Delyth Jewell: Thank you, Minister. According to research by the South Wales Argus, over 32,000 patients had waited beyond the 36-week period in Gwent up to October, which was the latest date when they had figures available. One of the key reasons for the delays is that not enough staff are available due to being off sick or self-isolating. According to the British Medical Association, the Welsh Government...
Delyth Jewell: 3. Will the Minister make a statement on the number of patients in South Wales East waiting more than 36 weeks for treatment from their referral? OQ56152
Delyth Jewell: Generally, Plaid Cymru welcomes this White Paper. Our understanding is that it will apply to new buildings only and won't be retrospective in terms of older buildings. So, can we have it on the record that the Government also wants to tackle problems in a retrospective manner too, because many people are living in flats that aren't currently safe? And I know that the Minister feels the same...
Delyth Jewell: I welcome this statement. I note that a large aspect of the Burns plan requires investment from the UK Government; that's come up a number of times this afternoon. Given that the historical underinvestment in Welsh rail infrastructure by the UK Government shows no sign of abating, what would the Deputy Minister say is the contingency plan if they do refuse to provide the money that we need? I...
Delyth Jewell: I thank the First Minister for that answer and for those points. However, many families and individuals in my region have faced real financial hardships even though they don't qualify for council tax support as it is available. A recent report by the Bevan Foundation found that nearly a quarter of households have seen their incomes fall since the start of the pandemic, while at the same time...
Delyth Jewell: 5. What assessment has the First Minister made of the impact of an increase in council tax on the finances of people in South Wales East who are facing financial difficulties? OQ56164
Delyth Jewell: Thank you, Minister. You told the Finance Committee last week that there's around £800 million in reserves that will need to be spent in the current financial year if the UK Government continues to refuse to allow you flexibility to carry it forward. You mentioned then that you expect to use some of this to give further support to business, and that you are also considering giving more...
Delyth Jewell: 2. What consideration has the Minister given to supporting people affected by the coronavirus in South Wales East when formulating the Welsh Government's budget for 2021-22? OQ56117
Delyth Jewell: I'd like a statement, please, from the Government explaining why so many people who are in their 80s and 90s and who are housebound have been invited to appointments for vaccinations in mass vaccination centres, when they were never going to be able to get to those appointments. I've been contacted by numerous constituents, primarily in Caerphilly, but I'd wager that it's probably happening...
Delyth Jewell: Diolch, Lywydd. I thank the Counsel General for that answer that he gave to my colleague, Dai Lloyd. I also thank him for making plans to bring forward this challenge against the Act's unacceptable provisions in relation to devolution, which, of course, I'd urged him to take in September. I note what he just said in terms of the written statement that we can expect next week. But I wonder...
Delyth Jewell: 3. Will the Counsel General provide an update regarding the Welsh Government's plans to challenge the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 in the Supreme Court? OQ56089
Delyth Jewell: Free school meals aren't just about feeding hungry children—they're about access to education, children's ability to concentrate in lessons, and ensuring well-being, health and attainment. The pandemic we're all living through has forced us to confront many injustices so ingrained in our society they've come to appear endemic. A third of Welsh children are living in poverty, and as the...
Delyth Jewell: Thank you for that, Minister. You mentioned in your previous answer about COVID-19 and the effect that that's had on so many aspects of the housing market. Now, it's clear that the restrictions that have been in place this year have been experienced differently by different groups of people. We've spoken about this many times. But, the difference reflects wider inequalities in our society....
Delyth Jewell: Thank you, Minister. I know that we are agreed on a number of these areas. I think, indeed, that there is a general consensus that we need to reverse that trend that I've just set out with the need, as you've said, for more social housing and more support for young people to escape from renting—for some people, they choose to rent, but some people are forced into it and we need to ensure...
Delyth Jewell: Thank you, Lywydd. Minister, over the past 20 years, the number of homes in Wales privately rented has more than doubled. Although there was a small decline over recent years, it's still true to say that over 200,000 homes are rented by private landlords, and, as a percentage term, this was the only tenure that had increased over that period. Homes owned by the person living in the home and...
Delyth Jewell: Thank you, Minister. I've written to you on a number of occasions about the activities of the Bryn Group near Gelligaer, who have contaminated land by putting shredded plastic through the soil and who appear to have been spreading grass seed to cover that up. Now, Caerphilly council and NRW have said that there's no problem with the site, despite all the evidence that I and others have sent...
Delyth Jewell: 9. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to prevent land contamination in South Wales East? OQ56058
Delyth Jewell: Just some brief comments.
Delyth Jewell: Under the regulations, Minister, the evictions will only be prevented until 11 January, as you've set out. Of course this is welcome, but we also all know that, by mid January, we could well be in an even worse situation with the pandemic than we are now. And realistically, the impact of vaccination won't be felt until well into the spring in the best-case scenario. So, surely, we simply...
Delyth Jewell: This is a really important matter raised by the Member. I have a question about priorities for funding in the area, because transforming town centres and providing better public transport is obviously key. I've been raising concerns with the Government about the cost of dualling an 11-mile stretch of road on the A465, which has increased from the original estimate of £428 million to £1.2...
