Mark Isherwood: Thank you. Thank you very much for acknowledging that. Well, last week, the UK Government announced that it will be bringing forward a Brexit Freedoms Bill—[Laughter.]—to end the special status of EU law, to make our businesses more competitive and our people more prosperous. I didn't make up the name of the Bill; that's the Bill's name. This Bill will allow EU law to be more easily...
Mark Isherwood: Thank you, and, of course, a new collaboration centre will also open in Cardiff. But responding to your statement, 'Legal Aid and Access to Justice', here three weeks ago, I referred to that week's UK Government announcement of additional funding into the family mediation scheme to help thousands more families avoid the courtroom to last July's House of Commons Justice Committee report on the...
Mark Isherwood: Diolch, Llywydd. Well, last week, the UK justice Secretary announced that seven new regional Ministry of Justice offices will be opened across Wales and England as part of the UK Government's Places for Growth programme, with 22,000 roles moving out of London by 2030. This move will see more than 2,000 more roles in areas like finance, human resource and digital move out by 2030, with 500 of...
Mark Isherwood: I call for a statement on the education of autistic pupils in Wales. Two weeks ago, Swansea University's school of education issued a statement regarding its preliminary report on the education of autistic pupils in Wales. Its findings include that over three quarters of autistic pupils said that being in school causes increased anxiety, three in four said they had been the victim of...
Mark Isherwood: Diolch. I move amendments 1 to 3, whilst also acknowledging that there is much of merit in the original motion. The increase in stalking offences is more than a matter of regret. The new curriculum can and must foster a culture that prevents the occurrence of stalking in the first place. New guidance for planning bodies should ensure that the safety of women and others at risk, including...
Mark Isherwood: Diolch. Well, I've listened to the Deputy Minister and thank her for her response, but the bottom line is that this Labour Government appears set to vote against setting a target of reducing child abuse, neglect and other ACEs—adverse childhood experiences—by 70 per cent by 2030, despite this target being launched by the Worldwide Alternatives to Violence Trust, an international charity...
Mark Isherwood: Thank you, and I read that a few moments ago. But after yesterday's Welsh Government announcement that the Welsh Government has doubled the winter fuel support scheme payment to £200 and extended the deadline to apply to 28 February, Fuel Poverty Coalition Cymru representatives contacted me as chair of the cross-party group on fuel poverty and energy efficiency, welcoming the news for those...
Mark Isherwood: Diolch. Speaking in last month's Westminster Hall debate on transport connectivity in Merseyside, Vale of Clwyd MP James Davies, who, topically, also chairs the Mersey Dee north Wales all-party parliamentary group, called for hourly rail services between Llandudno and Liverpool, which had been promised from the end of 2023, to be brought forward, stating: 'direct rail services from the north...
Mark Isherwood: Ever since the current Welsh local government formula was introduced over 20 years ago, Flintshire has received one of the lowest settlements in Wales. Speaking here two years ago, I pointed out that four of the five bottom local authorities in terms of funding increases were again the same authorities in north Wales, including Flintshire. I pointed out then that council tax payers in...
Mark Isherwood: 5. What discussions has the Minister had with Cabinet colleagues regarding transport connectivity in north Wales? OQ57543
Mark Isherwood: 1. Will the Minister make a statement on the winter fuel support scheme payment? TQ594
Mark Isherwood: I endorse the comments about the Wrexham city of culture bid and the will-he-won't-he Ferrell visit, but I also call for an oral statement on mental health services in north Wales. On 29 September, the health Minister told the Senedd that a piece of work to ensure that the recommendations of the 2013 Holden report, documenting the failings of a north Wales mental health unit, 'provided...
Mark Isherwood: How is the Welsh Government supporting the tourism sector during the pandemic?
Mark Isherwood: I thank you for your statement. I'm pleased to note that the Welsh Government eventually allocated almost £14 million of emergency funding to support Welsh hospices throughout the pandemic, after I, as chair of the cross-party group on hospices and palliative care, had to repeatedly raise the gap between the money the Welsh Government received from the UK Government in consequence of its...
Mark Isherwood: I call for a Welsh Government statement on ovarian cancer awareness in Wales. Last Wednesday, I hosted, opened and chaired the online Wales ovarian cancer awareness meeting, organised by Target Ovarian Cancer and the National Federation of Women's Institutes Wales, which discussed the subtle signs of ovarian cancer and the need for a public awareness campaign in Wales. We heard that over 300...
Mark Isherwood: We're pleased to support this motion. As figures today show, soaring food costs and the energy bill crisis are driving consumer prices up at their fastest rate in 30 years, with UK consumer price inflation at 5.4 per cent last year. Of course, this is not restricted to the UK, and inflation has risen in economies across the world; for example, I think 6.2 per cent in the US last October. As...
Mark Isherwood: Thank you. The Welsh Government's eating disorder service review in 2018 set out an ambitious vision based on early intervention, evidence-based treatment and support for families. Eating disorder charity Beat played a key role in this review. Beat's 'The Welsh Eating Disorder Service Review: 3 years on' report, published this week, found that progress towards achieving that vision has varied...
Mark Isherwood: 7. What action will the Welsh Government take to ensure faster and equitable progress in improving eating disorder services across Wales? OQ57443
Mark Isherwood: What support does the Welsh Government provide for small businesses in Wales?
Mark Isherwood: Though we'll be voting in favour of both these legislative consent motions on the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, we're aware of the sensitivities involved. In so doing, we acknowledge the statement in the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee's memorandum No. 2 report on this Bill that the Welsh Government has said that it is now satisfied that the Bill provides...
