Vikki Howells: Diolch, Dirprwy Llywydd, and thank you, Cabinet Secretary, for your statement today. It’s really positive to hear about the response to your call for bids, and I look forward to the release of the full list of successful applicants. I know you can’t share too many details yet, but it’s really good to hear about the inclusion of small-scale foundational businesses in this programme,...
Vikki Howells: First Minister, despite the progress being made in reducing fuel poverty in the Cynon Valley and across Wales through the Welsh Government’s suite of practical actions, it seems unlikely that fuel poverty will be eliminated by the previous stated target of 2018. Does the Welsh Government plan to review the fuel poverty strategy in light of that, and, if so, what lessons will be drawn from...
Vikki Howells: 3. What work is the Welsh Government undertaking to tackle fuel poverty in the Cynon Valley? (OAQ51248)
Vikki Howells: I’d like to congratulate the AMs in whose names this debate is tabled today. For my contribution, I’d like to address my comments to the second part of the motion, dealing with electric vehicles. The number of electric and hybrid vehicles on Welsh roads has increased dramatically in recent years, with nearly a twenty-fivefold increase in the four years between 2012 and 2016. This is...
Vikki Howells: Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. The Welsh Government’s code of practice and commitment to ensuring ethical employment opportunities among businesses in receipt of public funding offer clear objectives for how the private sector can help end modern-day slavery. Now, businesses like the Co-operative Group are leading the fight by offering paid work placements to victims of modern slavery...
Vikki Howells: Cabinet Secretary, former service personnel can often have difficulty in accessing new employment opportunities, despite the wealth of transferrable skills that they possess, and I’m sure you’re aware of recent media coverage about this issue. You alluded, in your answer to David Rowlands, to help that the Welsh Government provide in this area. I wonder if you could expand on that for us,...
Vikki Howells: 11. What assessment has the Cabinet Secretary made of the scale and scope of modern-day slavery in Wales? (OAQ51200)
Vikki Howells: What work is the Welsh Government undertaking to tackle fuel poverty in Wales?
Vikki Howells: I’d like to thank the Cabinet Secretary for your statement today. And as a former secondary schoolteacher myself, I wholeheartedly agree that this is a complex issue, and there is no single approach to GCSE entry that is suitable for all. We must ensure pupils are given time to reach their full potential, not entered early, and encouraged to bank a lower grade than they may be able to...
Vikki Howells: First Minister, I’m very proud that my constituency of Cynon Valley has benefited to the tune of over £100 million in new and improved educational facilities under the twenty-first century schools programme, which I understand is more than any other constituency in Wales. I know that you attended the official opening, just the other week, of the new £22 million Coleg y Cymoedd campus in...
Vikki Howells: 2. What are the Welsh Government's priorities for the allocation of funding under the 21st Century Schools programme during this Assembly term? (OAQ51210)
Vikki Howells: As a member of the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee, it was a pleasure to take part in this inquiry and also in the ensuing report. I too would like to thank all those who took the time to contribute to our inquiry. Clearly, the bus is the most well-used of all our public transport services, but also is the most inclusive form of public transport as well. It’s the only form of...
Vikki Howells: Will the First Minister outline the Welsh Government’s response to recent incidences of overcrowding on valley lines rail services?
Vikki Howells: Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on this summer’s school holiday lunch and fun clubs?
Vikki Howells: Thank you, Llywydd, for calling me to speak today. This debate marks yet another development in the devolution journey that started a little over 20 years ago. Indeed, despite the sober warnings from the Cabinet Secretary, I do find much to be hopeful of, both in terms of the distance that has been covered and of the spending proposals that he has outlined. The Cabinet Secretary has laid down...
Vikki Howells: It’s a pleasure to be able to contribute to this inquiry and to the resulting report as well, as a Member for a Valleys constituency, where improvements in rail infrastructure are so very desperately needed. For my contribution today, I want to focus on just a few of the recommendations. First of all, recommendation 10 is critical to ensuring that we meet future demand. The previous...
Vikki Howells: On Thursday 7 September, I joined members of the local community to celebrate the opening of a new Co-op store on Canal Road in Cwmbach, in my constituency. In fact, I was delighted to be asked to formally open the store. The £0.5 million development brought a disused building back to life, providing an invaluable community resource and the creation of 16 brand-new jobs. It will also...
Vikki Howells: Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. I’d like to focus my contribution today on issues relating to dystonia, which is the third most common neurological condition in Wales but an issue where public awareness is generally low. And I’d like to thank you for coming to my constituency and meeting with constituents of mine who are members of the south Wales dystonia support group, and listening to...
Vikki Howells: What actions will the Welsh Government take during this Assembly term to improve user experiences on public transport services in Wales?
Vikki Howells: First Minister, I’d like to welcome the commitment in the national strategy to a new regionally focused model of economic development. I think that’s particularly important in the face of Brexit and the loss of regional funding that we’ll experience as a result of that. However, in recent announcements on the development of a network of regional growth hubs, these seem to be primarily...
