John Griffiths: 6. What further steps will the Welsh Government take to extend broadband coverage in Wales? OAQ52169
John Griffiths: Yes, First Minister, sport and fitness are obviously vital for health and general quality of life and, thankfully, Newport is building a strong reputation in terms of its activities and facilities. As you mentioned, Newport Live is the bedrock, really, of delivery in Newport with over 1.6 million participants at leisure facilities annually and they work in close partnership with Newport City...
John Griffiths: 2. Will the First Minister make a statement on Welsh Government support for sport and fitness in Newport? OAQ52164
John Griffiths: —certainly—given the drink patterns that we're familiar with. I give way to Simon Thomas.
John Griffiths: I very much accept that there needs to be a continuing debate about all aspects of the proposed legislation, including the minimum unit price. But I do very much believe that, given the scale of the harm that alcohol causes, and indeed the health inequalities that are involved, there is a real responsibility here on Welsh Government to act. This is, in some respects, a fairly courageous...
John Griffiths: I very much support the Welsh Government's policy of introducing a minimum unit price for alcohol, and thankfully I'm not alone in that, given that so many organisations with expertise in the field in terms of how you reduce harm from alcohol also support this policy. Many health organisations, for, I guess, fairly obvious reasons—obvious to most of us, anyway—also support this policy,...
John Griffiths: I would like to reinforce, Minister, that it does seem as if the UK Government is seeking political cover for the decision that they've made by trying to explain it, at least partly, in terms of aligning with Welsh Government policy on the location of jobs and relocation of jobs to the Valleys, because, as well as Better Jobs, Closer to Home moving in the opposite direction to that...
John Griffiths: Cabinet Secretary, one missing link, which has been the subject of a great deal of frustration for quite some time in my area, a missing link in terms of joining up south-east Wales is the Newport to Ebbw Vale passenger rail link. It's long been eagerly awaited and I wonder if you can, in responding to questions on this statement today, provide any further information on when we can expect...
John Griffiths: Cabinet Secretary, there is growing evidence and support for a default 20 mph speed limit in urban areas, with provision for lower or higher limits on particular roads. The evidence is that there would be fewer crashes, fewer casualties, fewer fatalities, and that traffic would move more freely, with lower emissions. It has strong public support, and it's estimated that tens of millions of...
John Griffiths: 1. What further steps will the Welsh Government take to improve road safety in Wales? OAQ52077
John Griffiths: As you've said already, Minister, I think we do need to understand the particular situations across Wales if we're going to make the progress necessary to meet the demand for homes in our country. In Newport, it's clear that that pressure for new homes is very considerable indeed. Since July of last year, when the announcement was made that the tolls on the Severn crossings would be...
John Griffiths: Um—
John Griffiths: Yes.
John Griffiths: Whichever way you look at it, Janet, it's a UK Government matter. The UK Government decided that a new name was required, decided what the new name should be and decided to take it forward without public consultation. So, that's where the responsibility lies. Dirprwy Lywydd, let me say that I believe that the UK Government's actions in this matter could reasonably be characterised and...
John Griffiths: Diolch, Dirprwy Llywydd. First of all, I would like to make the point that names do matter. They really do matter. They send signals and they're symbolically important, and they do mean something to people. Dirprwy Lywydd, I would much prefer to be living in a republic with its strong messages of citizenship, empowerment and position from achievement and ability, rather than accident of...
John Griffiths: Minister, I wanted to ask you about individual learning accounts. What are your plans in terms of the launch of pilots, and will you ensure, and how will you ensure, that the lessons to be learnt from previous versions of the ILAs properly inform the new version?
John Griffiths: I too think that this is a very important statement today because of the public health issues and also pollution generally and the quality of our environment. I know that the British Heart Foundation have done a lot of research, spending millions of pounds, on the connection between air pollution and heart disease, and they're quite clear that this is a priority for them. Outdoor air...
John Griffiths: Thank you for that. Cabinet Secretary, more broadly, growing up in Newport, I know many people who are part of the Windrush generation, having come to Wales from the Caribbean post second world war, and made huge contributions to our communities, our economy and, indeed, our public services. I share the current outrage at the way that the UK Government is conducting checks on the status of...
John Griffiths: 4. What progress is the Welsh Government making in implementing its policy on asylum seekers and refugees? OAQ52009
John Griffiths: Leader of the house, I wonder if we might have a Government statement or debate on road safety in Wales, in the context of the new powers devolved under the Wales Act 2017 giving the Executive and the legislature powers to set speed limits and the recent Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development report, which called for a 20 mph default speed limit for built-up areas, something...
