Mark Isherwood: I've unmuted. Thank you. I received a briefing, alongside Welsh Conservative MPs in north-east Wales, from Airbus last night. We note that tomorrow, when the announcements are likely to have detail added to them—we hope that it is going to be dealt with without compulsory redundancies. But I hope to touch on that later in a topical question. On 9 April Airbus announced it was cutting...
Mark Isherwood: 3. How is the Welsh Government supporting tourism in North Wales? OQ55351
Mark Isherwood: Paul Davies opened for us by emphasising that the coronavirus pandemic is both a public health and economic emergency, with high numbers of employees furloughed in Wales, the threat to jobs and the need to understand the challenges facing businesses, especially small and medium businesses. He talked about the structural inequalities in Wales that haven't been tackled by the Welsh Government...
Mark Isherwood: It's understood, as you know, that 200 staff at the 2 Sisters plant in Llangefni have now tested positive and 97 at Rowan Foods, just down the road from me in Wrexham. How do you respond to the statement by Ynys Môn MP, Virginia Crosbie, that although the initial closure of the 2 Sisters plant for two weeks is vital for the—? In addition to the initial closure, she said it's vital for the...
Mark Isherwood: Well, new regulations came into force in Wales last month in respect of the pre-application consultation for developments of national significance during this pandemic. Although these claim to introduce safeguards to guarantee that the revised process is as inclusive as possible, concern has been raised with me that they will allow applicants to conduct a consultation virtually and that,...
Mark Isherwood: Thank you. In November 2017 and again in May 2019, you wrote to Flintshire council stating that it was extremely disappointing that that authority had submitted a further request to extend the time taken to prepare its local development plan, especially in the light of previous assurances, and that this was particularly pertinent as that authority is continuing to suffer the pressure of...
Mark Isherwood: Diolch. Last Sunday, all Members of the Senedd received an e-mail from a Flintshire resident whose complaint against Flintshire council regarding a development in Flintshire had been upheld by the ombudsman for Wales, but who stated that there needs to be an inquiry into the approval of this development, with the officers involved being held to account. I've received several similar...
Mark Isherwood: Has the Welsh Government made an assessment of how the coronavirus pandemic has affected those in fuel poverty?
Mark Isherwood: As a devout Muslim, Oscar was a man of tolerance, compassion, inclusion. An example to people of all faiths and all beliefs, and we all know that because we all experienced that first-hand. He was quietly proud, as we heard, to have carried the Olympic torch, to be a multilinguist. And, even adding new languages, as we heard, in the last weeks of his life, to his vocabulary. He was quietly...
Mark Isherwood: Right. Small bed and breakfasts, already referred to, are a mainstay of many local economies across north Wales—real small businesses providing essential income for their owners. They're eligible for a business grant in England. After I questioned you three weeks ago about Welsh Government support for them, they told me they found your comments condescending and insulting. I then wrote to...
Mark Isherwood: How do you respond to yesterday's statement by the British Association of Private Dentistry in Wales, which has grown from nought to 400 members in under a week, that many patients are suffering needlessly, and that urgent action to deliver routine dentistry under interim standard operating procedures and personal protective equipment is required to allow the Welsh population the same care as...
Mark Isherwood: [Inaudible.]
Mark Isherwood: Thank you. Last week, Vaughan Gething stated that the Welsh Government's position on managing coronavirus was overwhelmingly supported by members of the public, so, let me burst their bubble by quoting from some of the hundreds of e-mails I've received stating otherwise. The scene was set at the start of lockdown by people in isolation stating that they had next to no information from the...
Mark Isherwood: I've done it. Can you hear me?
Mark Isherwood: Thank you. I thought it was automatic, apologies. Nursing homes are receiving a temporary fee increase for adult social care placements, but this excludes health board-funded placements. With regard to continuing healthcare funding, Care Forum Wales has highlighted that nursing homes in north Wales are disadvantaged by comparison with elsewhere. How do you, therefore, respond to sector...
Mark Isherwood: I am there. Yes, I'm here.
Mark Isherwood: Sorry, my sound might have been off, but I am there.
Mark Isherwood: Right. On hate crimes, ignorance and prejudice, there's some wonderful work, for instance in north Wales, NWAMI, Networking for World Awareness of Multicultural Integration, which recognises that the best way to tackle that is through integration, through engagement, through sharing together. They're doing some wonderful work during the pandemic delivering food parcels, particularly to...
Mark Isherwood: In England, small bed-and-breakfast businesses are already eligible for a business grant, but the Welsh Government still excludes these businesses in Wales. A fortnight ago, the finance Minister told me you look forward to making an announcement, but you failed to do so today. How, therefore, do you respond to desperate bed-and-breakfast businesses in north Wales asking me to try and get...
Mark Isherwood: There we are. Okay, thank you. Reinforcing the statement by the leader of the Welsh Local Government Association that tracking and tracing coronavirus cases in Wales is a mammoth task, and councils would need significant additional resources for the vital work, Welsh Conservative local authority leaders told me yesterday that they seek clarity from the Welsh Government on its 'Test Trace...
