Vikki Howells: Thank you, Minister, and welcome to your new role. The Valleys taskforce was a very welcome intervention by the Welsh Government during the fifth Senedd term, and delivered many tangible benefits to my constituency of Cynon Valley, including £1.5 million for the Dare Valley Country Park, the creation of a remote-working hub in Mountain Ash, and a very exciting zero-waste food project in...
Vikki Howells: 8. How does the Welsh Government intend to strengthen the economy of the south Wales Valleys during this Senedd term? OQ56537
Vikki Howells: 3. What action is the Welsh Government taking to support women in Wales who are experiencing the menopause? OQ56536
Vikki Howells: Diolch.
Vikki Howells: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Congratulations to you on your appointment, and congratulations to you, Cabinet Secretary for education, as well. Thank you for your statement today, the content and tone of which, I am sure, will be welcomed by teachers, students and parents across Wales. And as a former teacher, I know only too well the burden that bureaucracy places upon our teaching staff, and how...
Vikki Howells: I'd like to congratulate you, Trefnydd, on your new role also. Trefnydd, at the start of April, the House of Commons select committee on business, energy and industrial strategy published their report into the mineworkers' pension scheme, and their findings were stark. I quote: 'It is patently clear...that the scheme's arrangements have unduly benefited the UK Government and it is untenable...
Vikki Howells: Thank you, Llywydd. I just would like to take a moment to place on record my thanks to the Commission staff for how they've supported Members of the Senedd during the pandemic, and, of course, to MS support staff, who I know have gone above and beyond to help constituents deal with a range of urgent and pressing queries. What assessment has the Commission made of the impact of the pandemic on...
Vikki Howells: 3. What assessment has the Commission made of its response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic? OQ56444
Vikki Howells: Thank you, Minister. As well as giving vulnerable people homes that are fit for purpose, the social housing grant has also helped regenerate key derelict, disused or empty sites, often in very prominent places in our communities. One example in my own constituency is the disused building on Oxford Street in the town centre in Mountain Ash, which Cynon Taf Housing is turning into much-needed...
Vikki Howells: 4. What action is the Welsh Government taking to increase the supply of social housing during this Senedd term? OQ56395
Vikki Howells: I speak today in a debate that has generated much interest and much passion on both sides. This is evidenced by the petitions before us, which together just over 17,000 people have signed, and a large number of individuals and groups have contacted Members to make their case. However, looking at people from my constituency, the trend is very much in support of petition P-05-1018, supporting...
Vikki Howells: Thank you, Minister. I've been in contact with ColegauCymru, who are concerned that the planned costs and timescales involved for vocational learners from the EU who wish to undertake short unpaid work experience in the UK will make such placements prohibitive. If they are in place for EU learners who wish to come to the UK, they could also be in place for Welsh learners wishing to take up...
Vikki Howells: 4. What discussions has the Counsel General had about short-term work placements for learners from other parts of Europe coming to Wales post-Brexit? OQ56350
Vikki Howells: Will the Minister provide an update on Welsh Government action to support businesses in Cynon Valley?
Vikki Howells: Diolch, Minister. Recent figures have shown that Rhondda Cynon Taf has the most pupils being taught through the medium of Welsh of all council areas in the Central South Consortium area, with just under 19 per cent of learners. Huge strides are being been made to improve the Welsh-medium offer in Cynon Valley still further through the Welsh Government's twenty-first century schools programme,...
Vikki Howells: 4. Will the Minister provide an update on progress towards achieving the objectives set out in Cymraeg 2050? OQ56311
Vikki Howells: Will the Welsh Government provide an update on guidance issued to care homes to enable safe visiting during the coronavirus pandemic?
Vikki Howells: Thank you, First Minister, for that answer. I'm particularly concerned about our children and young people accessing the appropriate care in terms of the pressures placed on them during the pandemic. So, it's welcome that the Welsh Government has prioritised them with the recent £9.4 million for the schools in-reach pilot and children and mental health adolescent services. However, the...
Vikki Howells: 1. What is the Welsh Government doing to improve access to emergency mental health care? OQ56338
Vikki Howells: Thank you very much, Minister, for that comprehensive answer. Evidence has consistently shown that those pupils eligible for free school meals are at more risk of falling behind their peers while learning from home, for a variety of complex and interrelated reasons. I recently had the privilege of attending the Senedd's Children, Young People and Education Committee, where you spoke about the...
