John Griffiths: 7. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on Welsh Government preparation for the use of its forthcoming powers of taxation? OAQ51416
John Griffiths: 6. Will the Leader of the House provide an update on the implementation of the Welsh Government's response to the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee report on refugees and asylum seekers? OAQ51402
John Griffiths: Air quality is certainly a major issue for public health, and also for the environment. I think we've already heard some very important themes that need to be fully addressed if we are to make the sort of progress I'm sure we would all like to see. Yes, it is a major challenge in urban areas in Wales, in our cities and towns, as well as elsewhere. As far as the towns and cities are concerned,...
John Griffiths: I wonder if I could begin by raising some concerns in terms of capital funds' availability, because I know that there are concerns that limitations to capital may result in offices closing and the unavailability of staff to provide a service in particular areas. For example, when leases expire, if there isn't sufficient capital to obtain premises and, indeed, equipment, then there may be a...
John Griffiths: Cabinet Secretary, this morning, a launch took place here of the University of South Wales's report on the social impact of problem gambling. It seems clear that this is increasingly becoming a public health issue affecting people's health and well-being. There are questions about the location of bookmakers and fixed-odds betting terminals in the most deprived areas geographically, and also...
John Griffiths: 4. What further steps will the Welsh Government take to reduce health inequalities in Wales? OAQ51278
John Griffiths: I first met Carl when he was elected to the Assembly in 2003, and as we've heard, he took great pride in representing his constituency, and as some here, I think, will remember, when local issues arose, he was sometimes keen to differentiate himself from the regional AMs for north Wales who, of course, covered the whole of the area. And often, he would preface his contributions in the Chamber...
John Griffiths: Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. Could I first thank Members very much for their level of interest and, indeed, their level of passion for these issues, including Assembly Members who are not members of the committee? I think their contributions were very valuable, actually, in providing balance in terms of experience of Communities First. It was very good to hear, for example, from Hefin David, Dawn...
John Griffiths: Diolch, Llywydd. I’m pleased to open today’s debate, and I’d firstly like to thank all those who provided written and oral evidence to this inquiry, as well as the staff and service users that we met on our visits, and place on record our acknowledgment of the significant and important work that has been delivered by Communities First projects and staff across Wales over the last 16...
John Griffiths: I very much support the Bill because of the, I think, considerable range of harms that alcohol abuse and problem drinking are responsible for in Wales: health; working days lost, so the economic impact; and, indeed, the sort of society we are and the cultural aspects of that. I very much take on board what the Minister has just said that it is a health inequality issue as well. We know that...
John Griffiths: Cabinet Secretary, in order to effectively rehabilitate those leaving prison it’s very important that they have a roof over their heads. The Housing (Wales) Act 2014 meant that prison leavers were no longer automatically categorised as being in priority need for housing. There was a 2017 post-implementation evaluation of that legislation, which stated that amongst those groups not having...
John Griffiths: What further steps will the Cabinet Secretary take to improve air quality in Wales?
John Griffiths: Llywydd, I represent Newport East, which is ethnically diverse. I was born and brought up in Pill in Newport, which is ethnically diverse, much more so now than in my youth. The EU enlargement, for example, has added considerable pace to that. There have always been tensions, I think, in such areas, along racial lines, but it certainly has got worse, in my experience, in recent times, partly...
John Griffiths: First Minister, I went on the breakfast run with the Wallich the week before last, and it was very impressive to see the support and services they offer—hot food, hot drinks, clothing, advice about accommodation, GP appointments; there is a whole range of very important support measures and advice offered by the Wallich. We also heard first-hand from rough sleepers just what they thought...
John Griffiths: Minister, I’m very pleased about the direction of travel and your statement today. In Newport, as I know you’re aware, we’ve been working towards bringing leisure, sports, health, local authorities, the voluntary sector, professional sports clubs and grass-roots sports together, with a series of meetings to try to get a more active local population and to try to address that wider...
John Griffiths: How will the Welsh Government prepare for the opportunities arising from the abolition of tolls on the Severn crossings?
John Griffiths: Cabinet Secretary, I’m sure you’d agree with me that the recent announcement by CAF of the 200 to 300 jobs in Newport—quality jobs building the trains of the future to help take that integrated transport system forward—is very valuable, and I’d be very interested to know how we can capitalise on that investment by attracting further investment and, indeed, making sure that local...
John Griffiths: Diolch yn fawr, Cadeirydd. I’m very pleased to be able to contribute to today’s debate as Chair of the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee, and I’d like to thank all those who provided evidence to us to help inform our work—in particular, tenants across Wales who took time out to attend our focus group events. I would like to thank the committee for their work on the...
John Griffiths: Will the First Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's strategy for economic development in Newport East?
John Griffiths: Cabinet Secretary, children spend relatively little time in school compared to time out of school, so it’s obviously very, very important that the home and, indeed, the community in which they live contribute to and encourage their education. Community-focused schools are a great way of building that partnership between the school, the family and the wider community. The facilities, sadly,...
