Llyr Gruffydd: In Wales, the road to genocide recognition began in 2001, of course, when Rhodri Morgan, then First Minister, laid flowers in memory of the 1915 genocide victims. Later, in 2010, there was an explicit recognition of the Armenian genocide by the First Minister, Carwyn Jones, when he paid homage to Armenian victims during the Holocaust memorial commemorations. The Church in Wales followed suit...
Llyr Gruffydd: Now, more recently, of course, this Senedd has ensured that Wales is a nation of sanctuary, which is all about welcoming those from all across the world who have been displaced by war and conflict and those seeking a safe place to live. And, heaven knows, in light of some of the narrative coming from the Westminster Government at the moment, we really need to reflect on our responsibility to...
Llyr Gruffydd: Thank you, Llywydd, and thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak in this short debate today. We can all be rightly proud of the internationalist outlook that has been a prominent part of our history, as Welsh people, over the years. Back in the early twentieth century, we had our Welsh League of United Nations, which campaigned for peace and international co-operation after the first...
Llyr Gruffydd: Will you take an intervention?
Llyr Gruffydd: Well, it works both ways, because you need to remember as well that Members of your benches opposed the red route.
Llyr Gruffydd: In their current form.
Llyr Gruffydd: Will you take an intervention?
Llyr Gruffydd: Thank you. I just struggle a little bit with your characterisation that no other roads will ever be built. The projects that have been scrapped may well happen in another way. They may well actually be developed under an alternative proposal. So, it's quite disingenuous to try and convey that this is the end of road building in Wales. And you referred to economic development; there's actually...
Llyr Gruffydd: Will you take an intervention?
Llyr Gruffydd: Thank you. One of the reasons that I've been told that Conwy are facing such a steep increase is because previous leaders of the council were reticent to actually raise it as it should have been. They dipped into reserves, they left the council without the resilience that other local authorities have, and they have no option but to do it now because they've got years of catching up to do.
Llyr Gruffydd: Thank you very much for the opportunity to contribute to this debate. Saying that it is a very difficult and challenging situation for local authorities is a serious understatement, I would think, and the Minister referred earlier to the current 12-month settlement—9.4 per cent. Twelve months ago, it was announced by the Minister, much better at the time than anyone had imagined, to be...
Llyr Gruffydd: I'm sure you're not suggesting that that is our policy aim.
Llyr Gruffydd: That's hardly breaking news, Dirprwy Lywydd, but there we are. [Laughter.] Thank you for your valued contribution—appreciated, as always. I have to say that the Welsh Government's budget for 2023-24 is a reflection, let's be honest, of perhaps the most challenging set of financial circumstances that we've ever experienced in the devolution era. The pressures of the post-COVID recovery,...
Llyr Gruffydd: Now, during the recent debate on the further devolution of income tax powers to Wales, the finance Minister mentioned in her response that understanding the behavioural changes is key to developing a maturing Welsh tax policy agenda, and I agree with that, of course; Plaid Cymru agrees with that. It is an important factor to look at these things through a Welsh-specific context. But it is...
Llyr Gruffydd: May I thank the Minister for opening the debate? It seems that we've had this debate three or four times already in the past month or two, and I make no apology for the fact that the thanks for that is to Plaid Cymru, because we have been willing to grapple with this issue, rather than just nodding it through as perhaps would have happened usually. It's us as a party that have made the case...
Llyr Gruffydd: Many of us, and I'm sure you're amongst us, will remember learning a saying in primary school, which reminded us that every time we point a finger at somebody, there are always three fingers pointing back at us. I don't think that that's been truer than it is this afternoon, because the past 24 hours have demonstrated to us that you, as a Minister, and this Government are going around and...
Llyr Gruffydd: May I ask for a statement from the health Minister on the issue of charging for delivering prescriptions from pharmacies? It's entirely reasonable to charge in a scenario where an individual can't be bothered to collect a prescription, but I've been contacted by some people in my region who, because of their medical condition, can't go and fetch their prescriptions, and have now found that...
Llyr Gruffydd: It would be really good to have that update, as an when it's available, although your answer feels a little bit like a previous answer you gave me a while ago. The first part of your response takes me on to my next question, really, because I was going to refer to the fact that you, in your response to our debate last week, said you needed a better understanding of the behavioural changes and...
Llyr Gruffydd: Diolch yn fawr iawn, Llywydd. Last week, Minister, you recall, I'm sure, Plaid Cymru making our case for the further devolution of tax powers, in that instance providing Wales with the ability to set our own income tax bands in line with powers already being exercised in Scotland, of course. Now, unfortunately, you and your colleagues voted down our motion, despite mounting evidence that the...
Llyr Gruffydd: Thank you, Llywydd. I only heard you the second time, I suspect. I want to ask the Trenfydd if we can have a statement on the level of support available through the Healthy Start scheme. The level of support was last increased in April 2021 to £4.25 a week, but it's been two years since then, and since then the cost of living has gone up, food inflation has been very significant, but the...
