Heledd Fychan: Thank you, Llywydd. Deputy Minister, you'll be aware, I'm sure—. Sorry.
Heledd Fychan: What action is the Welsh Government taking to support the development of the green economy in South Wales Central?
Heledd Fychan: Thank you, First Minister. Tomorrow will mark two years since devastating floods hit nearly 1,500 houses and businesses in my region as a result of storm Dennis. I'm sure you can understand the ongoing trauma and fear they feel every time it rains heavily, as it is this week, especially as most of the reports into those floods are not yet published, and very little has changed in terms of...
Heledd Fychan: 4. What support does the Welsh Government provide to communities at risk of flooding? OQ57679
Heledd Fychan: In 2020, stalking support services and police forces recorded a surge in stalkers turning to online tactics to harass individuals during lockdowns, particularly in the first four weeks of the first lockdown, as people were like sitting ducks stuck in their homes. In fact, the national stalking advocacy service, Paladin, saw almost a 50 per cent increase in stalking referrals when lockdowns...
Heledd Fychan: Thank you, Llywydd. Stalking is a pattern of unwanted, persistent, obsessive and intrusive behaviours by one person towards another person, causing fear of violence and distress to the person being targeted. It's easy to think of stalking as something that only happens to public figures or celebrities, such as popstars, but the reality today in the United Kingdom is that one in five women and...
Heledd Fychan: During the COVID-19 pandemic, public health measures such as lockdown and social distancing restrictions have been essential to contain the virus and protect the health of the population. However, for some people, this has increased exposure to harm within the home and online, whilst reducing access to care and support from services. In particular, this has placed children and young people at...
Heledd Fychan: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I would like to formally move our amendments today, tabled in the name of Siân Gwenllian, and I'd like to thank the Conservatives for bringing this debate forward on such an important issue. The purpose of our amendments is to strengthen the motion so that we see the long-term action that's required to tackle this issue, and I regret the fact that the...
Heledd Fychan: Thank you, Deputy Llywydd, and thank you, Minister, for your statement. In my role as Plaid Cymru spokesperson on children and young people, I look forward to working with you on this policy as part of the co-operation agreement between my party and your Government. A great deal of international evidence on reform of the school day and year already exists. There are some successful examples...
Heledd Fychan: Trefnydd, I'd like to ask for two statements please. Firstly, as you'll be aware, in September 2021, the World Health Organization updated the global air quality guidelines for the first time in 16 years. Could we please have a statement from the Minister for Climate Change, outlining the Welsh Government's response to the new guidelines and how they will be incorporated into legislation here...
Heledd Fychan: Although UK Ministers have promised a free ID, as I've just mentioned, the details on this aren't in place, and doesn't it place another barrier in the way of voters? The UK Government should be tackling the real issues in our politics, and make it easier for everyone to vote and to participate in our democracy. We are not representative as a Senedd, and placing further barriers will stop...
Heledd Fychan: Yes, fine.
Heledd Fychan: But there's no clarity in terms of when this will be available, or how. It adds another barrier to participation. There's also a cost for local authorities to deliver this. There is also the point that when the Government tested a voter ID pilot in 2018, more than 1,000 voters were turned away for not having the correct form of ID. And, on average, 338 voters did not return to vote, so 32.6...
Heledd Fychan: Ever since plans to introduce compulsory voter ID were introduced, Plaid Cymru has opposed them, and we will continue to oppose them. In 2019, we signed the joint letter from opposition parties urging the UK Government to scrap the policy, and, as we've already heard, we opposed the LCM, sending a strong message from this Senedd to the Westminster Government that we do not support these...
Heledd Fychan: I'm very much looking forward to disappointing Darren Millar this evening with my contribution. Let's counter some of his statistics at the start, as I, too, can quote the Electoral Commission. As you know, the UK has no national ID card, compared to other countries, and also 3.5 million registered voters do not possess any form of photo ID, and 11 million do not have a driving licence or...
Heledd Fychan: Thank you. Does James Evans have any concerns around the impact of long COVID on children? I'm not sure if you heard yesterday Adam Price state that research estimates that between 10 and 20 per cent of children who contract COVID-19 developed paediatric long COVID. Are you so cavalier with the health of our children that you don't care, and say that we have to live with this?
Heledd Fychan: The pandemic and subsequent school closures have had a devastating effect on the mental health of children and young people. Parents have said that, among children and young people, suicidal thoughts, self-harm, eating disorders, excessive exercise and anxiety all started as a result of uncertainty about school life, school work, exams and fear during the pandemic. Children now need...
Heledd Fychan: I would now like to turn to the Plaid Cymru amendments. We know that one of the key ways that we can decrease the spread of COVID-19, including the omicron variant, in schools, colleges and early years settings is to ensure that they are well ventilated. Good ventilation prevents the virus from remaining in the air and infecting people. A number of parts of school buildings are already well...
Heledd Fychan: I think there also needs to be some myth busting here regarding some of the claims in the Conservative motion. The motion notes a so-called 'persistent per pupil funding shortfall between Wales and other parts of the UK.’ In 2018, Institute of Fiscal Studies analysis concluded that once London is discounted, there is virtually no difference in per-pupil funding between Wales and England. In...
Heledd Fychan: I move formally the amendments tabled in the name of Siân Gwenllian. As is apparent from the motion and the two amendments, our three parties are agreed that we regret the detrimental impact that the COVID-19 restrictions have had on children and young people across Wales. It has been, and continues to be, a period of great uncertainty for all of them and it is important that we prioritise...
