Jeremy Miles: One of the objectives we should set ourselves is to ensure that the path into work of those leaving the armed services should be supported so that they can continue to fulfil their potential in the civilian workforce. Across the UK, veterans are less likely to be in work than the general population, and nearly twice as likely to be unemployed. Now, there are reasons why working-age veterans...
Jeremy Miles: I thank the Counsel General for his statement, which, if I may say, is a very welcome statement of fact and good judgment in the debate, over the last few days, outside this Chamber, that has, too often, lacked very much of either. Today of all days, you might recall that the second President of the United States, John Adams, described Great Britain as a nation of laws to which the Crown is...
Jeremy Miles: Thank you to Hannah Blythyn for allowing me a minute of her time. I obviously represent a south Wales constituency, but my contribution to the debate is to say, really, that the priorities that Hannah Blythyn identified in her speech are ones that we should applaud and support in all parts of Wales. They’re vital for our economic development and our resilient economic future, whichever part...
Jeremy Miles: Diolch, Lywydd. Thank you for this opportunity to speak about and celebrate the Neath abbey ironworks, and thank you for this innovation in the Chamber. The ironworks today are a dilapidated site, but as with many industrial sites in Wales, they were once a place of great innovation, of the earliest copper smelting and, latterly, the founding of ironworks that were strategically vital to the...
Jeremy Miles: In the external affairs committee on Monday, we had evidence that the European repeal Bill, if it’s anything more than a simple saving Bill, could breach the Sewel convention and claw back powers from Welsh Ministers. Does he agree that we need to be vigilant that the repeal Bill is not used, as the Wales Bill is being, to row back on elements of the Welsh constitutional settlement that are...
Jeremy Miles: I thank the Minister for his statement, which I welcome, and I thank him also for advance notice of the statement, which, speaking personally, gave me plenty of time to read it in advance. He’s mentioned in his answers so far—and he’s reiterated it in the statement, which I welcome—the commitment to engaging with the communities to shape the work of the taskforce. Can I press him a...
Jeremy Miles: As well as renewable generation, does the First Minister agree with me that sustainable storage and distribution are vital to our sustainable energy future, and does he welcome the groundbreaking research being undertaken into innovative energy storage and distribution by the universities of Cardiff, Swansea and south Wales, through the FLEXIS project, which is looking to develop a...
Jeremy Miles: Will the Minister provide an update on the development of a Welsh Treasury?
Jeremy Miles: May I start by endorsing what the Minister and Sian Gwenllian have said in thanking the commissioner for her work in putting together this report? I welcome the report, and I welcome the opportunity to discuss the report, and I welcome the amendments that have been tabled by Plaid Cymru. The report has been put together from the point of view of the user, that is, the person who requests the...
Jeremy Miles: Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. I welcome the statement from the Cabinet Secretary. You indicate in the consultation that the work of the commission, and the commission’s advice, needs to be set in the context of a realistic forecast of the level of capital investment that’s likely to be available, and you’ve spoken a bit about the range of sources that might come from. Is it your intention...
Jeremy Miles: Secondly, briefly, in terms of the criteria that will be used to assess the viability of any particular project, is it the intention to look more broadly at the impact of a particular project on the local and regional and, in fact, national economy? I ask the question because I gather than only two transport projects, Crossrail and the northern line extension, have been green lit formally on...
Jeremy Miles: Thank you, First Minister, for your answer to Bethan Jenkins. May I acknowledge the value that Bethan has put on the role that Pontardawe Arts Centre plays in the community? I, myself, was with Bethan watching ‘The Revlon Girl’ there a few days ago. Would he also acknowledge—[Laughter.] Not exactly ‘with’. [Laughter.] Would he also acknowledge the broader role that arts centres...
Jeremy Miles: I thank the Cabinet Secretary for that answer. The YMCA in Neath saw 27,000 visits last year, as part of a network of YMCAs across Wales, which together supply supported accommodation, training, education and fitness and well-being as well as a range of other services. Many have operated on the basis of clusters for collaboration purposes. Does he welcome that and what further support can the...
Jeremy Miles: 7. Will the Minister outline what support the Welsh Government gives to YMCAs in Wales? OAQ(5)0050(CC)
Jeremy Miles: Will you take an intervention?
Jeremy Miles: She raises the question of people feeling able to share their experiences. Would she acknowledge that the incidents of transphobic hate crime are significantly under-reported at about 1 per cent of all hate crimes? And, would she agree that a focus on community work between trans organisations and the police, for example, the Swansea Sparkle event partnership with the South Wales Police, can...
Jeremy Miles: Will the First Minister make a statement on vocational qualifications in Wales?
Jeremy Miles: As well as timely access to a GP, I’m sure that the Cabinet Secretary will agree that fair access is also vital. Is he aware of a pilot programme operating in England where patients are actively encouraged to pay to jump the queue for an NHS GP appointment? Would he agree with me that that kind of practice has no place in the NHS here in Wales?
Jeremy Miles: In 2015, more than one in four adults in employment in Wales were paid less than the living wage, and the Bevan Foundation have identified that nearly half of part-time workers, predominantly women, were also paid below the living wage. What steps will the Welsh Government take to encourage the living wage across the Welsh economy?
Jeremy Miles: I’m sure the Cabinet Secretary will agree with me that we should seek to ensure that our public transport systems contribute to meeting our environmental goals and the growth of our green economy. What consideration has he given to how the Welsh Government’s financial support for bus services can be used to promote the widest possible use of low-carbon-emission buses?
