Hannah Blythyn: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Can I thank all the Members who've contributed today, with a wide range of different and many thoughtful contributions to this wide-ranging debate and discussion? We talked quite a bit today about supporting both our people and our places and the importance of supporting and enabling that sense of pride in place in our communities, and that actually...
Hannah Blythyn: Formally.
Hannah Blythyn: I thank the Member for the question. I know this is something you've had a long-standing interest in and have been an advocate for. And I think you're absolutely right that it's absolutely an issue that should be uncontroversial—it's something that we should all care about, and actually recognise the importance of supporting the people who've served our country in the armed forces....
Hannah Blythyn: Our support for our armed forces veterans across Wales, including those living in Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, is set out in our annual report, which was published in May. In collaboration with our armed forces expert group and other key partners, we continue to build on this important work.
Hannah Blythyn: Yes, absolutely. As I referred to earlier, I think local intelligence—it's not just local intelligence that's often an underrated and underused resource, but, actually, if we're going to make these solutions work for the communities in which they're based, then the community does need to be properly a part of that. So, in taking this action forward, we'll be supporting authorities to become...
Hannah Blythyn: Absolutely, and it's about providing the support and bespoke solutions, so, if any Members in this Chamber have examples in your constituencies or locally, then please do get in touch and feed those in to make sure we can use that expertise and build on it. So far I've outlined what it is we're going to do to support our partners, but, to be clear, this support is not about us taking a back...
Hannah Blythyn: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and I'd like to start by thanking the Chair and the committee for what was a detailed examination of the many issues around empty properties, and the Members who also contributed to both the inquiry and today's debate. Both the inquiry and the report were detailed and impartial, and the analysis and resulting recommendations will help us form a...
Hannah Blythyn: It's not. Deputy Presiding Officer, I'll refer the Member to my previous response to Llyr Gruffydd—that this is a wider debate to be had, and one that we need to have, going forward, when we discuss our future waste strategy.
Hannah Blythyn: The Member does raise a wider debate in terms of actually how we deal effectively with our non-recyclable waste as a responsible nation. I know the Member agrees with me that we have a duty, as a responsible nation, to prevent it both from polluting the environment or seeing that problem exported to other countries. That's the reason why we have invested in infrastructure to extract...
Hannah Blythyn: I thank the Member. I know that the Member has a longstanding ongoing interest in this area. Clearly, the information that the developer will bring in terms of the environmental statement is in line with what we would expect. Clearly, this will be analysed by the independent consultant to look at any gaps and anything that we need to take forward, and we will consider everything carefully and...
Hannah Blythyn: The written statement of May 2019 announced our intention to consult on an environmental statement that the developer of the plant was offering to prepare in relation to planning permission 2015/00031/OUT. That environmental statement has since been received and we have procured an independent consultant, WSP, to assist and undertake an analysis of the information submitted on behalf of the...
Hannah Blythyn: I absolutely agree that we need to make sure that we support our veterans and our armed forces community, and ensure that there is the trained expertise there to support people, particularly in the period of transition upon leaving the services. We do actually have a specific housing pathway for veterans in Wales. We've worked across portfolios to develop the pathway, which not only provides...
Hannah Blythyn: The Welsh Government is committed to supporting our armed forces community. Further to my oral statement yesterday, we will, in partnership with the armed forces expert group and others, continue to progress the key issues identified in our armed forces scoping exercise, building on the work we've already done.
Hannah Blythyn: I'm absolutely more than happy to join the Member in congratulating the work of Newport Credit Union in all they do, and as I said in my initial answer to Dawn Bowden, credit unions offer a much fairer, more ethical alternative to what are often very exploitative high-cost lenders who take advantage of people in communities right across Wales. In terms of the services that Newport Credit...
Hannah Blythyn: I absolutely share the Member's concerns regarding the additional pressure and burden often felt and placed on families particularly at this time of year, and wanting to do the right thing, perhaps, by your family or your children—the additional pressures that that places, and it affects people's ability to pay essential household bills, including rent and mortgages. Of course, I join with...
Hannah Blythyn: Credit unions provide access to affordable credit and promote a savings habit. They offer a fairer and ethical alternative to often exploitative high-cost credit. In support of their work, £544,000 is being provided to credit unions this financial year to take forward 20 projects that promote financial inclusion.
Hannah Blythyn: I intend to introduce a local government and elections Bill next week. The Bill will provide the powers and tools to enable local authorities to deliver modern, accessible, high-quality public services for, and with, the local communities they serve.
Hannah Blythyn: Thank you for that incredibly moving contribution, which was absolutely from the heart. And I hope that the Member won't mind me placing on record our thanks, on behalf of the Welsh Government, to your son and his fellow soldiers who serve, for all they do in their service to our country and for keeping the world safe. Just to refer to the comments you made in terms of increasing crowds this...
Hannah Blythyn: Thank you. Absolutely. Lest we forget—I think there's always consensus on that right across this Chamber and beyond, across the country. As well, may I start by congratulating you on becoming an honorary member of the Shotton and Deeside branch? You started by talking about Connah's Quay cenotaph, and I must admit, Deputy Presiding Officer, I actually have fond memories of Connah's Quay...
Hannah Blythyn: Thank you for your questions, Dai Lloyd.
