Luke Fletcher: How many of us have been grateful for the care that a relative has received when they are ill? I'm certainly grateful for the care that two of my grandparents received during COVID. That care that we rely on wouldn't be possible, and the quality of the care wouldn't be as good, without nurses—nurses who are asked every shift to go the extra mile, who were asked to take an extra shift during...
Luke Fletcher: Carry on? No worries. Of course, our fire services are facing increased pressures. Staff shortages are one of them, climate-change-induced weather extremes occurring more and more often, and challenges that will come as we head into winter in the midst of an unprecedented cost-of-living crisis. The National Fire Chiefs Council is worried that people are going to be at additional risk due to...
Luke Fletcher: Thank you, Deputy Minister, for the statement today.
Luke Fletcher: Thankfully, we are seeing fewer and fewer domestic fires. I think that's a positive thing going forward, and, of course, I know that there are many people in the fire service who wish now to see what else they can do in order for the service to remain relevant. I was quite disappointed, actually, with one of the comments made by Joel, which sort of, in my view, equated the fact that now there...
Luke Fletcher: Trefnydd, could I request a written or oral statement, whichever one is more appropriate, on the progress of Big Bocs Bwyd and how it interacts with local community organisations also providing food for those who need it? A number of organisations have approached me, expressing some concern that there is a lack of co-ordination, which has ultimately led to multiple organisations competing for...
Luke Fletcher: I'll conclude by saying that we must endeavour to carry out the work that denaturalises this. The reality is that this isn't normal and people shouldn't have to struggle to afford the basics.
Luke Fletcher: I'll start, as we always tend to in these debates, and thank the Chair for his expert way in how he chairs our committee, as well as all the work the clerks do as well, and in particular the evidence we received from various stakeholders and community action groups. I'll highlight the Caerau and Ely action group, much like the Chair did, and refer to their point around it only being of...
Luke Fletcher: Thank you to the committee for all of its work on this issue. I'm not sure whether the previous speaker had read the report in its entirety.
Luke Fletcher: The recommendations in the committee's report and the positive response from Welsh Government are very welcome. We only need to look back as recently as lockdown to see how important it is to have sufficient access to broadband. It was one of the very few avenues many of us had to avoid isolation and stay connected to friends and loved ones. The pandemic forced us to ask questions on how we...
Luke Fletcher: I want to thank the Chair and clerks for their work on this report, and I also want to give thanks for the work that happened through the engagement team, which was a great help as we gathered evidence from workers in the sectors of tourism, retail and hospitality, a workforce that often has difficulty in ensuring that its voice is heard outside of the workplace. I know that many are very...
Luke Fletcher: I’m going to focus on hospitality in particular. It’s a significant sector in itself, employing at its height 200,000 people in Wales, and it’s a sector that I have a good amount of experience in. However, much of this will be applicable to retail and tourism. When we first undertook our inquiry into the sector, much of it focused on the effects the pandemic had on it as a sector, and...
Luke Fletcher: I think Sioned hit the nail on the head when she said that support is not support if you don't know it's there. I'd like to thank her for proposing this motion. The reality is that many don't take up the benefits they're entitled to—benefits that they desperately need. I believe it is incumbent on the Government to seek out those in need and not to expect those in need to come forward....
Luke Fletcher: I would like to thank the Minister as well for her continued engagement on this issue. No doubt, the Minister is aware of the current plans in Caerphilly to change the independent track there to a Greyhound Board of Great Britain-regulated one. A concern I have, which is shared by other Members in the Chamber, as well as Hope Rescue, Greyhound Rescue Wales, Dogs Trust, Blue Cross and the...
Luke Fletcher: Thank you for that response, Minister.
Luke Fletcher: Diolch, Gweinidog. Huw has already mentioned the joint meeting that us South Wales West Members attended with council leaders across our region, and I would thank Mike Hedges for setting up that meeting. The reality of the situation is dire. We are facing wholesale cuts of council services. Bridgend County Borough Council face, for example, an unprecedented financial challenge over the coming...
Luke Fletcher: 3. What consideration has the Welsh Government given to how it can help local authorities to devise contingency plans to mitigate against increased energy costs? OQ58616
Luke Fletcher: 4. Will the Minister provide an update on the Government's position on greyhound racing? OQ58630
Luke Fletcher: I thank the Minister for the statement. And of course, there is an important role for the bank to play in the future of the Welsh economy.
Luke Fletcher: The Development Bank of Wales offers support to its customers through a number of organisations, including Business Wales. Business Wales offers a range of free services to Welsh companies and sole traders. Nearly a year ago now, there were discussions in committee and Plenary over funding concerns for Business Wales, much of which goes to supporting those businesses. On 11 December 2021,...
Luke Fletcher: From the outset, like my fellow colleagues of the Petitions Committee, I wanted to say that Tassia should be proud of her work and proud of her petition. In this job, and in life, to be honest, the people who inspire the most are those we take their experiences of adversity and use them to influence good. Champions are rarely without their own scars. They are the strongest of us and the best...
