Rhianon Passmore: First Minister, Cabinet Secretary Ken Skates has been proactive in setting out the Welsh Government's ambitions for rolling stock fit for a twenty-first century rail network. In July last year, Ken Skates stated, and I quote, 'I've made no secret of the difficulty in adding good quality rolling stock in Wales', and it's been absolutely clear that the next franchise—the Welsh Government's...
Rhianon Passmore: The Economist in March published an article entitled, 'The quiet decline of arts in British schools'. They used a Welsh case study of a local authority impacted by funding cuts. It was reported how the music service budget had recently been reduced by an eye-watering 72 per cent. The then head of the council's music service put it succinctly—'Many will give up'. And, of course, he's...
Rhianon Passmore: Thank you, Deputy Llywydd. I'll be giving a minute of my allocated time to my colleague the Chair of the Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee, Bethan Sayed. Members of this Assembly will know that this is a profoundly important issue for me, but it is also a matter of significant importance to Wales. My passion as a child was music and my profession as an adult was teaching...
Rhianon Passmore: What action is the Welsh Government taking to assist the poorest people in Islwyn?
Rhianon Passmore: Okay. Thank you. The pupil deprivation grant for the youngest learners—pupils aged three to four—has increased from £600 to £700, building on last year's doubling of financial support from £300 to £600 per learner in the early years, a stark contrast to the UK Tory decimation of support for poorer learners. Will the Cabinet Secretary outline, then, what difference the continued...
Rhianon Passmore: Cabinet Secretary, you recently wrote to schools in Islwyn to inform them of the Welsh Government's—
Rhianon Passmore: That's the question that I have in front of me.
Rhianon Passmore: I got there.
Rhianon Passmore: 4. What action is the Welsh Government taking to help disadvantaged learners in Islwyn? OAQ52048
Rhianon Passmore: What progress is the Welsh Government making in improving sexual health service provision in Islwyn?
Rhianon Passmore: Minister, I welcome your statement today, and thank you very much for your personal interest and for the commitment that you have shown personally to ensure that Wales's air quality improves. As you are aware, in my constituency of Islwyn, there are concerns about the impact of air quality on health outcomes also, and I've impressed on you, Minister, the impact that that is having and the...
Rhianon Passmore: Will you take an intervention?
Rhianon Passmore: Thank you for that. Can I ask, then, in that regard, what interventions you have made, as Welsh Conservatives—and representations—to them around this matter?
Rhianon Passmore: Thank you. And what are the early observations on the Wales Revenue Authority and their management and collation?
Rhianon Passmore: 5. How will the Cabinet Secretary ensure that money raised by the two new devolved taxes will contribute towards future investment in Welsh public services? OAQ52000
Rhianon Passmore: First Minister, the proposals announced by the Welsh Government in January to lower the voting age to 16 in local council elections achieved wide cross-party support, and, as the Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public Services has stated, 'Local democracy is all about participation.' First Minister, it is our duty to ensure the political rights that we bestow on all our children...
Rhianon Passmore: Thank you. Do you now, then, acknowledge that, without a form of customs union—or the customs union—there will be a tariff tax on goods that are exported from Wales?
Rhianon Passmore: Diolch. Since the project began in 2013, the availability of superfast broadband across Wales has more than doubled. Leader of the house, is the Welsh Government able to identify the percentage of Islwyn premises that are now covered by superfast broadband, and what further actions does the Government intend to take to ensure that all premises in my constituency are covered?
Rhianon Passmore: Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. Earlier this month, you announced that the Welsh Government was providing councils in Wales with £30 million to improve the state of roads in their areas, and this measure was indeed widely welcomed from all corners of the political spectrum. Councillor Anthony Hunt, Welsh Local Government Association spokesman for finance and resources stated, 'We will look...
Rhianon Passmore: 2. A wnaiff Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am yr adnoddau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'u dyrannu i awdurdodau lleol i wella arwynebau ffyrdd? OAQ51802
