Llyr Gruffydd: 4. How will the Welsh Government's white paper on an agriculture Bill for Wales recognise the importance of the sector to the future of the Welsh language? OQ55707
Llyr Gruffydd: Thank you very much, Llywydd. I'm very pleased to contribute to this debate as Chair of the Finance Committee. We had expected to hear evidence from the Minister back in March on this issue but, of course, we had to postpone that session as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, we wrote to the Minister, seeking information about the financial implications of the Bill in case we were...
Llyr Gruffydd: I'd like to pay tribute as well to those working in the waste sector, particularly local authority staff who've kept the waste collection wheels turning throughout this pandemic. I notice, Minister, in your statement, obviously there's a laudable focus on recycling and the circular economy, but, of course, the key thing here is that we have to stop producing that waste in the first place, and...
Llyr Gruffydd: May I ask for a statement from the Deputy Minister for sport on the serious challenges facing the highest levels of football in Wales? Welsh premiership games are, of course, played behind closed doors these days, and that places huge financial strain on these clubs. That's not sustainable without either allowing a proportion of supporters to attend those games or providing financial support....
Llyr Gruffydd: Thank you for that response. Some would say that it's a uniquely Welsh approach because we have created a very substantial structure of committees around it. But what I wanted to ask was whether you thought that there are too many public services boards that have emerged from the legislation, and indeed who holds them to account—to whom are they accountable to ensure that they are...
Llyr Gruffydd: 2. Will the Deputy Minister make a statement on the implementation of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015? OQ55708
Llyr Gruffydd: May I focus my comments on the planning system and how that system needs to change in order to do its part in safeguarding our culture, the arts and our heritage? There may not be a clear connection between the two things, but we know that many locations that have been used to this end are now under threat because of the pandemic. Many have been forced to close because of the circumstances...
Llyr Gruffydd: I have to say I never enjoy contributions by Members who have absolutely nothing constructive to say. Some people love tearing into other people's motions and have absolutely nothing positive to say, so, well done, Mandy Jones—not.
Llyr Gruffydd: Will the Minister make a statement on support for those sectors of the economy most affected by the latest lockdowns in North Wales?
Llyr Gruffydd: How has COVID-19 impacted the ability of the Welsh Government to prepare for the possibility of a no-deal Brexit at the end of the transition period?
Llyr Gruffydd: And the Minister is now belatedly offering or promising a biennial report or some sort of periodical update. That does absolutely nothing to address the fundamental issue of not having the sunset clause, which, of course, is one of a democratic deficit, as far as we're concerned as Members of this Senedd. I was tickled by the Minister's description of Wales as an independent coastal state in...
Llyr Gruffydd: I have to say that there is a feeling of groundhog day around this debate, because there is great similarity between this debate this week and the debate that we had on the UK Agriculture Bill just last week. There are some positives, of course, before us today. Extending the competence of the Senedd in relation to fisheries, fishing and fish health in the context of the Welsh zone is...
Llyr Gruffydd: As large parts of the north move into local restrictions tomorrow, of course, we need assurances now from this Government that lessons have been learnt from this summer's outbreak in hospitals, such as Wrexham Maelor. Thirty two COVID-related deaths in six weeks—now, that isn't a criticism of front-line staff who have worked tirelessly throughout this pandemic, but it does raise serious...
Llyr Gruffydd: 4. Will the Minister make a statement on deaths due to COVID-19 in hospitals in north Wales? OQ55618
Llyr Gruffydd: I disagree with what the Minister said earlier, because the main message from me to Government on the national development framework is that circumstances now require the Government to take a step back and review the framework in light of the pandemic. Because we have reached this point, and it has taken a very long time to get to this point—I appreciate that—but that happened with barely...
Llyr Gruffydd: Thank you, Llywydd. As this is the first time the LTT rates have been changed mid year, and given the implications for the Welsh Government’s budget and spending plans, the Finance Committee was eager to take evidence directly from the Minister, and we did so on 14 September. We were grateful to the Minister for attending at that time, and we heard that given the proximity of the...
Llyr Gruffydd: I do think that this Bill does highlight everything that is wrong about the process of legislative consent and the constitutional settlement, as it stands. We are considering the LCM, as we've heard, on Bill that is still being amended. We've had four Government LCMs, including the third last Friday and the latest yesterday morning. Amendments have been accepted, and Members will support...
Llyr Gruffydd: 'Buy-to-let is over: invest in a holiday home instead'.
Llyr Gruffydd: Now, there's a heartbreaking title for a generation of young people in Wales who can't afford their own home. Now, this is a crisis—it's a crisis that is driven by economic inequality, and there are serious implications as a result of that for the sustainability of communities across Wales. The purpose of devolution is to bring power and the ability to take action closer to those...
Llyr Gruffydd: Thank you very much, Llywydd, and thank you to everyone who's contributed to this debate. The intention from Plaid Cymru in putting forward this debate was to ensure that there was an understanding that the current situation has reached a crisis point in terms of affordable homes—a situation that is intensifying, particularly because of the circumstances we're currently living under. I was...
