Lesley Griffiths: Thank you, you raise a very important point, and I know the Minister for Social Justice, next week, is meeting with enforcement companies to bring forward that very point that you make, and I'm sure the Minister will be very happy to issue a written statement following those meetings.
Lesley Griffiths: We continue to support vulnerable people across Wales, including those in South Wales East, to help mitigate the cost-of-living crisis. Initiatives include our generous social wage, expanding our childcare offer, our universal primary free school meal offer, and reviewing the council tax reduction scheme to make it more equitable.
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. I did note the Chancellor’s recent comments urging older people to return to the labour market. Some of us have never left. And I think there is a concern, a genuine concern, about the number of people over the age of 50 who have left the labour market relatively early. You make a very important point around occupational health provision and, certainly, the Welsh Government do...
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. In conjunction with the Healthy Working Wales programme, a new in-work support service will commence in April 2023. This will provide occupational and therapeutical support for employees to remain in or return to employment who are absent from work or at risk of becoming absent due to their physical or mental ill health.
Lesley Griffiths: Jane, I'm so sorry to hear about Arthur. He had a wonderful three years with you. I absolutely know that. And if we can do something in memory of Arthur, we will certainly do that. As you know, this is something that I've been looking at very closely. We've had the Petitions Committee report into banning greyhound racing, and, as you know, my officials have been looking at what can be done in...
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. As you know, we've had a continual outbreak of avian influenza across the UK over the past 16 to 17 months now. You're quite right, it's something that officials are working very closely on in relation to the findings from APHA because I don't think it's something that we've seen—I certainly hadn't been aware of it probably five years ago. So, I think it is something that is...
Lesley Griffiths: Yes, absolutely, I'd be more than happy to meet with you. I had one in my own constituency as well—I had a fatal dog attack in my own constituency—and previous to Julie Morgan joining the Government, I remember having several meetings with her and a local Cardiff councillor around this. This is something that really needs to be got to grips with. As you say, the Dangerous Dogs Act is...
Lesley Griffiths: Diolch. Revisions to our statutory guidance for the Animal Welfare (Breeding of Dogs) (Wales) Regulations 2014 have been published. The introduction of new animal welfare regulations will be prioritised over the revision of existing regulations during the term of the plan.
Lesley Griffiths: Well, you used the very important word, and that was 'safe', and that is absolutely the priority. On 5 January, the Minister for Health and Social Services' officials held a national discharge summit with all regional partnership boards across Wales, to reiterate her expectations for every effort to be made to keep people at home and not admit them into hospital in the first place unless...
Lesley Griffiths: Diolch. As the Member knows, the focus for health and social care in Wales is on strengthening our community-based services. We want people to live at home, as independently as possible and for as long as possible. Although it is extremely challenging, I think there is an emerging picture of improved patient flow and reduced length of stay for some of our oldest and frailest patients, and...
Lesley Griffiths: Working with the Welsh Government, Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board and Bridgend County Borough Council have 48 step-down beds and community packages across Bridgend. This contributes towards the all-Wales total of 595 beds that have been created to support the discharge of people from hospital this winter.
Lesley Griffiths: Well, it's a pity the UK Government failed to support the application for levelling-up funding to support Rhyl. Those vanity projects that you refer to I think have really transformed Rhyl. It's a town I've known a lot longer than you, having spent many days there as a child, and I think it's really, really benefited from the Welsh Government funding. As I say, it's just a shame the UK...
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. Well, the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Well-being has been working closely with all the health boards to make sure additional funding has been targeted to support the services to which you refer. We've also worked with the police and other emergency services to make sure that the real-time suicide surveillance system in Wales is available. It's provided much more rapid...
Lesley Griffiths: Our Transforming Towns programme is supporting the redevelopment of Rhyl's Queen's Buildings, bringing new vibrancy to the town centre. The market is expected to open this summer, following a £13.2 million investment, which builds on a broader programme of regeneration delivered in the town over recent years through strong local partnerships.
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. I absolutely agree with you; I think this is an excellent initiative, and all health boards across Wales are at different phases of the implementation now, but we are looking towards having that 24/7 coverage right across Wales by the end of this financial year. I know officials are working with colleagues in 111 to develop marketing materials for preparation for the national...
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. We continue to provide significant and sustained funding to support the provision of mental health services across the whole of Wales. In addition to its mental health ring-fenced allocation, Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board has received an additional £3.3 million of recurrent mental health funding this year to continue to improve mental health support.
Lesley Griffiths: We are a socialist Government, and I think just what we've done in this last week absolutely shows that; it shows the difference between us and the UK Government. But our position on tax is very clear; any analysis of the levers that are available to us as a Government via the Welsh rates of income tax demonstrates we simply cannot raise enough fairly enough to make good the holes that have...
Lesley Griffiths: Well, we've already used the next two years' reserve, so we've already done that. What we've done in that 3 per cent additional offer is—1.5 per cent is consolidated, as you said, and the other 1.5 per cent isn't. I have to say that we're doing this at risk obviously. This has been the hardest budget I've ever dealt with as a Minister, and I'm sure everybody sitting around me on the front...
Lesley Griffiths: Well, we're very pleased to announce that an enhanced pay offer was able to be made last week to the health trade unions, and that did call for several of the health unions to call off the strike action yesterday and today, and those discussions are obviously ongoing. We've had to prioritise money, we've had to look at reserves, we've had to look at underspends, and, obviously, as the year...
Lesley Griffiths: I think it's fair to say there had been discussions with Green Man about potential sites for some time. This wasn't just something that happened very quickly. Those discussions had been going on for some time, and the high-level outline business case that had been provided was enough to progress with the purchase. So, as I say, I think there were a lot of positives in that letter from the...
