Hannah Blythyn: I thank Llyr Gruffydd for his question. Obviously, we're pleased that a pay deal has been agreed for firefighters, and has obviously averted the need for industrial action, but I acknowledge, as he does, that it places significant further financial pressures on the fire and rescue authorities and their constituent authorities as well. This is something on which I’m in close conversation...
Hannah Blythyn: Fire and rescue authorities in Wales are funded by levying contributions on their constituent local authorities. This is determined by the fire and rescue authorities themselves, and is not subject to external constraints. The Welsh Government does not directly fund fire and rescue services, and FRAs do not receive core funding from the Welsh Government.
Hannah Blythyn: Whilst I do welcome the Member's interest in this area, I'll not take lectures from the Conservative Party on support for the LGBTQ+ community. And clearly, it raises very valid concerns about the role that we play in terms of our diplomatic engagement and relationships and how we use our influence, where we do have it, in terms of support for the LGBTQ+ community globally. And you raise the...
Hannah Blythyn: The people and Government of Wales have a long-standing relationship with people and communities in eastern Uganda, as the Member is aware, and it's very important to make it clear that the Welsh Government does not have any formal relationship with the Government of Uganda. And our Wales and Africa programme, which I know the Member is familiar with, works in partnership with the people of...
Hannah Blythyn: I thank the Member for this question. I am sure everybody in this Chamber will agree that it was horrifying to see not only the reports on the passing of the anti-homosexuality Bill in Uganda recently, but those scenes within the Ugandan Parliament. I have to say they genuinely made me feel physically sick to think of the position and what must be the absolute fear of the LGBTQ+ community in...
Hannah Blythyn: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. At the risk of getting a little like the Oscars, I want to once again thank everyone for their contributions today but also throughout the process. Many of us in this Chamber and outside it will know that this is legislation that has been a long time in the making, and we've got here with a healthy dose of perseverence but also a lot of partnership working as well. It...
Hannah Blythyn: The scrutiny process for this Bill has been rigorous and challenging, which is as it should be, but it has been conducted in a productive manner throughout. I appreciate that a Bill of this nature was unlikely to secure universal support across all parties, but you have sought to reach compromise where possible and to respectfully acknowledge differences where these cannot be overcome. We've...
Hannah Blythyn: To begin with, thank you to everyone for their work on this Bill—Senedd Members and many others. Thank you.
Hannah Blythyn: Diolch, Llywydd. As this is the final group of amendments, I'd like to take this opportunity to place on the record my thanks to Peredur Owen Griffiths and the team for the way in which we've been able and the spirit in which we've been able to work together and to seek solutions in partnership in developing this legislation. Whilst I'm also surprised that Joel James has found the experience...
Hannah Blythyn: Diolch. Further to comments I made in relation to group 8, I can confirm that the Government will support amendments 7 and 8. Members may recall that an amendment designed to strengthen this section was made in Stage 2 committee. If carried, amendments 7 and 8 today will further strengthen this provision by requiring the Welsh Government to make regulations under section 39. The amendments...
Hannah Blythyn: Diolch. The Government is supporting these amendments. As Peredur has explained, table 1 describes the categories of well-being improvements sought within construction contracts and their supply chains. The improvements in the table are designed to build on good practice in the construction industry, and cause these to be applied more consistently. Over recent months, we have been discussing...
Hannah Blythyn: Diolch, Llywydd. Can I thank Members for their contributions? And, actually, can I take this opportunity to thank Jenny Rathbone for the work that she's done on this legislation in her role as chair of the Equality and Social Justice Committee, as well? Firstly, in relation to amendment 4, this is something that we've spoken at length on during the passage of this legislation with regard to...
Hannah Blythyn: Diolch. Section 16 of the Bill establishes a statutory social partnership duty requiring public bodies, insofar as is reasonable, to seek consensus or compromise, primarily with their recognised trade unions, when setting and delivering their well-being objectives under the well-being of future generations Act. Where a public body does not have a recognised trade union, it must seek consensus...
Hannah Blythyn: The social partnership council will be responsible for establishing the statutory public procurement sub-group. Procurement sub-group members will be selected to provide expert advice, and not to represent particular groups of stakeholders. However, in order for that advice to be balanced, members will need to possess relevant expertise and be able to reflect the perspectives of those...
Hannah Blythyn: Diolch. These amendments would require worker representatives appointed to the social partnership council to declare whether the trade union they are a member of is affiliated to a political party. I note that Joel James's amendment is only seeking to apply this requirement to worker representatives. This is unnecessary, as trade unions' political affiliations are public and well known, as...
Hannah Blythyn: Diolch, Llywydd. It might be worth recapping the background to this issue for the benefit of those Members who've not been so closely involved in the passage of the Bill as the members of the scrutiny committee and me. As Peredur set out in his opening remarks, during the committee stages of scrutiny, concerns were raised by some parties in relation to the role of Wales TUC as the body that...
Hannah Blythyn: Diolch, Llywydd. I'm not convinced by the arguments Joel James has put forward for increasing the number of employers and worker representatives on the council. There is no discernible benefit from increasing the number of employers' and workers' representatives from nine to 12, and the Bill already provides for all relevant sectors and interests to be represented. As far as amendment 22 is...
Hannah Blythyn: Diolch, Llywydd. I very much regret the way in which Joel James seeks to deliberately debase and undermine the purpose of the social partnership council, and we've very much been here before in this discussion. In response to amendment 13, when we discussed this same issue during our Stage 2 deliberations, I said that it's entirely appropriate for the social partnership council, which will be...
Hannah Blythyn: Diolch, Llywydd. Can I start by thanking Jane Dodds too for the collaborative way in which we've managed to work together in developing and taking forward this important piece of legislation? Section 1 of the Bill sets out the purposes of the social partnership council, namely to provide information and advice to Ministers on the social partnership duties created by the Bill; socially...
Hannah Blythyn: I can certainly speak on behalf on my colleagues in the Labour group and say we are fundamentally, wholeheartedly and collectively opposed to it and we will work with our partners across the Labour movement in Wales, and the UK, to oppose such attacks on workers' rights. And we oppose this Bill because the rationale the UK Government has tried to present for the Bill as bringing the UK into...
