Rhun ap Iorwerth: ...at evidence when it comes to masks, for example, and if evidence can point to ways in which we can lift restrictions, let's follow that evidence too. It works both ways. So, as we head into the school holidays, either you believe that travelling abroad is safe, with the relevant safeguards in place, or you believe it's not. And if not, give us the evidence and put forward regulations that...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: ...pressing, because I think it does need to be rolled out as part of the offer to bring more people in as soon as possible to have the vaccination. I'll note here a major discontent in the world of education following the announcement of the education Minister yesterday. As the health Minister, where the understanding of rules and consistency of how rules are implemented across Wales are...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: ...Government at Westminster is systematically trying to undermine Wales's national Parliament and Government. And to the Conservatives here, saying they'd rather be talking about health and education than focusing on constitutional affairs, apart from reminding you that you chose to spend an hour last week talking about a Brexit referendum of five years ago, I'll remind you that it's because...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: ...said that children's poverty is the biggest challenge facing your Government. It was true before this pandemic. As we've argued for many months, the children's commissioner is arguing that free school meals should now be extended. You could speed up your review of that, you could just do what we've been calling for and extend free school meals to children in every family in receipt of...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: ...the importance of specialist CAMHS services either. And there was an increase in referrals in the first four months of this year compared to last year. But the Senedd's Children, Young People and Education Committee did a lot of work on the impact of the pandemic, and in particular highlighted this problem of the missing middle—the significant number of children and young people who need...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: ...85 per cent. But where is the response to that? We see an increase and progress in the vaccination process, as a result of the delta variant. We see catch-up programmes being introduced in terms of education, but when it comes to mental health problems, serious problems, I don't see the same seriousness in the response. Now, as the health Minister in 2015, you said that it was important...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Thank you very much, Llywydd. First Minister, around a year ago, you were announcing that schools were to reopen again after a long lockdown, but, of course, we know how much feeling isolated, being separated from friends has had a heavy impact on the well-being and mental health of young people. Now, throughout the pandemic, the proportion of young people waiting over four weeks for an...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: ...have an impact on us here in Wales. So, if we reach a point where England removes all restrictions, what plans in terms of intensive communication will the Welsh Government have ready in order to educate and share information with people visiting Wales, for example, that the situation is different here if restrictions remain in place in Wales at that point? We know what the difficulties...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: ...to transforming Wales? What hope is there in terms of transforming the lives of 67,000 people on waiting lists for social housing, the 70,000 people living in poverty who don't qualify for free school meals? So, where's the realisation of the scale of the crisis in terms of the impact of second homes on rural housing? Where are the statutory targets on safeguarding biodiversity? There are...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: ...the potential of investing in the use of ultraviolet-C light—UVC—in order to disinfect against COVID. I understand that the Irish Government has now agreed to provide and ensure clean air in schools in Ireland through UVC and air filtering. Here in Wales, I know that Carmarthenshire is prepared to pilot this in schools. I know also that Anglesey council are very eager to trial this—a...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: ...workers who are in contact with COVID patients, and also I'd like a report specifically on the potential of introducing ultra-violet UVC light, which could be so useful in settings such as schools, for example, to disinfect. There are a number of other points and I will put them, as I say, in a letter to you. We need to know, for example, what steps will be taken to allow things such as...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: ...and will appreciate the role of an opposition party in trying to influence policy and changing direction when we need to do that. That's why, when the Minister said there was no case for a medical school for north Wales, we were determined to continue to campaign on that, and we're pleased to see the change of mind there. To COVID now, the situation in Wales is improving, and that's...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: ...broad-ranging regulations, and may I say at the outset that I agree with the general direction of travel and the pace or caution in terms of lifting restrictions generally? In terms of reopening schools and colleges, I think we all see that as a priority, and I'm pleased that we have moved from 'stay at home' to 'stay local', and, though it's a matter of guidance rather than something that...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: ...to look after us? How many of us have stopped to think and realise that care doesn't just happen? We're cared for because people—our friends and neighbours, people we grew up with, went to school with—decided to commit their professional lives to caring as nurses and as physios and domiciliary carers and doctors and speech and language therapists, and it's such a long list, I couldn't...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: ...50 million for the track and trace work. I'm pleased that the local government hardship fund has received an additional allocation of £207 million, with a further allocation of £224 million for education and housing, and £200 million for business support. That's to be welcomed too. But of course, we know that that is only scratching the surface given the needs of businesses and the...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: ...a risk that economic hardship, as a result of the pandemic, could place more people in a vulnerable position, where they could be open to exploitation. And there's also a concern that the fact that schools are closed makes it more difficult to identify children who've been drawn into county lines. So, can I ask what study the Welsh Government has made of the impact of the pandemic on...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: We have two petitions before us today—one an appeal for prioritisation for police officers for COVID vaccination, the other the prioritisation of school staff and childcare staff. The Minister will be aware that I have raised these issues with him on a number of occasions. He was complaining in the health committee this morning that I'd brought the issue up three times in just a few days....
Rhun ap Iorwerth: We will vote in favour of these regulations today. I do look forward, however, to seeing us being able to move further in terms of pupils returning to education, whilst also making the point that the vaccination of staff could play a major role in building confidence in the ability to allow that to happen safely. And in terms of allowing four people from two different households to exercise...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: ...Government has put in place to allow the recruitment and retention of nurses in order to deliver against these regulations? And would the Minister accept that we need significant investment now in education and training for nurses to ensure that there are sufficient numbers of nurses and other health professionals coming into the NHS in the very challenging period that we face?
Rhun ap Iorwerth: ...communication? I want to turn to the possible broadening of vaccination priority categories. Again, I have regularly called for bringing into the prioritisation lists those working in key roles, in schools, in public transport, the police, other emergency services and so on. Your Government has consistently said, 'No, we'll stick with the JCVI advice', but can I urge you to consider a...
