Heledd Fychan: Thank you, Llywydd. Yesterday, as noted by many of my fellow Members, the nation celebrated the Urdd's centenary. And we heard, through our Llywydd's excellent singing, that, as part of the celebrations, people of all ages were part of the Urdd's successful attempt to break two world records by singing 'Hei Mistar Urdd'. For me, the challenge summed up perfectly the Urdd's great strength,...
Heledd Fychan: Thank you, Minister. I would like to declare, before asking the next question, that I am a Rhondda Cynon Taf councillor. I'd like to turn now to the issue of additional learning needs, and Welsh-medium provision particularly. I warmly welcome the £18 million in addition that you announced earlier this month for providing further support for children and young people with additional learning...
Heledd Fychan: Thank you, Llywydd. Minister, yesterday you made it clear that the intention is that examinations should proceed this year, and I was pleased to see you recognising the disquiet of learners and staff, and the problems that they've faced in our schools and colleges over the past two years. You encouraged all students in exam years to speak to their schools and colleges about what additional...
Heledd Fychan: I'd like to focus my contribution to this debate on two essential things that we all need in order to be able to live: food and water—not luxuries, not nice-to-haves, but essentials. Mark Isherwood mentioned in terms of helping people into work, but the reality is that, here in Wales today, people who are working cannot afford these essentials. During the Plaid Cymru debate on 8 December on...
Heledd Fychan: Thank you, Deputy Minister. The UK Government announcement on the licence fee on Monday is further proof that Wales's needs with regard to media will never be met while Westminster remains in control of them, and marks the beginning of the end for the whole concept of public broadcasting in the UK. Freezing the licence fee for two years will lead to major uncertainty for the future of the...
Heledd Fychan: 1. What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the impact of the licence fee freeze on Welsh broadcasting? TQ592
Heledd Fychan: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Thank you, Deputy Minister, for the update today.
Heledd Fychan: I'm very conscious that I'm responding to this statement today as a white person with all the privilege associated with being born white. Though I can empathise with underrepresented groups in Wales as an ally, I cannot fully understand how much pain our complacency as a society has created by not beginning to address this issue until the brutal killing of George Floyd prompted the Black...
Heledd Fychan: Trefnydd, on 7 January, the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language issued a written statement in relation to additional funding for additional learning needs provision, which of course is much needed and very welcome. However, linked to this is also the additional funding needed for neurological assessments for children and young people, so that they can be identified as needing...
Heledd Fychan: Health inequality is not new in Wales, though the pandemic has highlighted this inequality and exacerbated the situation for many constituents living in my region, reflected in the high level of deaths from COVID in Rhondda Cynon Taf. It has not created this inequality, and it is clear that more should have been done long before the pandemic to tackle this. Obviously, austerity has not helped...
Heledd Fychan: Unfortunately, in my opinion and that of my party at least, Westminster continues to be largely responsible for the measures that could really help us tackle debt and payment defaults, as well as the increased cost of living. It does concern me a great deal that we have a Prime Minister and a Conservative Government in Westminster that have, time and time again, demonstrated that they don’t...
Heledd Fychan: I'd like to thank the committee for tabling this debate today, and for their work on this important report. Thanks too to everyone who contributed to the inquiry, which has painted a heartbreaking picture of the hardship that so many people in our communities have faced during the pandemic, hardship that they continue to face. It's difficult to comprehend the scale of the problem, and I’m...
Heledd Fychan: Thank you, Llywydd, and thank you, Minister, for the statement today. I'd like to add to your thanks to the healthcare workers for their heroic work, and I'd like to extend my thanks to unpaid carers for everything that they're doing at the moment. In terms of free LFTs, is it possible to have confirmation that they will continue to be available free of charge in Wales, regardless of what...
Heledd Fychan: Trefnydd, I've previously raised this issue with you and the Minister for Health and Social Services on a number of occasions, but it remains unresolved, and that is the issue of people who cannot be vaccinated or take a lateral flow test, and how they still can't access a COVID pass, which allows them entry to events and venues automatically. On 7 December, you agreed with me that it needs...
Heledd Fychan: Thank you, First Minister. Over the past week, three people in my region have contacted me regarding problems they faced in getting an ambulance for a neighbour or a member of the family. In one case, the individual was suffering a heart attack and her neighbour was told that an ambulance wasn't available for up to six hours and that they needed to find an alternative way of getting her to...
Heledd Fychan: 2. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to alleviate pressure on NHS Wales this winter? OQ57435
Heledd Fychan: I'd like to echo the comments of John Griffiths on parkruns. There's been mention on Twitter already of going over the border to England to attend these runs if there are restrictions here. So, could we look at a particular exemption, because we know of the advantages of keeping fit, in terms of fighting the virus and mental health too? Also, in terms of ice rinks, particularly permanent ice...
Heledd Fychan: According to Office for National Statistics figures published yesterday, two of the local authority areas in my region are first and second, respectively, in terms of the highest number of COVID deaths in Wales to date: 1,003 people from Rhondda Cynon Taf, 993 in Cardiff. With the additional 356 people from the Vale of Glamorgan, this is 2,352 people living in South Wales Central, 26 per cent...
Heledd Fychan: I'd like to thank Rhys ab Owen for bringing this debate forward this afternoon, giving us an opportunity, at last, to have a proper discussion on the LCM process, not that the words 'legislative consent motion' have been foreign to this Chamber. As other speakers have mentioned, the Welsh Government has tabled LCMs for 17 UK Bills within the first seven months of the sixth Senedd, which is...
Heledd Fychan: We've received a very clear message from you today, Minister, for people to wait for an appointment. But I have received a number of calls and messages from people today asking when walk-ins will be available in my region, and have seen that there are health boards that are promoting this. So, I am concerned that there is a panic taking place out there, and I think that these messages, which...
