Heledd Fychan: Trefnydd, I'm sure many of my fellow Members will be aware, but the child and adolescent mental health services waiting lists for people to have neurodevelopmental assessments such as ADHD and autism can be appallingly long, with very many people within the Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board boundaries contacting me for support, having been waiting for over two years for such an assessment. This...
Heledd Fychan: Hear hear, Jane Dodds. I completely agree with your final sentiment there. As we are all too aware from our own constituencies and regions, foodbank usage had been increasing for years prior to the pandemic, with the Trussell Trust reporting that the demand for foodbanks in their network increased 128 per cent between 2015 and 2020. During the pandemic, this has rapidly and significantly...
Heledd Fychan: Thank you, Deputy Minister. Last Saturday, I met with two of Wales's youth climate ambassadors, Leo and Alfred, who live in the Pontypridd area. Amongst the issues we discussed were town centres and how some current and planned developments seem to be missing opportunities to make our town centres greener and play a greater role in being part of our response to the climate and nature...
Heledd Fychan: 4. How is the Welsh Government supporting town centre transformation in South Wales Central? OQ57335
Heledd Fychan: Trefnydd, I've raised this issue a number of times now, but, as the issue has not been resolved, I still have constituents contacting me about the difficulty of getting a COVID pass if they can't be vaccinated for medical reasons. The medical reason often means that they also are unable to take a lateral flow test. The Welsh Government website continues to say, 'We are working on a system...
Heledd Fychan: In her opening remarks, my colleague Sioned Williams illustrated how more and more people in Wales are being pushed into poverty and debt. That word 'pushed' is important, as far too often we hear some politicians discuss poverty as though it is a choice, or something that happens to people because of their own actions. And whilst debt is a personal problem that causes huge distress to the...
Heledd Fychan: Thank you to Jane Dodds for those words.
Heledd Fychan: Thank you, Deputy Minister. As you rightly point out, you did set out an ambitious vision for a world-class service in every part of Wales in the 2018 review and strategy. This called for a shift towards prevention and assertive early intervention and for access to evidence-based treatment and support being available equitably. Staff in eating disorder services are now under even greater...
Heledd Fychan: 4. What steps will the Welsh Government take to ensure that all eating disorder services are equipped to provide early intervention? OQ57288
Heledd Fychan: Diolch, Gwnsler Cyffredinol. I would like to declare that I am a councillor on RCT council. As you will be aware, RCT council has published to date four section 19 reports into the flooding that occurred across the country borough as a result of storm Dennis in February 2020. One of the reports focused on the flooding in Pentre, which of course also suffered subsequent flooding. Can the...
Heledd Fychan: 5. What legal advice has the Counsel General given to the Welsh Government regarding responsibility for flood damage? OQ57252
Heledd Fychan: What discussions has the Minister had with Royal Mail regarding the impact of COVID-19 on its services?
Heledd Fychan: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Thank you to everyone that has contributed to today's debate. I have to say that I find it personally quite ironic to be opening and closing this particular debate on a day when I myself have tested positive for COVID, and when I am feeling extremely grateful that I have been doubly vaccinated for free, and therefore provided with greater protection to fight the virus....
Heledd Fychan: We in Wales have a responsibility, as a higher income country, to assist with the provision of global financial support, medical supplies and, crucially, sharing vaccine supplies. This means providing greater support to those countries we already have connections with, reaching out to other countries in need, and pushing the UK Government to do what is morally right and redistribute vaccines...
Heledd Fychan: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. It's a privilege to introduce the debate this afternoon on an issue that I know that many of my fellow Members in this Chamber feel passionately about. Just last week, we heard from the Minister for Social Justice about the various important projects through the Wales and Africa programme and her support for the People's Vaccine campaign. We very much...
Heledd Fychan: I would like to declare at the beginning of this question that I am a Rhondda Cynon Taf councillor.
Heledd Fychan: Thank you, Minister. One sector that receives non-statutory funding from local authorities is local museums. I'd therefore like to ask what steps are being taken by the Welsh Government to safeguard local museums specifically, which are mainly funded by local authorities, but have seen swingeing cuts of 31 per cent over 10 years, as they are not statutory services. Is there more that the...
Heledd Fychan: As the Minister knows, a number of organisations in the cultural sector, such as theatres and local music venues, still haven't been able to operate at full capacity because of the safety measures that they've put in place to safeguard people from COVID. And although the number of attendees is lower, they need more staff in order to implement those safety measures, including implementing the...
Heledd Fychan: 7. What support is made available by the Welsh Government to local authorities to deliver non-statutory services? OQ57201
Heledd Fychan: How is the Welsh Government supporting the development of the agricultural sector in South Wales Central?
