Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. Transport for Wales absolutely recognise the importance of attracting more passengers onto rail services. As you know, they're introducing brand-new trains across Wales in 2023, and I think some new trains have already been introduced. I'm not aware of any reduction in Transport for Wales services calling at Llansamlet station. I will certainly check that that is the case, but I'm...
Lesley Griffiths: This really is a matter for the relevant local authority. I would really advise you to contact the local authority, to see if there is anything more—. Clearly, you don't want to see children walking to school when buses are passing not at full capacity.
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. I think that probably cuts across both my own portfolio and that of the Minister for Climate Change, so I will have a discussion with her. Certainly, within my portfolio, I'm looking at the new national park, but I haven't had any discussions about that, or I wasn't aware of any issues around it. But I will certainly have a discussion with her and see if there is any further...
Lesley Griffiths: Diolch, Llywydd. There are two changes to today's agenda. The Deputy Minister for Social Services will make an oral statement on the publication of the child practice review into the death of Logan Mwangi as the first item immediately after the business statement. Additionally, the statement by the Minister for Social Justice on the international day of disabled persons has been moved further...
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you very much, and thank you, Mabon, for those questions. I do agree it is a significant increase, and hindsight's a wonderful thing, but it perhaps would have been better to have not waited quite so long to increase. I know back in—I think it was—2019, DEFRA increased the same fee in relation to their tenancy reform, and I think it was about £195 three years ago.FootnoteLink So,...
Lesley Griffiths: I will certainly ask the Deputy Minister to provide an update before Christmas.
Lesley Griffiths: Diolch, Llywydd, and I wish to move this motion. This is a composite statutory instrument to increase the prescribed statutory fee that can be charged by a professional authority for the appointment of an independent arbitrator to resolve disputes or to make certain records in relation to agricultural tenancies governed by the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986. The current fee of £115 has not...
Lesley Griffiths: I think the Minister for Finance and Local Government has been scrutinised many times on the policies that you refer to, so I don't think there's a need for a further statement.
Lesley Griffiths: Well, I disagree profoundly, that you don't believe there's an understanding in the Welsh Government of the difficulties and the challenges that our businesses are facing—of course we do, and Business Wales is there to provide that support. But, as I've said several times in the past hour, our financial settlement doesn't allow us to give huge amounts of funding. But I absolutely recognise...
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. I thought the Iranian football team were incredibly brave in their comments and statements in their press conference following—I think it was following the match yesterday, or before. I will certainly speak with I think it would be the Minister for Social Justice regarding your request.
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. And again, I'm very concerned to hear of the experience of your family member. I think it is fair to say we do have real problems in social care—we spoke about those during First Minister's questions. And we have lost a huge number, a significant number, of social care workers, going forward, and we do need that flow from health to social care to improve. It's not unique to...
Lesley Griffiths: Well, I am extremely concerned to hear about your constituent; nobody wants to ring an ambulance and feel that the ambulance won't respond. So, I can say we've brought forward 74 new ambulances, for instance; you referred to the age of an ambulance. So, there is that assurance and that confidence for constituents, and I know the Minister, just last week, met with the ambulance trust to talk...
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. Well, I am aware there were a number of actions that came out of the cancer summit that the Minister for Health and Social Services is currently considering, but I'm sure, once that piece of work has been done, the Minister will bring forward a written statement.
Lesley Griffiths: Yes, absolutely, I will speak to the Minister for Social Justice and she if she'll bring forward a written statement. I know she's done a huge amount of work, and certainly, we're aware of, obviously, Big Bocs Bwyd. And I think it's really important we don't have duplication, so that better co-ordination of organisations is obviously needed, but I will ask the Minister for Social Justice to...
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. As you stated, my last one was in November last year, and I had hoped to be able to do it in November this year. I have to say, there are a couple of reasons why I haven't been able to bring it forward this week. One of the main reasons—and I'm sure that you'll absolutely appreciate it—is that it's the same officials working on TB eradication who are having to deal with the...
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you, and it is certainly an amazing opportunity, isn't it? I've waited all my life—and I'm a lot older than you—to see Wales in a world cup final. And, you know, it's a global audience—5 billion people—so it is indeed a massive opportunity. And we discussed, in First Minister's questions, the outrageous last-minute u-turn by FIFA in relation to the OneLove armband. But I think...
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. We do have the most progressive student support in the UK, and the Minister for Education and Welsh Language will be making a statement very shortly.
Lesley Griffiths: I don't have the details of that £155 million, so I don't know whether it could be spent on schools or health. There are different budgets, there are different rules and regulations. I'm afraid I don't have the detail to agree with your comments.
Lesley Griffiths: Diolch, Llywydd. There are no changes to this week's business. Draft business for the next three weeks is set out on the business statement and announcement, which can be found amongst the meeting papers available to Members electronically.
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. As set out in our 2022-23 budget, our priority has been to use every possible lever to deliver our ambitious programme for government, provide the foundations for our post-COVID-19 pandemic recovery, and to move forwards towards a stronger, fairer and a greener Wales.
