Lesley Griffiths: No, I don't, and I think the First Minister has made it very clear why he thinks we should be part of the UK-wide inquiry. We've now applied to be a core participant, not just in module 1, but also in module 2. You refer to community health councils—well, I think it's incorrect to imply that community health councils are conducting the survey that they're doing for Welsh Government's...
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. Welsh Government had a direct role in setting the terms of reference for the UK COVID-19 inquiry. Now the inquiry is formally established, the Welsh Government will be supplying significant evidence to it, to enable action taken in Wales to be properly scrutinised.
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. Well, as you know, our policy objective is to avoid the continued extraction and consumption of all fossil fuels; to bring to a managed end the extraction and use of coal; and to ensure that just transition that we need for those employees and communities who would be affected by the change. We know that if we extend existing coaling in Wales, it would just have such a significant...
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. I am aware that both Natural Resources Wales and the planning authority's ecology officer have raised concerns regarding the proposed development, and those concerns are going to be considered, I understand, by the planning committee in due course. We have a notification direction in place that states: 'where a local planning authority does not propose to refuse an application for...
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. I am aware that a planning application has been submitted to Carmarthenshire County Council for an extension of mining at Glan Lash. At the current time, Welsh Government has not been asked to consider any extension of the corresponding Coal Authority licence authorisation. Should an application be made, we will consider it against our stated policy.
Lesley Griffiths: I think you make a very important point around mortgages. The role of Government, I think, is to have very careful stewardship of our taxes and of our money, and, certainly, it's a very reckless approach that the UK Government are taking, and we've seen the headlines today around mortgages. I haven't had the opportunity to discuss with the Minister for Climate Change anything around a...
Lesley Griffiths: As I said, the Minister for Climate Change, who obviously has responsibility for housing, is currently considering the maximum social rent increases, for instance, in Wales, and an announcement will be made in due course. I'm not here to make up housing policy on the hoof, but I'm obviously aware that the Minister is looking very closely at what the Scottish Government have done. But it is...
Lesley Griffiths: You mentioned the policy that the Scottish Government are now bringing forward. I think I answered last week on behalf of the Minister for Climate Change to say that she will, obviously, look very carefully at it, but it is really important that we don't get unintended consequences from such a policy. You mentioned what we did during the COVID-19 pandemic to protect people from evictions,...
Lesley Griffiths: First of all, I represent the city of Wrexham, not the town of Wrexham. It's not a matter of—. Of course we're sorry that people have to wait for a lengthy time. You paint this picture of the rest of the UK that just isn't true. I mentioned the significant funding that the Minister for Health and Social Services put in, I mentioned how we've seen a drop again for the fourth consecutive...
Lesley Griffiths: I go back—it's not a matter of saying 'sorry', is it? It's about making sure that we are able to help the health board deliver the procedures and the surgery that are required as soon as possible. You make it sound as if it's only in Wales that we have waiting lists; of course we have waiting lists right across the UK. I appreciate we are looking at north Wales now and, as you're aware,...
Lesley Griffiths: Well, of course, we don't want anybody to be waiting for lengthy periods of time. If you're in pain and you need surgery, then obviously we want to get that surgery and those procedures as quickly as possible. You'll be aware the Minister for Health and Social Services has put significant funding into the NHS, and it includes the north Wales health board, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health...
Lesley Griffiths: Well, I don't recognise the picture that you're portraying. I certainly don't think physics teachers and the word 'crisis' go together, and I certainly don't think that the Minister for Education and Welsh Language would agree with you either. I think it's fair to say that the recruitment to ITE of students studying to teach physics does remain below our desired position, and ITE partnerships...
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. We continually assess the numbers of physics teachers in post, and the numbers of appointments against posts advertised has remained relatively constant over the last five years. In 2020-21, an increase in overall recruitment to secondary initial teacher education programmes resulted in 36 per cent of new entrants studying to teach STEM subjects.
Lesley Griffiths: Absolutely. Everybody has the right to peaceful protest, and I hear what you say around the devolution of justice. Obviously, that is something that is being discussed at the current time. The Public Order Bill, I think, now has been delayed. Certainly, we will not be bringing an LCM forward to the Senedd at the current time.
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. Yes, I absolutely would join with you in commending the work that they do. They're very visible on the streets of our villages, and, obviously, I know Coedpoeth very well. I think the reason that we brought forward the funding for another 100 PCSOs, plugging Home Office gaps, shall we say, was in relation to making sure that that support is on our streets, making people feel safer.
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. You mentioned having dispersal orders—I think you said just outside your constituency. Obviously, that's a matter for police operations, but it certainly underlines the importance of the preventative approach that we as a Government take to anti-social behaviour. I mentioned that the Minister for Social Justice absolutely has that partnership approach in everything she does...
Lesley Griffiths: I think Jayne Bryant makes a really important point, and I know, as an MS, our postbags often have a lot of constituents who are very concerned about what maybe you would call 'low-level' anti-social behaviour. Everybody has the right to peace and quiet in their own homes, and you've just raised an important issue around communities also. And I think, of course, our communities are generally...
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. While policing is a reserved matter currently, we are committed to continuing to do all we can to help reduce anti-social behaviour, working closely with the Home Office on this. We are currently funding 600 police community support officers to help keep people and communities safe across Wales.
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. You raise a very important point, and clearly the Welsh Government needs to work very closely with the UK Government in relation to many of the issues you raise. You'll appreciate that the new Government coming in hasn't been a usual—. They certainly haven't had a honeymoon period, have they? It's been a difficult time to engage with the new Ministers, so I'm not aware of any...
Lesley Griffiths: Since November 2021, we've announced £380 million funding to help Welsh households manage the cost-of-living crisis. Leasing Scheme Wales is improving access to longer term affordable private rented sector housing. An additional £6 million homelessness prevention fund has been provided to local authorities to help sustain tenancies for people and avoid homelessness.
