Mohammad Asghar: Further education colleges are an essential part of our education system. They provide a range of lifelong learning opportunities, from vocational and technical education and basic skills to academic and higher level qualifications. Given that developing the skills base of the Welsh workforce is crucial for growing the Welsh economy, you would think that adequately funding further education...
Mohammad Asghar: In September, around a third of patients, 22,300 people, who attended A&E at the Royal Gwent Hospital waited more than four hours to be dealt with. Just over 66.4 per cent were seen inside four hours, compared to the Welsh Government target of 95 per cent. Only two A&E units in Wales produced a worse performance. What action will the Cabinet Secretary take to improve waiting times at A&E at...
Mohammad Asghar: Minister, the UK Government has confirmed that there'll be no gap in funding for regional growth in the event of a 'no deal' Brexit. This guarantee includes European social funding projects. Will the Minister confirm, therefore, that, should the Welsh Government fail to deliver on its promise of 100,000 apprenticeships in this term, it will be the Welsh Government's responsibility and failure?
Mohammad Asghar: Thank you, Minister. Another criticism that has been levelled against apprenticeship schemes in Wales is that they mainly benefit larger companies and not SMEs. In Germany, there is a permanent system of training, beneficial to both large companies and SMEs. What is the Welsh Government doing to ensure apprenticeships in Wales take account of the needs of SMEs as well as larger companies?
Mohammad Asghar: Thank you very much indeed, Minister. I'm glad that we're thinking on the same level. In Wales, the Welsh Government pays the employer to take on apprenticeships. In Germany, the Government does not pay the employers but pays for equipment and operation of vocational colleges, which represent some 16 per cent of the total cost of dual training. The companies who provide training contribute...
Mohammad Asghar: Thank you, madam Presiding Officer. Minister, the German vocational education and training system, also known as the dual training system, is highly recognised worldwide due to its combination of teaching and training embedded in the real work environment. The main characteristic of the dual system is co-operation between companies and colleges, regulated by law. Businesses that take part in...
Mohammad Asghar: I thank the Minister for her statement today. Further education is crucial for the future development of the skills base of the Welsh workforce and for the future development of the Welsh economy as a whole. According to ColegauCymru, the economic impact of FE colleges in Wales to the local business community is £4 billion a year. However, the FE sector has been chronically underfunded for...
Mohammad Asghar: Leader of the house, may I ask for a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs on WWF Cymru's claim that one in 15 wildlife species in Wales is at risk of disappearing altogether? They say that global threats to wildlife and habitats identified in the 'Living Planet Report 2018' are echoed in Wales. Species under threat include hen harriers and water voles....
Mohammad Asghar: In June, the annual Barclays and SPTS Technologies' Voice of Welsh Manufacturing event was held in Newport. One of the topics of discussion was skills shortages and the shift from vocational qualifications to university degrees. First Minister, what is the Welsh Government doing to tackle the misperception that exists regarding the well-paid and rewarding roles that careers in engineering and...
Mohammad Asghar: Leader of the house, incidents of anti-Semitism have been on the rise across the United Kingdom. In the first six months of this year, 727 anti-Semitic incidents were recorded by the Community Security Trust. It has been reported by The Jewish Chronicle that one of your Welsh colleagues questioned whether anti-Semitic hate crime was 'real', and whether the threat is all 'in their own heads'....
Mohammad Asghar: Thank you very much for the reply, Cabinet Secretary. Welsh retailers already pay a quarter of all Welsh business rates and it is becoming increasingly expensive to operate from property. The Welsh Retail Consortium has projected that over a fifth of shops could be lost as the next decade progresses. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, in his recent autumn budget, made money available to cut...
Mohammad Asghar: 3. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the level of business rates in Wales, please? OAQ52899
Mohammad Asghar: What further measures will the Welsh Government take to tackle hate crime in Wales in 2019?
Mohammad Asghar: Leader of the house, may I ask for a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for health on the complaints procedure in the NHS in Wales? Last year, a record number of complaints about health services were made to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales. Complaints made about Nye Bevan health board increased by 24 per cent. In response, the ombudsman said that evidence suggests 'there is a...
Mohammad Asghar: First Minister, Merthyr Tydfil has the highest level of childhood obesity in Wales. Seventeen and a half per cent of children in Merthyr Tydfil are obese, more than double the figure of the Vale of Glamorgan. In the view of the fact that diabetes is the fastest growing health crisis in Wales, what action is the Welsh Government taking to target areas of high childhood obesity, such as Merthyr...
Mohammad Asghar: I'm very grateful to Angela for bringing this debate forward this afternoon on the rural economy. For the rural economy to thrive, we need a fit-for-purpose road network to support long-term social and economic development. Hindering the development of the rural economy in south-east Wales is, of course, the level of ongoing congestion on the M4 motorway. The road has been blighted by a...
Mohammad Asghar: It is appropriate at this time of the year to remember and honour those who have served and who continue to serve in our armed forces. However, this year is particularly significant, marking as it does the hundredth anniversary of the end of the first world war. In recognising the sacrifice of those who served in the war to end all wars, I would like to mention those whose contribution can...
Mohammad Asghar: The Cabinet Secretary will be aware that unpreparedness for civilian life can result in veterans facing considerable obstacles, including getting a job. In your statement in April, you said the armed forces expert group is leading on the development of an employment pathway and employer's toolkit to help veterans to access meaningful employment. Good thinking. Could the Cabinet Secretary...
Mohammad Asghar: Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the provisional local government settlement for councils in South Wales East?
Mohammad Asghar: Acting leader of the house, may I ask for a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance on Welsh Government support for the retail industry? The Welsh retail industry is under considerable pressure due to the growth in the number of customers shopping online and the increased burden of business rates. Welsh retailers already pay a quarter of all Welsh business rates and it is becoming...
