Bethan Sayed: Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. Today, obviously, as has been said, we’ve had the consultative result of the ballot. It’s clear that, despite what was a stark choice for the Tata workforce, one that was a choice between pensions and future investment in the plant, they’ve decided to keep their faith in Tata Steel. But would you agree with me that now it is time for Tata Steel to step up...
Bethan Sayed: Thank you very much. Again, I didn’t pay anybody for the compliments, but thank you very much anyway. I’m sure my leader won’t be able to give me a row for something you’ve said. That would be a new thing for me, but, hey, wonders will never cease. What can I say? With regard to S4C, I mean, you know, we would agree on these benches, of course, that the cuts to S4C should never have...
Bethan Sayed: Thank you, Dai, for those very kind words. I didn’t pay Dai Lloyd to say those things, I can assure you. We have been scrutinising ITV, the BBC and others on a regular basis, as part of this inquiry, but as a committee that has ‘communication’ in its title, I think it’s important for us to set the political agenda to ensure that those in the media field are accountable to us and that...
Bethan Sayed: Minister, traders in Neath market have, for some time, been offered reduced business rates, with some benefiting from paying none at all. However, recently, I spoke with some traders in the market who informed me that Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council have increased their rents to the point where some will be forced to close or move their business elsewhere. Would you agree that...
Bethan Sayed: I’m just responding as Chair of the Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee in the context—as mentioned by Darren Miller earlier—of the inquiry we’re conducting into music in education, not because we as AMs wanted to do it, but because the public, through an opinion poll that we set up, decided for us that we should look at this issue because, despite the many task and...
Bethan Sayed: Will the First Minister provide an update on the provision of financial education in Wales?
Bethan Sayed: Yesterday, when I knew I was coming in on this supplementary, I did a little question on Facebook to ask people what they thought of the fact that these campaigns have happened. Many people were aware, but there was quite a shocking amount of people who weren’t aware that these publicity campaigns even existed. I could find, via Women’s Aid, some analysis of what’s happened in the...
Bethan Sayed: Thank you, and I look forward to that statement, because I think many people in the sector want to know exactly how any new scheme can be effective in targeting poverty. Many of the people I’ve talked to in the last few weeks have said that it’s about the economy and boosting the job market for the less well-off: for example, more jobs closer to disadvantaged areas, action to improve...
Bethan Sayed: That answers the question for Neath Port Talbot, but it doesn’t in terms of Bridgend. It wasn’t a criticism; I was trying to find out the differences between the operations and why you’ve made that decision, and I’m still not really that clear. On the wider Communities First agenda, I’m hearing from those who have an interest in the future of Communities First that the consultation...
Bethan Sayed: Thank you. My first question is something I’ve raised with you quite a lot now in the last few weeks. With regard to NSA Afan, I wondered whether we could have an update on the inquiry, specifically because I’m getting contacts from people in Bettws who have funding streams through the delivery of this service and they tell me they don’t have a clue as to what is happening. What isn’t...
Bethan Sayed: I don’t want to misinterpret what’s been said, but I think in response to me previously, you’ve said that you wanted to take a comprehensive and effective approach, and you’ve said that you wanted to look at what the UK was doing to be able to take stock of what we could be doing here in Wales, so that we weren’t replicating or putting a register in place that wasn’t necessary....
Bethan Sayed: Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement about the investigation into funding irregularities at NSA Afan?
Bethan Sayed: Thank you. Having received concerns from stakeholders, and taking into account the fact that the Assembly rejected the Welsh Language Standards (No. 3) Regulations, the Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee agreed that it should consider the regulations under Standing Order 27.8 and report our conclusions to the Assembly. After the regulations were laid, we wrote to Cymdeithas...
Bethan Sayed: At the end of February, it is Eating Disorders Awareness Week, and I was wondering whether you would be able to table a debate from the Government on the work that’s being done in Wales on eating disorders. I know and appreciate that we’ve agreed some more funding for eating disorders via the discussions between Plaid Cymru and Labour during the budget negotiations, and there still needs...
Bethan Sayed: I think the Cabinet Secretary will want to come back and clarify the outcome of this, but, as you’re aware, there are discussions ongoing, not only with the local authority on safeguarding the services but also discussions with the police. So, at this point in time, it’s limited what can be said beyond what’s in the written statement and beyond the answer to your question last week. But...
Bethan Sayed: I appreciate that we’ve had a written statement on NSA Afan in my region, but I would like to ask for an oral statement on how exactly the Welsh Government is conducting its inquiry into allegations of financial irregularities at NSA Afan. Not one substantive allegation has been put to them, according to NSA Afan and what they’ve told me, but let me make it absolutely clear that I’m not...
Bethan Sayed: Yes, they are, but they’re not taking a view on this deal, and I think they should be taking a view. If they think that it’s the right deal to take, then they should be saying that, and I haven’t heard them going that far. Generally, I’ve found the steelworkers I’ve spoken to divided into two camps. It isn’t ageist to say that the older staff are more entrenched, more likely to...
Bethan Sayed: Thank you. I have considered the arguments that some politicians have made, and others in the political sphere, that we should keep our noses out of this deal currently being offered by Tata to its workforce. I can see what they say, but then I was considering when it has ever been the case that politicians have not taken a view on such issues. Adam Price referred to miners’ pensions. ASW...
Bethan Sayed: Diolch. I would like to echo what Sian Gwenllian has already said, and also pick up on the points eloquently made by Dawn Bowden also in relation to the fact that I think some people in this Chamber don’t actually understand how decisions are made in trade unions. I’ve never been in a discussion where striking is a first resort—it’s always been, in fact, erring on the side of caution,...
Bethan Sayed: There are elements of what has happened at NSA Afan that are currently under police investigation, as you mentioned—and I think, obviously, we need to be sensitive to that—but it is your Government’s involvement and looking into a series of allegations made by a whistleblower in December last year about financial irregularities, which are currently, as I understand it, not the subject...
