Peredur Owen Griffiths: I echo some of the questions from Jayne Bryant and Natasha Asghar, and I was also very concerned to hear about the news of this development this morning. I'd like the Minister to inform the Senedd about the extent of the due diligence that was conducted before a considerable sum of £10 million was invested. Was the Government not awake to what had been described, in a statement by Schroder...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Diolch yn fawr. Something else that struck me on a number of visits throughout the region was the age profile of some of the key volunteers that these venues and clubs need to keep them ticking over. Many are older and there's little evidence of succession planning, which is a concern for the viability of some of these key pillars of our community in the years to come. Can the Welsh...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. A couple of weeks ago, I visited the Risca foodbank, along with my Plaid Cymru colleague Delyth Jewell. There, we heard about the increasing demand for their services, which is hardly surprising with the cost-of-living crisis that continues throughout Wales and affecting our communities. I fear that the demand is set to get much higher in our foodbanks throughout the...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Thank you very much for the update today, Minister. There are elements within the draft that we welcome, and we look forward to the opportunity to influence its impact, as referenced by the Minister's statement. Since 2012, Plaid Cymru has continually called for increased public procurement. We want to increase Welsh firms' share of contracts from 52 per cent to 75 per cent of the public...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Will the First Minister make a statement on flexible working practices in the public sector in Wales?
Peredur Owen Griffiths: What is the Government doing to improve energy efficiency in homes in South Wales East?
Peredur Owen Griffiths: James was talking about enhanced measures and targets, and we need those.
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Rhun spoke about the numbers and the highest level in 20 years, but that alcohol and mental health go vice versa. It's a vicious circle in that regard.
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Joyce talked about advertising and the prevalence of alcohol in every aspect of life and also the increased alcohol harm in women in particular; Sioned, the tragic and often—the health inequalities causing the issues. They are deeply entrenched in our society and the most socially deprived areas are being the most affected by these. And Altaf talking about functioning alcoholics becoming...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Thank you, Llywydd, and thank you very much to everyone who's participated in the debate this afternoon. It's been an interesting debate with interesting ideas raised with regard to the way forward. We heard from—.
Peredur Owen Griffiths: The picture has changed since this plan was drawn up. The Government has an opportunity to react to the increased threat that alcohol abuse is posing to our communities. We need enhanced resources and measurable targets to combat alcohol-related harms within the Government's substance misuse delivery plan from 2023. The status quo just isn't working. That much, I hope, everyone can agree. I...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Pubs have been part of the fabric of community life in Wales for centuries. The industrial revolution saw an increase in licensed premises, with many social clubs springing up in the new communities that were created to house the workers that were part of this population boom in Wales. These venues were a place where people could go after a gruelling shift to quench...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd, and I move the amendment formally in the name of Siân Gwenllian.
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Many people in communities I represent will find it a bit rich that the Tories have brought this debate here today into the Senedd. I represent many former mining villages and towns throughout South Wales East. People living in these places will remember well that it was the Tories that did their best to rip out the heart of these communities during the 1980s. In the last 12 years, austerity...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: People within my region frequently express feelings of living in a divided community, of not being listened to, and of receiving no consultation, other than a letter through the door, before a HMO is unthinkingly permitted on their street. There are serious concerns around strains on infrastructure, the erosion of community cohesion and the opportunistic rogue landlords who feel that the...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer, and Mabon has asked to contribute to the debate, and I'm happy to allow that.
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Yes, just Mabon.
Peredur Owen Griffiths: A key feature of the Welsh housing market over the past two decades has been a gradual ballooning of the private rented sector. The alterations in the profile of the Welsh housing stock and its consequences are well known, and have been debated many times in this Chamber. However, a not insignificant subsector within both the private and social rented sectors in Wales is houses in multiple...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: My Plaid Cymru colleagues have set out the risks and outcomes of a failing housing support system. Another factor at play when it comes to housing support and homelessness is the housing market and supply. When it comes to the housing market, renters are truly at the bottom of the pile, and therefore their homelessness risk increases. Prospective renters are continually required to jump...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: In closing, I would like to thank everyone who has contributed their views to assist us in this important work. I'm also very grateful for the advice and guidance from our expert adviser, Charlotte Barbour, during our consideration of this complex subject area. I look forward to receiving a formal response to the recommendations. Thank you very much.
