Mark Isherwood: 8. How is the Welsh Government monitoring the implementation of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014? OQ57996
Mark Isherwood: I call for a statement on medical provision for people in Wales who suffer from ME/CFS—myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome—which can have a devastating impact on functionability and quality of life. This is ME Awareness Week, 9 to 15 May. Now the new National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines for ME have been released, it's essential to move ahead with a...
Mark Isherwood: Oh, I didn't appreciate.
Mark Isherwood: Wales has the highest business rate in Great Britain, and only one business in the FTSE 100. I'll conclude: the Welsh Government is ignoring warnings by the united voice of the key Welsh tourism industry that its proposals for them have not being based on a full economic impact study and will shut down many locally run businesses. Their only effective economic policy is being economical with...
Mark Isherwood: Diolch, Llywydd. Thank you to Paul Davies for opening this debate, stating that the Welsh economy continues to lag behind other parts of the UK with the worst GVA—meaning the value of goods and services produced per head—since 1999. As he said, we've had so many debates about the need to do things differently, but the economy has lagged at the bottom of so many key indicators, because...
Mark Isherwood: The last sentence, then. Believing they cannot be removed from power, delusional Labour Welsh Government has been failing the local communities of Wales for too long.
Mark Isherwood: And he's defending his party, which bequeathed austerity to the incoming UK Government in 2010, austerity that would have led to far greater imposed cuts if the UK Government had not taken the action they did. There were only two EU Members—and obviously, we were in the EU then—who were in a worse position; they were Ireland and Greece. Ireland imposed bigger cuts than the UK to drive out...
Mark Isherwood: And the party—[Interruption.] Sorry.
Mark Isherwood: I'm sorry?
Mark Isherwood: Well, we're a bit short on time.
Mark Isherwood: Very brief, if you would.
Mark Isherwood: During the boom years based on unsustainable debt, poverty fell, but then it started rising again pre 2010, and by 2010—. Look at the Record of speeches I made and colleagues made in the Chamber here in 2010 highlighting that problem and calling for action to address it. You check the Record.
Mark Isherwood: I'll take one short intervention.
Mark Isherwood: You have been party to the campaigns by Flintshire county councillors, cross party, to have the Welsh Government's local government funding formula changed, so that Flintshire ceases to be one of the worst funded councils in Wales.
Mark Isherwood: Well, Welsh Government policy was to support that local government funding formula. [Interruption.]
Mark Isherwood: Thanks to Sam Rowlands for opening the debate. As he said, councils are so important in our cities, towns and communities, when properly empowered to be so. As he said, the Labour Welsh Government is failing communities in three key areas. Funding: councils need fair funding across the whole of Wales, including Flintshire. I know Carolyn Thomas has been part of campaigns locally,...
Mark Isherwood: Well, according to my dictionary, I think you're referring to 'austerity', which is defined as not having enough money, and, as such, it was an inheritance, not a choice, but tough decisions then have enabled the improvements now being announced. And hopefully, I agree with you, there will be further improvements, as we look forward to the forthcoming years. But the court backlog was higher...
Mark Isherwood: Thank you. Well, you referred to, among other things, welcoming the removal of means testing, but how do you respond to the inclusion within March's announcement of funding to ensure that professionals are better paid for the work they actually carry out, and help free up capacity in court; boost pay for lawyers representing suspects in police stations; give more people the opportunity to...
Mark Isherwood: Diolch, Llywydd. What engagement have you had with the UK Ministry of Justice regarding their 15 March announcement that an extra £135 million will be spent on the legal aid sector every year to match the recommendations made by an independent review of the system, overseen by Sir Christopher Bellamy QC, which, added to the extra £200 million each year to speed up the courts system, will...
Mark Isherwood: I've sat here for 19 years listening to Welsh Government Ministers telling me how they work in partnership and co-production with third sector organisations to achieve social justice in Wales. However, I'm a patron of a charity that supports disabled people across north Wales, but which, despite most of the over 100 new referrals they receive weekly coming from public bodies in north Wales,...
