Siân Gwenllian: We've heard this afternoon that the review that we have in recommendation 1 won't be completed until next summer. So, do you think that the Welsh Government needs to re-balance the budget in favour of preventative services, including education, in the next budget, without waiting for the results of the review?
Siân Gwenllian: Will you take an intervention?
Siân Gwenllian: Just on the review, what's the timetable for that, please? My fear is that—. It is complex, the whole area is complicated. Isn't this going to be an excuse to kick the whole discussion into the long grass, because the schools need the money as soon as possible, not 12 months down the line?
Siân Gwenllian: I was very pleased to be part of this important inquiry, and there are important recommendations that are being presented in this report. It should be an exciting period for education in our schools in Wales. The introduction of a new curriculum that respects the skills of our teachers is a concept that Plaid Cymru has supported across the years. But, unfortunately, if this huge change is not...
Siân Gwenllian: This story highlights why we must tackle the increase in hate crimes against the LGBT community in Wales and that we need to do that as a matter of urgency. Over the past year, almost 4,000 hate crimes were recorded in Wales, the highest number yet for hate crimes in this country and almost double the figure recorded in 2013. It’s disappointing to see the levels increasing again across all...
Siân Gwenllian: Thank you, Llywydd. And thank you to my fellow Members, Leanne Wood and Mick Antoniw, for allowing this debate to take place today. I was inspired to look into the issue of hate crimes against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans community across Wales as a result of events in a town in my constituency. The charity GISDA has been supporting vulnerable young people in Arfon over decades, and I...
Siân Gwenllian: In addition to asking local authorities to submit plans to reduce the numbers, your Government also asks them to set targets for reducing the number of children in care, and you will be aware, perhaps, that Gwynedd Council and a number of other councils have refused to comply with that requirement to set a target, seeing it as a dangerous and retrograde step. And I agree. Using arbitrary...
Siân Gwenllian: 7. Will the First Minister explain what the Welsh Government's plans are to reduce the number of children in care? OAQ54606
Siân Gwenllian: Thank you very much, and thanks to everybody who has contributed to this debate. I think it was Llyr Gruffydd who tried to move us away from this specific issue in question, and thank you for doing that. There are broader issues, of course, than the ones that we have been discussing today, and it is possible to use the planning system in an effective way in order to create a better balance...
Siân Gwenllian: 'A housing market that works for the many, needs government action to ensure everyone has a place to call home.'
Siân Gwenllian: UK Labour saying that; Welsh Labour failing to solve the scandal of the owners who have found a way of avoiding paying council tax on their properties. I've offered a solution. There may be other ways of creating fairness, but certainly this needs to be resolved urgently.
Siân Gwenllian: On the other hand, my surgeries in my constituency are full of people who live in unacceptable conditions, in private rented sector homes that are damp, too small or difficult to heat, leading to fuel poverty. Families have to share their homes with parents, other relatives or friends. There is a major problem here. There is a fundamental unfairness in a situation where 2,000 people live in...
Siân Gwenllian: Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. We've brought this debate forward today because we feel that we must get rid of an unacceptable injustice. I have been raising the issue of council tax on second homes for some time. The wording of our motion is deliberately open-ended. I know that the Welsh Government has been looking for a solution—I had a meeting with some of the officials...
Siân Gwenllian: It's legal. It's a legal loophole.
Siân Gwenllian: That's the whole point.
Siân Gwenllian: There is an issue of fundamental unfairness here. There are many second homes in Wales. These are domestic homes that are used as second homes while the main home is elsewhere, so I’m not talking about business units, commercial caterers or holiday businesses here. But there is a loophole in the law, and I think your Government is aware of this. There is a loophole that means that an...
Siân Gwenllian: 4. Will the Minister provide an update on how the Welsh Government ensures that second home owners pay council tax? OAQ54553
Siân Gwenllian: I move the amendments. Thank you. I must say that I was extremely disappointed in reading the Conservative motion, which focuses on this year’s GCSE results mainly. I was even more disappointed in seeing the Government’s amendment, which again focuses on GCSE and A-level results. The Conservative motion gives a negative spin on the results. The Government’s amendment puts a positive...
Siân Gwenllian: Will you take an intervention?
Siân Gwenllian: Why is the Government creating a directorate for the fair work agenda, but isn't doing that for the Welsh language, which also has a cross-governmental focus?
