Peredur Owen Griffiths: I'd like to thank the Minister for the meeting last Friday to discuss our reports and recommendations. I very much welcome her constructive approach. I'll begin with our views on the general principles. As a committee, we fully support the principle that Ministers need the ability to respond to external events to protect Welsh revenues raised through devolved taxes. However, much of our...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Thank you very much, Llywydd. I'm pleased to be able to speak in today's debate to outline the Finance Committee's main conclusions and recommendations in relation to the Bill. As the Bill's sole purpose is to delegate a power to the Welsh Ministers to amend Welsh tax legislation in certain circumstances, its provisions have been fully considered by the Finance Committee and the Legislation,...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Policing is changing rapidly. In recent conversations with senior officers, it's clear that cyber crime, in all its forms, is preoccupying every constabulary throughout the country. New recruits now need to have the IT skills to tackle this growing menace. Having said that, there is still a place for the more traditional forms of policing; patrolling the streets and regular engagement with...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and thank you, Minister, for your statement this afternoon.
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Diolch yn fawr. From speaking to council leaders in my region, it's fair to say that many were pleasantly surprised by the latest financial settlement. It must therefore be disappointing, from your perspective, to see your party colleagues in Caerphilly county borough sitting on a reserve of £180 million, an increase of £40 million between the financial years of 2019 and 2021. This is £22...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: 2. How is the Government ensuring local authorities have enough financial support to fulfil their duties and obligations? OQ57945
Peredur Owen Griffiths: The manner in which Wales was exploited for its coal, draining our land of its mineral wealth and the vast profits that flowed from this resource came at a huge cost to local life and limb. This exploitation of the human cost of coal remains a scar on this so-called union. Now, we are being told by Westminster that we must bear the costs of making our communities safe. We're told that we must...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Thank you, Minister, for your responses so far.
Peredur Owen Griffiths: During my numerous street surgeries throughout the region, a common complaint has been the service that patients have experienced at the Grange. This has been the case across the region. It seems people have difficulties in terms of site accessibility, the lack of adequate public transport, and the long waits to be seen when they eventually get there. Things have clearly come to a head in the...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Thank you for the answer.
Peredur Owen Griffiths: It was clear from the coal tip safety statement yesterday that there is much more work to be done in the years ahead to make safe the legacy of our industrial past in Wales. It'll take many years and and hundreds of millions of pounds to sort this out. It goes without saying that Westminster, which reaped the benefits and the profits from the coal industry, should be footing the bill. It's...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: 1. Will the Minister provide an update on coal tip safety in South Wales East? OQ57887
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Thank you for your statement, Deputy Minister.
Peredur Owen Griffiths: It was good to hear your condemnation of the treatment of P&O Ferries staff, who have been treated appallingly. In the absence of much-needed stronger rights for workers, I'm hoping that the resulting public relations disaster will force a rethink for the company bosses. I was also pleased to hear repeated mention of fair work in your statement. As we come out of the pandemic, we must ensure...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: I am the son of a minister, like you. Would you agree with me that one of the best ways of moving things forward would be to have multidenominational meetings to bring local communities together?
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Thank you for that response, Deputy Minister.
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Very soon, Ukrainians will be arriving in Wales in significant numbers as the UK finally pulls its finger out and does its bit for refugees resulting from Putin's aggression. Understandably, many of these people fleeing their homeland will be traumatised as a result of what they have experienced in the last month, and will require specialist help to deal with what they have seen and...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Deputy Minister, last month, Wales recorded its worst ever results for mental health provision for young people. Your own figures showed that 78 per cent of patients referred to specialist child and adolescent mental health services were left waiting for over four weeks for their first appointment. I hope you agree that that is unacceptable. I would like to hear what...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Diolch. The pandemic has left a lasting impression on the communities that I represent in South Wales East, and the impact has been more detrimental in the poorest places of the country, exacerbating inequalities that already existed. As we've marked two years since we first entered lockdown, has the Government considered how economic measures can incorporate measures that would encourage a...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: 8. What priority does the Welsh Government give to improving people's quality of life when developing economic initiatives? OQ57837
