Rhun ap Iorwerth: —a future—I will wind up—driven by green economic stimulus, creating 60,000 jobs, as we've mentioned, meeting our needs in terms of the climate and employment and higher salaries at the same time, and igniting the Welsh economy. And that's why the Welsh budget would be in safer hands in Plaid Cymru hands after the election in May, and that's why we'll be voting against this budget.
Rhun ap Iorwerth: This is a budget that we in Plaid Cymru hope to inherit in a little over two months' time, so I will start with those parts that we welcome, although we do believe that the Government could have gone further. The £380 million in addition for the NHS, we welcome that. We welcome any additional funding for health and care at this time, given the acute pressures faced during the pandemic, and...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: 'For instance, Wales has a higher share of retail, leisure and hospitality properties (43%) compared to England (38%)—though this is likely to be offset by their lower average rateable values. Their lower rateable values meant that a relatively larger share of Welsh premises (75%) qualify for the £10,000 grant compared to England (70%). This is despite the fact that the grant is only made...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: You only need to read the explanatory notes with this third supplementary budget and you will see what an unprecedented year this has been. I'm sure we can all agree to that. Huge allocations like this within financial years isn't something that we've traditionally seen as part of the usual budgetary processes over the years. May I praise the comments made by Llyr Gruffydd as Chair of the...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Two changes here that we agree with, the first relating to venues for weddings and civil partnerships, and the second allowing households with one child under the age of one to form an extended household. I'm very pleased to see this happening in terms of well-being, and I make specific reference to the work that Bethan Sayed has done in this particular area, where she's been raising...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: May I once again congratulate everyone who has ensured that we've reached these incredible milestones—over 1 million people having their first dose; almost 1.2 million will have had either their first or second doses. It bodes very well for reaching targets in the coming months. I'll make a few points, as I do every week. You don't need to respond to these, Minister, because we know that we...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Thank you for that response. I had a meeting recently with Soroptimist International on Anglesey, an organisation doing very valuable work in the area of modern slavery and county lines, and raising awareness and so on. They are concerned that the pandemic has made it more difficult to identify modern slavery, with those suffering being more isolated and more hidden from sight during lockdown...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: 2. Will the Deputy Minister make a statement on efforts to prevent modern slavery in north Wales? OQ56405
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Thanks for the opportunity to speak in this debate. It's an unusual one in that it brings together two conflicting petitions, two contrasting opinions about the same issue. And it's a really important issue, the future of cancer services in the south-east of Wales, and whatever the particular issues at play here, however strong the opinions are about a number of different aspects of this,...
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: I'm very pleased to have been able to play a role in this hugely important inquiry. The pandemic has caused wider damage than simply the direct physical damage caused by COVID-19 itself, and I think we can expect the impact of the pandemic on mental health to last possibly longer than the impact on physical health. We heard as part of this inquiry about the direct impact of the pandemic and...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Thank you. The fall in traffic through the port is a cause of great concern for me. As one article on thejournal.ie said a few of days ago:
Rhun ap Iorwerth: 'When faced with a choice between a business taking a chance on a faster route that could end up being delayed for hours, or a slower route that will be guaranteed to arrive on time, businesses have—so far—been choosing certainty.'
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Business, of course, likes certainty. The same article mentions the additional costs that exist now that impact on businesses and their customers. One company from Beaumaris told me that the cost of importing £1,500 worth of goods would be £200 higher now than it would have been previously. What is the Welsh Government doing in negotiations with the UK and Irish Governments to try to...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: 7. Will the Counsel General make a statement on the impact of leaving the European Union on ferry traffic through the Port of Holyhead? OQ56354
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: Thank you very much and welcome back, Deputy Llywydd. If I may ask for some clarity on two particular areas, the first is vaccination for unpaid carers. We got some clarity from the First Minister a little earlier—I was pleased to hear that—in terms of the process of deciding which carers will qualify for a vaccination in priority group 6. It's clear that those carers will have to make an...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: May I ask for a statement from the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales as a matter of urgency following the decision by the Joloda Hydraroll company to move as many as 27 jobs from Gaerwen on Anglesey to Liverpool? This has been a very important employer on the island for many decades, and I'm very concerned about the workforce and their families now, who've been told that they...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Thank you. The sector certainly needs further support. There are still businesses who are only receiving a little support, or virtually none—those who are self-employed, those who don't pay their staff through PAYE, businesses that opened too close to the original lockdown, those that are receiving the self-employment income support grants, but therefore haven't been eligible for the grants...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Well, I'm pleased that you referred to young people, because, as you said, the stats demonstrate that young people do suffer more. And we know that the pandemic has had a very grave impact on the mental health of people and that young people have suffered more than anyone. Early access to care for young people is particularly important in trying to prevent problems from becoming more acute in...
