Leanne Wood: Will you take an intervention?
Leanne Wood: You are aware of my concerns about your over-reliance on supply teaching firms. These firms usually charge schools exorbitant rates for providing teacher cover and only pass a small proportion of that on to the teacher commissioned. Now, I know we've discussed this before, but the question also needs considering from the point of view of providing teacher continuity for pupils. Of course,...
Leanne Wood: I want to raise the state of bus services in the Rhondda. I've received a number of representations from constituents about the deterioration in the frequency and quality of service. Many of the modern gold Stagecoach buses have been replaced by older and smaller models in many cases, and I've been informed that these buses have been reallocated to the Blackwood, Newport and Cardiff routes....
Leanne Wood: I've got a problem with the term 'affordable housing', because that can be misleading. Affordable housing within the context of technical advice note 2 includes homes owned through shared equity schemes, including Help to Buy. Since the 2016 election, 40 per cent of the 3,458 homes sold through Help to Buy were sold for more than £200,000. That isn't affordable in most people's books. We...
Leanne Wood: I was thrilled to discover that this year's Welsh Headteacher of the Year award has been won by a headteacher from the Rhondda. Ysgol Gyfun Cymer Rhondda's Rhian Morgan Ellis has been awarded this accolade, which, in my opinion, is more than well deserved. Rhian was raised in Pontygwaith and Penrhys in the Rhondda. She excelled at Ysgol Gyfun Rhydfelen, and later graduated from Aberystwyth...
Leanne Wood: I'm sure that you share my disappointment at the failure of the Tories in Westminster to sign up to that definition, which is based on the United Nation's definition of racial discrimination and the Runnymede definition. I wonder if it's got anything to do with a certain leadership hopeful and his disparaging remarks against Muslims, with comments about women looking like letterboxes as just...
Leanne Wood: The council tax system is undeniably regressive. In Plaid Cymru’s last Assembly manifesto, we proposed reforming the system, which would have saved those in the lowest council tax bands up to £400 a year, and the policy would have seen anyone living in properties rated band A to D paying less. This redistribution of wealth would have been funded by those living in the most expensive...
Leanne Wood: 1. Will the Welsh Government make a statement on the impact that the UK Government's rejection of the definition of Islamophobia has had on community cohesion? 315
Leanne Wood: I welcome the reversal of the privatisation of the probation service. This money-making venture was widely criticised and warned against in the first place. But the private sector will still be part of the probation service; only 80 per cent of the probation work will be removed from privatisation. Now, Napo have raised concerns that the provision of unpaid work and accredited programmes...
Leanne Wood: In these fractious political times, achieving the goal of 1 million Welsh speakers is something that can unite almost every Assembly Member. Reaching this target will take a lot of effort and determination over a number of different areas, and Welsh courses for adults are a crucial component. Unfortunately, Welsh learning is not treated the same as English learning courses, because English...
Leanne Wood: As a regular user of the Valleys lines from the Rhondda, I'm one of the many thousands of passengers left dismayed, frustrated, squashed and feeling short-changed on a regular basis. Overcrowding has become a major safety issue not just for commuters, but also for staff who bear the brunt of passengers' anger, especially when people are forced to endure cramped conditions. On behalf of staff,...
Leanne Wood: Youth services.
Leanne Wood: Recently, there have been pockets of anti-social behaviour incidents in my constituency. Ystradfechan cricket field in Treorchy is the scene of large gatherings of youths, which have escalated in seriousness in recent times. Drug paraphernalia and smashed alcohol bottles are frequent sights at this beautiful park in the aftermath of these gatherings. Furthermore, the threat of large-scale...
Leanne Wood: Two weeks? Minister, time and time again, we see your Government delaying and dragging its heels on even basic social justice issues, whether that's homelessness, air pollution or banning unfair letting agent fees. We only see action several years after the issue comes to your attention—endless task and finish groups, which don't end up finishing anything, reviews that tell us what we...
Leanne Wood: Minister, I'm stunned that you're not prepared to condemn this practice. We've seen earlier this week that Juha Kaakinen, one of those people involved in the Helsinki Housing First scheme, has accused the Welsh Government of a lack of vision and a lack of focus in terms of ending homelessness. It's over a year since your Government said it was reviewing priority need, and that's despite every...
Leanne Wood: Diolch, Llywydd. Do you think it's acceptable for rough-sleepers to have their only shelter, i.e. their tent, taken from them and their few belongings thrown into a van and taken elsewhere?
Leanne Wood: This month's United Nations report on species decline will, hopefully, be a wake-up call for leaders right across the world. One million species may be pushed to extinction in the next few years. Unless we take drastic action, we as a human species are going to follow them. This isn't a far away problem, for we've seen the same trends here in Wales. The state of nature report reveals that, in...
Leanne Wood: 3. How will the Welsh Government respond to the threat posed by species decline? OAQ53860
Leanne Wood: 10. Will the Minister make a statement on funding for local government? OAQ53853
Leanne Wood: The issue of train overcrowding has been brought to my attention by concerned staff working for Transport for Wales. I know from my own experience that packed carriages during rush hour can be absolute hell. I've been informed that there have been occasions where a guard has refused to take a train further due to severe overcrowding. Now, apart from being dangerous for passengers, it's also...
