Michelle Brown: Any investigation needs to be undertaken thoroughly and fairly, of course, but how will the Cabinet Secretary ensure that the investigation is conducted in a timely manner? How will the Cabinet Secretary make sure that any findings are not simply written off by the stock line that seems to be used when a public body is found to be failing our people, which is ‘lessons will be learned’?...
Michelle Brown: Graduates will come back to work in Wales if they have the desire and ability to do so. Does the First Minister agree that the Government needs also to look further at ways it can improve the life offer for the people of north Wales, as this flight of talent illustrates that, too often, those who move out of Wales to train or work often do so permanently?
Michelle Brown: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Isn’t it great that we are now able to have this debate and that the results will actually mean something? So, I would first like to thank Plaid for bringing the debate. There would, of course, be no point in us talking about how we can improve procurement if Plaid had had their way and been successful in their attempts to hoodwink the public into voting...
Michelle Brown: It’s a pity that I didn’t hear a clear proposal or support to ban live exports there, leader of the house. Thousands of live animals are being exported to the European Union and beyond, sometimes to countries where animal welfare standards are very low or non-existent. I also note that your Government has chosen not to make it mandatory for slaughterhouses to install closed-circuit...
Michelle Brown: Welsh households in fuel poverty are currently being asked to pay from their own pocket to subsidise windfarms and solar parks so that landowners can profit—£300 on an annual bill may not sound much to you on a Cabinet Secretary’s salary, but it’s a great deal of money for a low-income family. When are you going to give poor households a break and abandon subsidising these white elephants?
Michelle Brown: 6. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the Welsh Government’s position regarding the export of live animals for slaughter? OAQ(5)0130(ERA)
Michelle Brown: Thank you for your statement, Cabinet Secretary. I agree with you that youth work has a crucial role to play to help young people achieve their potential and have a range of experiences. It’s character building and just plain fun. The Children, Young People and Education Committee reported in December 2016 that local authorities had seen a loss of almost 20 per cent in staffing levels for...
Michelle Brown: At the same time as fulfilling a genuine need, cross-border healthcare co-operation can also serve to mask the shortage of specialist clinical staff in Wales, which has been caused by the failure of Government to train sufficient clinicians. When are you going to review the number of self-standing organisations within the Welsh NHS, which receive tens of millions a year, with a view to...
Michelle Brown: Will the First Minister make a statement on the actions he is taking to promote Wales on the international stage?
Michelle Brown: [Continues.]—but where was Labour’s outrage at the destruction of our fishing and allied industries? Go on, Huw.
Michelle Brown: I’m not suggesting that. I’m not suggesting that. That’s what you would like me to be suggesting—
Michelle Brown: I’m not talking about gunboat diplomacy. I’m talking about taking control back of our waters. It just proves my point. You people are still so fixed in this idea that all these decisions are better off made by the EU. We need to make them ourselves. We’ve got an opportunity now to bring back our Welsh waters, to bring back the UK waters, and to exploit and capitalise on it. I’ll get...
Michelle Brown: I very much welcome this debate, one which would have been utterly pointless had it not been for the ‘leave’ vote on 23 June last year. I’m broadly in support of the motion. However, I’m concerned that the motion itself proposes no ideas about how Wales can exploit its coast and seas. It’s not really surprising that many in this Chamber are a little lost on this subject, since most...
Michelle Brown: Thank you for that answer. The Welsh education system has, unfortunately, got a very poor reputation. Whether you agree with that reputation, whether you agree that the Welsh education system deserves that reputation or not, we’re going to find it very difficult to recruit young professionals with young families, researchers and medical professionals, unless that reputation is upped. What...
Michelle Brown: Thank you, Presiding Officer. It is pointed out time and time again that there’s a recruitment crisis in Wales. What measures are you taking to ascertain the reasons that teachers from England, Scotland and Northern Ireland may or may not want to work in Wales?
Michelle Brown: Thank you for that answer. I didn’t hear you tell us what you’re trying to do to find out why teachers would or would not want to come and work in Wales. If we’re not supplying our own teachers, we need to be finding them from somewhere else. So, one of the things that we need to understand is why people would want to work in Wales and what’s putting them off. So, what sort of...
Michelle Brown: Cabinet Secretary, do you want equal pay enough to introduce pay transparency in local government, since transparency is a vital step towards equal pay?
Michelle Brown: Any initiative that reduces our carbon footprint is, of course, welcome, but, yet again, we are seeing a proposal that is wrongly blaming the consumer over the manufacturer. I would like to see a proposal that puts the emphasis on those who can actually prevent the production of waste in the first place, and that can only be done by those who are making and selling the...
Michelle Brown: Thank you. I’m very pleased to hear that, Cabinet Secretary. I’m sure you’re aware that the alleged sexual abuse of children deported under the programme is currently being investigated by the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse, as part of their investigation into the protection of children outside the UK. What input will you be having into that investigation?
Michelle Brown: Okay. Thank you for that answer, Cabinet Secretary. The children’s lives were totally torn apart, and they were torn away from their families. What support are you able to offer to try and reunite them with those families?
