Siân Gwenllian: Will you take an intervention?
Siân Gwenllian: Let me just show you a map.
Siân Gwenllian: The new curriculum has the potential to transform the learning experiences of our children and young people, but I am shocked to think that it also has the potential of failing entirely. The life of every school is very busy on a day-to-day basis and is filled chock-full with challenges, and a lot of time is spend dealing with cuts in budgets that are shrinking. Now, you've suggested that...
Siân Gwenllian: I’ve heard you talk of Brexit in the past as a reason for not recommencing the programme of introducing standards for new organisations. If anything, the threat of Brexit makes it even more of a priority to safeguard our language rights. You published your action plan for a million Welsh speakers for 2019-20 a few days ago. And this was an opportunity for you to confirm your plans and the...
Siân Gwenllian: The job description doesn’t even mention learning Welsh; it doesn’t mention that it’s desirable, it’s only an 'understanding'—however you interpret that. The truth of the matter is that you do have powers to impose standards on housing associations. And in 2015, following the original fallout, the Welsh Language Commissioner looked into the whole situation, and came to the...
Siân Gwenllian: Will you intervene to ensure that one of the cornerstones of your million Welsh speakers strategy, in terms of the workforce, is maintained, by sending a public letter to urge Cartrefi Cymunedol Gwynedd to reconsider?
Siân Gwenllian: Thank you, Llywydd. Five years ago, I represented Gwynedd Council on the Cartrefi Cymunedol Gwynedd board, which is the housing association responsible for managing over 6,300 homes in Gwynedd. The majority of the staff of the organisation are Welsh speakers, the Welsh language is a language of the majority of the population served by this organisation, and the headquarters is in one of the...
Siân Gwenllian: Will the Minister outline the Welsh Government's international relations strategy?
Siân Gwenllian: Unlike the Tories, you’ll be pleased to hear that Plaid Cymru is very pleased to see this Bill begin its journey. I have to add one caveat to that, and that is: 'at last'. That is to say it has taken us some time to get to this point today, although one does appreciate that we have got here, and I do believe that the Assembly passed in principle the need for a Bill of this kind back in...
Siân Gwenllian: There is quite some concern about the future of an innovative project, the Ffarm Moelyci project, in my constituency. The Cwm Harry trust are almost two years into a three-year project, which is led by a German university, as part of the INTERREG programme, which includes 11 partners in five European nations. The project has ordered a large biomass processor and is about to spend tens of...
Siân Gwenllian: 5. Will the Counsel General provide an update on schemes that are nearing completion and are currently in receipt of EU structural funds? OAQ53617
Siân Gwenllian: Will the Minister provide an update on the north Wales growth deal in relation to business parks?
Siân Gwenllian: Whilst you were at Buckingham Palace, this place heard that the health board had misled the public on the issue of downgrading the service in Bangor. Since then, a prominent member of the health board has resigned in protest—a very grave step—and yet your Government still doesn’t intend to intervene. Isn’t the truth of the matter that it’s the political agenda of the Labour Party...
Siân Gwenllian: 1. Will the First Minister instruct Betsi Cadawladr University Health Board to conduct a new consultation into the future of emergency vascular services in Ysbyty Gwynedd? OAQ53603
Siân Gwenllian: As you’ll know, one in four children of four and five years of age are either overweight or obese. England and Scotland have set targets to halve obesity among children and young people by 2030. Why doesn’t the Welsh Government have a target? As with tackling poverty, without a target it’s impossible to see how the future should look. There is no clear aim to be delivered and no means...
Siân Gwenllian: To help with that discussion, therefore, may I suggest that there are a number of questions that you and the education department within Government could be asking? Are there too many layers in our education system? Do these create unnecessary bureaucracy? Is there too much duplication of work? And is that a good use of the scarce funding in the education pot? For example, are there too many...
Siân Gwenllian: Thank you very much, and I'm very pleased to hear that last announcement. I know that my colleague in Westminster, Ben Lake, has been pursuing this issue, so I'm very grateful to hear that—that'll be good news for our schools. But, to return to direct funding, just to put it on the record, Plaid Cymru is willing to consider any proposals that would deliver better outcomes for our children....
Siân Gwenllian: Thank you, Llywydd. Headteachers the length and breadth of Wales are warning that there is a funding crisis facing our schools and that this will have far-reaching impacts—larger class sizes, fewer teachers, the condition of buildings deteriorating, reduction in the support for additional learning needs, cuts to pastoral services and well-being services. We are losing hundreds of our most...
Siân Gwenllian: 2. Will the Minister make a statement on Welsh Government efforts to tackle obesity amongst children and young people? OAQ53566
Siân Gwenllian: That’s one way of dealing with it, and since I’ve raised this issue, I’ve been surprised by the number of people who have been in touch with me and have proposed various solutions to the problem. You’ve mentioned one—there are other people who have other solutions. So, this is a problem that can be sorted out. What we need is desire in Government to actually tackle the problem....
