Mark Drakeford: Llywydd, the reform of building safety legislation has already started through the Welsh clauses in the Building Safety Act 2022. Consultation is currently taking place on further legislative changes, and primary legislation in this field is planned for this Senedd term.
Mark Drakeford: Our £1.5m investment in expanded parental advocacy services is just one example of our partnership working to support families where relationships have broken down.
Mark Drakeford: In April 2022, supported by £180m recurrent funding, the Health Minister published the NHS Planned Care Recovery Plan. This clearly sets out the expected actions the health boards need to take to reduce the backlog of patients waiting for treatment whilst also transforming services for the future.
Mark Drakeford: The levers to tackle cost increases on businesses, interest rates for borrowing, taxation of windfall profits and regulation of the energy market, lie squarely with UK Government. Our priority is to support businesses in those actions which create successful futures.
Mark Drakeford: For this year we have set two clear and challenging ambitions for reducing the number of patients waiting for NHS Treatment. We are working with the NHS to review and challenge the delivery plans from health boards to ensure all options for delivery against targets are being identified.
Mark Drakeford: Llywydd, I thank John Griffiths for that, and I'll make two points if I could. First of all, to endorse what he said about the importance of the work of the commission, chaired by Professor Laura McAllister and Archbishop Rowan Williams. Members here will know that, jointly with the Senedd authorities, the Welsh Government is sponsoring a lecture series in which we will hear voices from...
Mark Drakeford: Llywydd, the latest UK Government has refused to rule out cuts to benefits, while confirming its intention to cut public services. Such perverse priorities will impact adversely on our ability to discharge devolved responsibilities, and penalise the poor to pay for bankers' bonuses.
Mark Drakeford: Llywydd, week after week the Conservative Party in this Chamber runs down the tourism industry in Wales. It’s never got a good word to say for it. If there was a lack of confidence in the industry, it’s because it’s listening to people like Tom Giffard. Now, the real problem that the tourism industry in Wales faced over this summer, a summer of fantastic weather, was that it was unable...
Mark Drakeford: Llywydd, direct investment, both capital and revenue, promotional campaigns in the United Kingdom and abroad, and joint work with the industry to improve skills and career opportunities are just some of the actions we take to encourage sustainable tourism in Wales.
Mark Drakeford: Thank you very much to Rhys ab Owen for that supplementary question. I had an opportunity to meet with Keir Starmer in Liverpool in the Labour Party conference, and I had an opportunity to spend a day with Gordon Brown in Scotland in the week following the conference. That was an opportunity to discuss with Gordon Brown the report that he is putting together for Keir Starmer about...
Mark Drakeford: Well, thank you to Rhys ab Owen for that question. There has been a dearth of opportunities for discussions with the latest UK Government. However, devolution of justice was extensively discussed at a major event at the South Wales Police headquarters on 30 September. The Secretary of State for Wales was present and heard about our determination to pursue the recommendations of the Thomas...
Mark Drakeford: Well, Llywydd, I'm very glad to be able to sponsor, once again, Baby Loss Awareness Week activities here in the Senedd next week. These are among the most devastating experiences that families can experience. We have discussed them on a number of occasions here on the floor of the Senedd. Some people here will remember, I think, one of the most memorable contributions in the time that I have...
Mark Drakeford: Llywydd, the Welsh Government funds bereavement services in all parts of Wales, including specialist bereavement midwives, to help families in those uniquely distressing circumstances.
Mark Drakeford: I might just finish the answer for one moment, Llywydd, just to illustrate the reason why people are under the pressure they are in in that sector. The mortgage rate in December 2021—you could borrow money at 2.34 per cent. On the day that the latest Chancellor announced his so-called mini budget, the mortgage rate had risen to 4.74 per cent. Today, it's 6.43 per cent, as a result of the...
Mark Drakeford: Well, Llywydd, I'm familiar with the work of the National Residential Landlords Association. They're calling on the UK Government to increase local housing allowances, to end their freeze on housing benefits and to end the five-week wait for universal credit at the beginning of a claim, and also that the advance payment that tenants might get should be converted from a loan to a grant so...
Mark Drakeford: Llywydd, I very much welcome the initiative that's been mounted in Flintshire. We know that inequality does not fall equally on all parts of society, and people with disabilities have long reported excessive impacts in terms of employment, their ability to access services and so on, and the work that's being carried out in Flintshire has that very specific focus on those people who have the...
Mark Drakeford: Llywydd, amongst the actions being taken by the Welsh Government is the £30 million leasing scheme Wales programme. This scheme enables local authorities to lease private rented sector properties from landlords, providing those landlords with a guaranteed income and those who might otherwise face homelessness with homes at an affordable rent.
Mark Drakeford: Llywydd, I'm aware of the group to which the Member refers, and it was good to join him at the annual general meeting of the Association of Voluntary Organisations in Wrexham recently. The sequence of events that the Member outlines is the correct one. The responsibilities in this area lie with local authorities, and the Welsh Government funds local authorities to discharge those...
Mark Drakeford: I thank the Member for that question, Llywydd. Local authorities have their own democratic mandate and responsibilities. Duties under the Equality Act are conferred directly on relevant public bodies. We can encourage and support local authorities to fulfil these duties, but the Equality and Human Rights Commission is the regulatory body responsible for ensuring compliance.
Mark Drakeford: Llywydd, both I and the finance Minister have said that we will make decisions on the fiscal powers available to the Welsh Government in the way that we always do them, as part of the budget-setting process, when we have the full information we need in order to be able to do so. Now, he has made a case this afternoon; that case will be powerfully considered within the Welsh Government, but it...
