Siân Gwenllian: It shows a lack of respect for the Welsh language. Do you agree that the recent history and experiences of people show that persuasion alone won’t be an effective tool in securing the rights of Welsh speakers?
Siân Gwenllian: In this case, of course, with the new qualification, there is a whole host of evidence supporting the need for this change, and a decision has been taken to accept that. It’s a matter of making progress now, and it’s this sluggishness that concerns me. The consultation period on the Welsh language Bill White Paper has now concluded, and, again, I welcome your commitment, made yesterday,...
Siân Gwenllian: So, you may have to review the targets contained within the ‘Cymraeg 2050’ strategy. In the ‘Education in Wales: Our National Mission 2017-21’ document, there is a suggestion that pupils will not take the new Welsh language qualification, which will replace second-language Welsh, until 2026 at the earliest. Now, that’s a cause of concern because it contradicts what was said in this...
Siân Gwenllian: These are questions to Eluned Morgan. First of all, I welcome the full commitment that you made yesterday during the debate on the Welsh Language Commissioner’s annual report to continue with the Government’s aim of reaching a million Welsh speakers by 2050, and Plaid Cymru, of course, is fully supportive of that target. The strategy ‘Cymraeg 2050’ puts education centrally to your...
Siân Gwenllian: Thank you, Llywydd, and I’d like to congratulate Eluned Morgan on being selected in the role of Minister for the Welsh language and I’d like to thank Alun Davies for his work. I’d like to move amendments 1 and 2 in the name of Rhun ap Iorwerth, and I note that the Government is in favour of amendment 1, but is against amendment 2. Our amendments to this debate today do emphasise the...
Siân Gwenllian: A few weeks ago, it became apparent that new trains of the Great Western Railway service, which serve south Wales, won't include any bilingual signage or announcements. As expected, there were a number of complaints made to the company by passengers, following this news, condemning the decision taken, including by the former Welsh language Minister, Alun Davies. Now, the company's excuse was...
Siân Gwenllian: Thank you for that explanation. In Scotland when some welfare powers were devolved, the UK Government did actually work out how much needed to be added to the block grant and a baseline was put in place. So, there are ways around these financial problems, and we are talking here about the administration—and that’s what we must emphasise time after time. And that is the point: if we were...
Siân Gwenllian: One of the main problems with universal credit is that it is paid to households rather than to individuals, and I will focus on that aspect for a few moments. Only one person can be in receipt of the funds on behalf of the household, so there are issues of equality arising immediately from that because it is likely that it’s the male that will receive that money in most cases, not always,...
Siân Gwenllian: We, of course, welcome any progress with the work of developing low-carbon homes, and we welcome the statement, certainly. But we see it as part of the attempt to build 20,000 affordable homes, and it would be good to have a statement in the near future about how that strategy is coming forward in its entirety, as it were. We’ve been talking about ending the right to buy, but hand in hand...
Siân Gwenllian: Well, it’s entirely apparent that the jobs location strategy isn’t working if the intention was to spread Government jobs to all parts of Wales, retaining those that already existed. People in my constituency feel that we’re being left behind, a feeling that is backed up by facts. Fact 1: your Government intends to close and sell a building in Caernarfon without any intention to erect a...
Siân Gwenllian: 8. Will the First Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's location strategy? (OAQ51234)[W]
Siân Gwenllian: It’s a pleasure to participate in this vital debate today, and, as a gog or a northern person from the west, I will use my contribution to discuss north-west Wales specifically. One of my favourite practices as the Arfon Assembly Member is to chat to as many people as possible across the electoral area of my constituency. One of the things that is raised with me time after time, as with...
Siân Gwenllian: The use of food banks has increased over 500 per cent with a third of users being children, 31 per cent of children live in poverty, and there are 10 times as many people receiving sanctions at present, with evidence that the increase in the use of food banks is directly linked to sanctions and matters with regard to universal credit. Do you believe and agree that we need to transfer...
Siân Gwenllian: 9. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on Welsh Government efforts to tackle child poverty? (OAQ51207)[W]
Siân Gwenllian: Given that the health board is in special measures, the final word on one of the crucial services of Ysbyty Gwynedd sits with your Government. The intention is to move the emergency vascular service away from Bangor, so if there were to be an accident in Aberdaron and someone needed urgent attention because of serious bleeding, then that person would have to travel 72 miles—an hour and...
Siân Gwenllian: 10. Will the First Minister make a statement on the future of vascular services at Ysbyty Gwynedd? (OAQ51216)[W]
Siân Gwenllian: You confirmed here last week that the Government won’t publish a poverty action plan. Now, this is a huge disappointment and matter of concern to Plaid Cymru and the cross-party Assembly committee who have been studying this area. I understand that you are eager to work holistically and work on a cross-departmental basis, but, without a central strategy that you can follow, the work of...
Siân Gwenllian: 1. Will the First Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's efforts to tackle poverty? (OAQ51171)[W]
Siân Gwenllian: We do face a crisis in Wales in terms of the number of doctors. That’s very clear, and the crisis does exist in the wake of the failure of the Government to plan the workforce and to train new doctors, as well as recruiting from other countries. Plaid Cymru is a party that is striving to offer solutions to the problems that we face here in Wales, and this crisis is at its worst in north...
Siân Gwenllian: Will you take an intervention on that specific point?
