John Griffiths: First Minister, COVID-19 has laid bare the indefensible unfairness in our society. Those on lower incomes, in insecure jobs, living in poor-quality housing and suffering health inequalities are particularly vulnerable to the virus, in terms of their health, economically and socially. Our more deprived communities, black and ethnic minorities, and disabled people are disproportionately...
John Griffiths: 1. What action will the Welsh Government take to protect the most vulnerable in society during the COVID-19 pandemic? OQ55524
John Griffiths: 4. How will Welsh Government policies for a more equal Wales evolve following the experience of COVID-19? OQ55525
John Griffiths: First Minister, Newport Live, the leisure services trust, provides a great deal of benefit in Newport in terms of sport and physical activity. Indeed, they've played a very major role in providing rehabilitation for COVID-19 patients. I'm sure you're aware of this. Thankfully, they now are returning to their classes and activities, and that's playing a very major role in increasing quality of...
John Griffiths: Okay. Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. I'm very pleased to take part in this debate today, and it's really good to see that we've got to this stage with such an important campaign as 20's Plenty, and I would like to join Lee Waters in paying tribute to Rod King, who's championed the cause so extensively and widely for so long, and also, of course, thank Phil Jones and the taskforce, and to thank Lee...
John Griffiths: It is important that we find some positives amongst the general suffering and difficulty of COVID-19, and I welcome the work that you are doing, Counsel General, to build back better. One aspect of recent months that people have appreciated is the reduced volume of traffic on our roads, but there are fears, of course, that because of the anxieties about using public transport, as we emerge...
John Griffiths: 3. Will the Counsel General make a statement on the work the Welsh Government is doing to Build Back Better during and after Covid-19? OQ55460
John Griffiths: What steps will the Welsh Government take to address concerns of a surge in road traffic journeys as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted?
John Griffiths: I think the strong themes in the report that have been echoed in the Chamber today are very important and very timely, and very useful at the current time, and I very much hope that we see speedy action on the points and recommendations. In my own experience, Dirprwy Lywydd, in Newport we have Newport Live, which is an arm's-length trust set up by the local authority. As we heard earlier,...
John Griffiths: First Minister, we know the pandemic has disproportionately affected the most vulnerable in our society, reinforcing existing inequalities of class, ethnicity, disability and gender. We now face an economic crisis and the prospect of further inequality and harm to those least able to withstand it. Infrastructure projects will be an important part of regenerating our economy and could also be...
John Griffiths: 4. How will the Welsh Government use infrastructure projects to reinvigorate the Welsh economy in light of COVID-19? OQ55369
John Griffiths: What aspects of Wales’s international relations may be strengthened as a result of the experience of Covid-19?
John Griffiths: I would like to contribute as Chair of the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee. And like other committees, we are currently undertaking an inquiry in terms of the impact of COVID-19 on our areas of responsibility. And it is clear that responding is placing significant financial pressures on those organisations operating in the areas within our remit, and the ability of those...
John Griffiths: First Minister, there is great concern regarding our children's life chances, particularly those in our most impoverished families. Too few pupils considered vulnerable have returned to school, and working at home has been very variable. It seems the return to school at the end of this month will typically be for a few hours once a week and may not include the extra fourth week. And of...
John Griffiths: 8. What further action will the Welsh Government take to ensure that the provision of education from September onwards is of a high standard? OQ55330
John Griffiths: I first met Oscar when he entered front-line politics in Newport as the Newport city councillor for the Victoria ward, quite some years ago now. At that time, he really blazed a trail as a Muslim councillor, and, thankfully, since then, other members of the community have followed his example. I have no doubt that his presence, his visibility on the authority were instrumental in those other...
John Griffiths: Minister, one thing that we've seen through COVID-19 is many people becoming more physically active. I think we've all seen them walking and jogging and cycling around where we live. But some people are becoming less physically active, perhaps because the usual infrastructure that facilitates their exercise, such as gyms, is not available. This seems to mirror health inequalities—people who...
John Griffiths: Minister, we've seen major investment in the electric car industry across the world, and as we look for economic opportunities coming out of COVID-19, I would suggest that the UK really should develop a first-class manufacturing capacity for electric cars and everything that needs to go around that. And in Newport, of course, we have the Orb works, which could manufacture the electrical...
John Griffiths: Could I just say—I will, Dirprwy Lywydd—as a committee, we're looking for that sort of preventative approach—housing first. We met with the action group, and we were looking for the sort of corporation rights that—[Inaudible.]—achieve. So, what I'd really like to know in terms of follow-up planning and to avoid slipping back, because people in Newport tell me they're so pleased to...
John Griffiths: Minister, as you know, the committee that I chair, the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee has taken a particular interest in rough sleeping and Welsh Government policy. Indeed, we've done two reports in this Assembly, one at the end of last year on specialist services with regard to mental health and substance misuse, and one the year before more generally. So, having given...
