Cefin Campbell: Thank you very much. Perhaps I should be declaring an interest because I have two daughters at university at the moment, and I've had a number of e-mails from students, many of them in the two universities that happen to be located in my region. So, I'm very aware of the increasing pressure on university students as a result of the cost-of-living crisis. Indeed, whilst inflation continues to...
Cefin Campbell: 2. What support is the Government providing to university students across mid and west Wales as the cost-of-living crisis intensifies? OQ58543
Cefin Campbell: 9. What assessment has the Welsh Government undertaken of NHS staffing levels in mid and west Wales? OQ58544
Cefin Campbell: Thank you very much. As you know, homes across mid and west Wales are more reliant on off-grid fuel such as oil and biomass than other parts of Wales. In Carmarthenshire, 39 per cent of homes are not connected to the gas grid; 55 per cent in Powys, and 74 per cent in Ceredigion. This compares with an average of 19 per cent across Wales. Unlike gas, there has been no cap on the cost of this...
Cefin Campbell: 3. What is the Welsh Government doing to ensure adequate support for rural households across Mid and West Wales as they face the challenges of the cost-of-living crisis? OQ58509
Cefin Campbell: Thank you very much. I've already called publicly on councils in my region to open warm banks to help people to cope with the worst effects of the high cost of paying for energy over the winter. So, of course, I welcome the fact that the Welsh Government has already provided £1 million to support local authorities to establish warm banks, while being amazed that we need this kind of...
Cefin Campbell: 9. What support is the Welsh Government providing to local authorities in Mid and West Wales as the cost-of-living crisis intensifies? OQ58456
Cefin Campbell: Trefnydd, we've already heard about the concerns expressed by residents in mid and north Wales on the possible intention of reconfiguring Wales Air Ambulance services. We've heard from the First Minister that perhaps it's not the role of Welsh Government to deal with this issue, but I would argue that the air ambulance service is part of that bigger jigsaw, part of the range of services that...
Cefin Campbell: Thank you very much for that answer. Last month, Barclays bank announced that it was closing branches across the region, including Welshpool, Newtown and Lampeter. This has become a very common pattern over recent years. Indeed, there are about 40 per cent fewer branches that now exist in the region I represent than there were nine years ago. The impact of this is very great on our rural...
Cefin Campbell: 9. What benefits will the establishment of a community bank for Wales bring to mid and west Wales? OQ58353
Cefin Campbell: I won't be long. What we see around us is a cost-of-living crisis, the cost of fuel and food increasing, inflation at its highest level for 40 years, and some sectors unable to recruit workers—and there are a number of them here; I won't list them all. In the view of Plaid Cymru, rejoining the single market is the only sensible way of responding to these acute problems that have been caused...
Cefin Campbell: Well, Joyce, Brexit has been a decidedly detrimental factor. We cannot just allow this to happen; we have to set ourselves a goal to make things better, and our ambition is to rejoin the European Union and certainly the single market, and, as we’ve already heard from Luke Fletcher, other countries are doing this and it’s perfectly possible for us to do it as well. So, let’s not lower...
Cefin Campbell: As we look around us, what we see is a cost-of-living crisis—
Cefin Campbell: From whom?
Cefin Campbell: Yes, of course.
Cefin Campbell: As we've already heard, but it's worth mentioning again, as our manufacturing and small business sectors face endless bureaucratic challenges, it's no wonder that business exports to the EU by small companies are expected to be 38 per cent lower by 2030. Next year, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development calculates that the UK will record the lowest growth in the G20, with...
Cefin Campbell: Well, thank you very much, Llywydd. I want to start by making one thing clear: unlike the virtual life of James Evans, leaving the single market has been a complete disaster for Wales and for all the countries of the United Kingdom. All of the promises made by the Brexiteers have been nothing more than a fraud, and the effect of this on our communities has been hugely detrimental. Let us...
Cefin Campbell: It's also important to note, Dirprwy Lywydd, that the concerns about the impact of the loss of accident and emergency provision aren't just anecdotal. Evidence exists that supports wider concerns, not to mention the importance of the golden hour response, as the public in general are aware of. A previous study by the University of Sheffield, which investigated 10,500 emergency cases, found...
Cefin Campbell: Plaid Cymru has long argued that people should have the right to essential services, which clearly includes A&E departments, within a reasonable distance of their homes in all parts of Wales. The potential for healthcare reform in the area by building, potentially, a new hospital is creating more uncertainty in Pembrokeshire. Whilst I recognise the opportunities that opening a brand new...
Cefin Campbell: I’m very grateful for this opportunity to respond to this petition. Much of what I had intended to say has already been said. But certainly, during last year's election campaign, concern about the future of Withybush hospital, specifically the future of the accident and emergency department, was something that was frequently raised on the doorstep when I was canvassing in Pembrokeshire....
