Altaf Hussain: What action is the Welsh Government taking to grow the economy of South Wales West?
Altaf Hussain: Minister, according to evidence submitted to the Equality and Social Justice Committee, there are some challenges to be addressed. Karen Davies from Purple Shoots, a Responsible Finance provider, said that awareness of the fund is low and is not well promoted, and Shelter Cymru note that it has seen a significant number of applications to the discretionary assistance fund rejected, many due...
Altaf Hussain: I am proud to be able to contribute to this debate this afternoon. Proud because as someone who came to this country as an immigrant seeking opportunity and a home, I know how far this country has come. Proud because the country I now inhabit is so different in its attitudes to the one I arrived at. Proud because I have had the opportunity to serve in this Welsh Parliament. Deputy Presiding...
Altaf Hussain: Minister, the UK Government announcement on the future funding of social care means more money for Wales to ensure that we address the challenge of sustainable funding and staff pay and conditions. Could I ask for a statement from the Minister for Finance and Local Government to be issued after recess, for the Government to outline what it now proposes for Wales? Thank you.
Altaf Hussain: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I am delighted to be a co-sponsor of this debate. We are a country with the most incredible landscape and seascape, rich in windy mountain ranges and spectacular coastlines, with the ability to generate green energy in a way that would benefit not only Welsh communities, but add significantly to the UK’s future energy needs. There is of course the...
Altaf Hussain: Arthritis is the most prevalent disease in the world, and affects 1 in every 4 individuals. World Arthritis Day is globally commemorated on 12 October—which was yesterday—every year, to educate the public on timely diagnosis and management of arthritis. Today is the last day of National Arthritis Week here in the UK. The theme of this year’s campaign is 'Don’t Delay, Connect Today'...
Altaf Hussain: Thank you, Minister. Minister, your party leader, Keir Starmer, has said that the Labour Party favours the abolishing of business rates and that they should be replaced. We all know that many businesses in Wales have struggled and, with our towns needing an economic boost, it is time that our approach to business support is addressed. Was Keir Starmer talking on your behalf too, and, if he...
Altaf Hussain: 6. Will the Minister set out the Welsh Government’s business rates policy for this parliamentary term? OQ56991
Altaf Hussain: I'm grateful for the opportunity to raise a couple of questions about the progress of the 'Together for Mental Health' delivery plan and to explore the key issues for the next plan. I also want to recognise the contribution to this work by those who have lived experiences of mental ill health, for their energy and commitment in providing their advice. My questions are: whilst welcoming the...
Altaf Hussain: Recently, I visited the Tennant canal at Aberdulais to meet representatives of its owners and members of the Neath and Tennant Canals Trust to discuss its future, following a fall in the water levels. Many residents are concerned about the future of the canal, its historic infrastructure and role in sustaining wildlife. Whilst there are issues to resolve with NRW and other public bodies, it...
Altaf Hussain: You are right; every year we have a winter. A winter protection plan is a reasonable ask, and as colleagues have observed this afternoon, the Welsh Government has routinely set out its objectives for our health and care system to respond to the pressures of increased seasonal demand whilst attempting to deliver planned care and surgery. In fact, there was such a plan covering the most recent...
Altaf Hussain: Thank you very much. I've worked all my life with nurses, and it is right that we recognise the contribution of all our healthcare workers across the NHS and social care. We know that the past 18 months have been the most challenging. Like so many others in our public services, those on the front line of care have witnessed the human tragedy of the pandemic. The NHS pay review body report,...
Altaf Hussain: Thank you for the opportunity to speak in this debate. I have said on more than one occasion that the COVID pandemic has exposed the weaknesses in many of our services, and a lack of progress in developing world-class mental health services is sadly another example of where this country is now struggling. Mental health knows no boundaries, it does not restrict itself according to one section...
Altaf Hussain: Minister, the Welsh Government has set out a carbon reduction target of 37 per cent by 2025, and 67 per cent by 2030. What assessments has the Minister undertaken of the current carbon output of our schools and what investment is needed by him to support all schools to reach his Government's carbon reduction targets?
Altaf Hussain: The future generations commissioner has the scope to challenge all of us and the way we work to deliver a better future. I would like to congratulate the current and first commissioner on establishing the office, building its profile and relationship with public bodies, working with them to embed the principles of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 in their work. I also...
Altaf Hussain: I would like to pay tribute to all the staff working to deliver services in the Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board area, not just the medical staff, who have shown such resilience in the past 18 months, but those leading the organisation in what has been a challenging time. We know that the board were facing substantial challenges before the onset of the pandemic, and many of the weaknesses in...
Altaf Hussain: In the Equality and Social Justice Committee on Monday 20 September, the Minister for Social Justice was asked about the work being done to prepare for a basic income pilot. On more than one occasion, she was ambling to be more specific around some of the matters under consideration, giving the reason that she is due to give a statement in Plenary. Having listened to the business statement,...
Altaf Hussain: I would like to declare an interest, as I am the chair for Brynawel Rehab Wales. I am pleased to have signed this motion for debate and thank you for calling me to speak this afternoon. Dementia is a cruel disease: cruel for the individual and for their families. It is also one that is going to place more pressure on public services to reform to meet people’s needs, where higher quality,...
Altaf Hussain: The Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme—the SSNAP—published a UK-wide audit of stroke services in our hospitals, and Wales plays its part in contributing data on a regular basis to this important work. Their acute organisational audit report in December 2019 showed that only 30 per cent of hospital sites across the UK had the recommended level of registered nurses working at the...
Altaf Hussain: Minister, a few weeks ago I asked for an investigation into how seven patients at Maesteg hospital died in a COVID outbreak last autumn that affected every patient in the hospital. I understand that patients transferred into Maesteg from other hospitals would have tested negative for COVID before admission. So, this means that someone coming into the hospital from a care home or from the...
