Llyr Gruffydd: So, you told us in the Chamber that you would read the report, and I've no reason to doubt whether that has happened, but now, Minister, this evening, you need to explain to us, firstly, why the Holden report has still not been made public; secondly, why the recommendations of the report have not been carried out; and, thirdly, you need to explain why people are still dying on mental health...
Llyr Gruffydd: On 4 November last year, in this Chamber, Minister, in response to a question from me, you said that you hoped that I would give you some time to look at the report and understand more about the background. I quote you—your words were, 'I will look at the Holden report and see exactly what the situation is here.' Those were your words on 4 November. Since that pledge, nearly a year ago...
Llyr Gruffydd: Mental health services present one of the greatest challenges for our NHS, and sadly it is a growing challenge. That's why it's important that we learn lessons from previous experiences and that we're honest in acknowledging mistakes and failures when they occur. Mental health services in north Wales, of course, were identified as one reason why Betsi Cadwaladr health board needed to be taken...
Llyr Gruffydd: Thank you very much, Llywydd. It's my pleasure to introduce this short debate this afternoon on the subject of the Holden report on mental health services in north Wales. I've agreed to give a minute of my time, first of all, to Rhun ap Iorwerth, and then Mark Isherwood, and then Darren Millar, and then Mabon ap Gwynfor.
Llyr Gruffydd: First, recommendations 1 and 2, which relate to the concurrent plus powers in several parts of the UK Bill. Now, these powers would enable the UK Secretary of State to make important environmental regulations for Wales on behalf of Welsh Ministers, albeit with their consent. The effect of this would be, of course, to bypass Senedd scrutiny of those regulations. Instead, scrutiny would be...
Llyr Gruffydd: Thank you very much, Dirprwy Lywydd. I'm pleased to contribute to today's debate on behalf of the Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee, as you said. Before I turn to the motion before us today, I'd like to thank the Minister for responding to the committee's report in advance of the debate. Having said that, Members will see that there is still a lack of clarity around...
Llyr Gruffydd: Will the First Minister make a statement on access to GP services in north Wales?
Llyr Gruffydd: Thank you very much for that. Banks are starting to charge voluntary organisations for banking services, even though very often they don't have many financial transactions happening from one year to the next, and they don't have many funds in the account, so having to pay to have a bank account is disproportionate. It's going to have a significant impact on them as bodies. Some of these banks...
Llyr Gruffydd: 3. Will the Minister make a statement on banking services for voluntary bodies and organisations in Wales? OQ56880
Llyr Gruffydd: Thank you, First Minister. This has, of course, demonstrated the economic benefits that come to local areas when the public sector and local authorities in particular, perhaps, are accredited as living wage employers, because they are key anchor organisations in those communities. In a statement in 2019, you said that you would write to all public bodies in Wales asking them to achieve living...
Llyr Gruffydd: 6. Will the First Minister provide an update on progress made in relation to introducing the living wage in the public sector in Wales? OQ56894
Llyr Gruffydd: Thank you for your answer. The B5605 at Newbridge near Wrexham, as I'm sure you will have guessed I was going to raise, was swept away, of course, by a landslip caused by storm Christoph recently. It isn't a rural back road, as you know. It's quite an important through road for a large number of communities, a large number of people, and it transpires now it could be two, maybe three years...
Llyr Gruffydd: Following the saga of Geronimo, the alpaca, and all the fuss about culling one alpaca when there are 10,000 cattle being culled for the same reason in Wales every year—there are 10,000 Geronimos killed in Wales every year, to all intents and purposes—do you agree that that says a great deal about the lack of understanding that there is amongst the public in terms of the reality of bovine...
Llyr Gruffydd: In the hope, of course, that there will be a gear change in terms of how quickly these issues are solved, because, as you say, there are problems and there are pressures that we need to deal with, as well as the structural questions that are more long term. You referred earlier on to some of the groups and the sectors that will be impacted negatively by the decision of the Westminster...
Llyr Gruffydd: Well, yes, thank you for that. Perhaps we don't know how much will come to Wales, but we know that there will be a significant cost for employers and local authorities. That's one aspect of the public sector, of course. You can multiply that across the rest of the public sector in Wales as well. So, I would encourage you to consider additional support specifically for that. Now, as a...
Llyr Gruffydd: Thank you very much, Llywydd. We know, of course, that local authorities have suffered increasing cuts over the past decade—cuts of around 22 per cent in real terms since 2010. Now, we also hear what the implications of that are in terms of services, and in that regard, of course, most recently in terms of social care. Now, I'm sure everyone across the Chamber, and the political spectrum,...
Llyr Gruffydd: 4. What discussions has the Minister had with the Minister for Climate Change regarding repairing roads in north Wales that were affected by flooding this year? OQ56817
Llyr Gruffydd: Will the Minister make a statement on fines for local authorities that fail to meet recycling targets?
Llyr Gruffydd: May I welcome this debate, and thank the Minister for bringing forward this debate in the absence of the fact that the Finance Committee wasn't established in time to do so? The first thing I want to say and what I want to do is to echo what I said in the previous debate: now is the time for the Welsh Government to be more creative and more ambitious in terms of its budget for next year. The...
Llyr Gruffydd: Can I start by acknowledging the challenging circumstances faced by Government over the past few years, with the absence of comprehensive spending reviews and assurance in terms of the funding to be provided, and the ad hoc funding coming from Westminster? It's good to understand that we are hoping to move to a more stable cycle now, with two supplementary budgets rather than three, and so...
