diolch, First Minister. Many businesses have reopened following the last lockdown. They have done so with a reduced capacity. This invariably means a reduced income. I've had representations from a yoga studio in South Wales East that has reopened in the last couple of months, but can only welcome a third of their usual clients through the door. Their overheads remain the same. They received...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: 2. What discussions has the Counsel General had with the Minister for Finance and Local Government on the effectiveness of the Welsh Government's expenditure on justice? OQ56703
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Diolch. One of the oddest things about our devolution arrangement is that almost 40 per cent of the total funding for justice in Wales comes from Wales, despite us having no control in this policy field. To coin a phrase, it's like having the worst of both worlds. As the 'Justice in Wales for the People of Wales' report said, 'Justice should be at the heart of government.' Can the Counsel...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Thank you to Gareth Davies, from the Vale of Clwyd, where I was born, for tabling this motion.
Peredur Owen Griffiths: I wish to speak in support of the motion tabled. I'm the Plaid Cymru spokesperson on communities and older people, and as such, this proposed legislation is something I take a keen interest in. This motion is timely in light of a number of headlines we've seen in recent weeks. We've seen research that shows that older people are feeling increasingly cut off from society. This is, in part, due...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: 2. How is the Welsh Government ensuring that children in need of palliative care get the best possible care? OQ56741
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Diolch yn fawr. My question is in two parts. Can the Welsh Government outline how much of the £8.4 million invested into the end-of-life care sector each year in Wales goes towards paediatric palliative care services? Secondly, Tŷ Hafan and Tŷ Gobaith receive less than 10 per cent of their funding from the Welsh Government. This is a significantly lower proportion than children's hospices...
