Rhun ap Iorwerth: I would like to request a debate in Government time on the steps being taken to tackle the increasing problem of attacks by dogs on livestock. There has been another case in my constituency recently, at Llety farm in Rhosybol, where a number of sheep and lambs have been killed. I know this is an issue that Llyr Gruffydd has been in correspondence with the Government on, as has Ben Lake with...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Horizon 2020 is a very important source of research funding to Wales. Some £100 million has flowed into various institutions through the Horizon 2020 programme. Yes, there are some kind of assurances for schemes that have been promised money already, but isn’t the truth of the matter that, whatever Brexit we’re facing, we know now that there has been undermining of this source of...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Will you take an intervention?
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Thank you for taking an intervention; it will be very brief. Do you not think it's perfectly relevant for Welsh Government to take an opinion on a matter that is not devolved?
Rhun ap Iorwerth: I won't repeat the questions that have been raised already, but I reiterate that I share the concerns that have been raised about the workforce and so on. This was a company that was very, very important, of course, in Wales. A proud Welsh company, a strong Welsh name—'dawnus' is Welsh for 'talented', reflecting the real talent that there was within the company. It is a call for all the...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: That was a very long list, and I'm not sure if you were trying to confirm what I was saying, but nowhere on that list was wage levels in Wales. Yes, of course it's welcome that unemployment is falling, but it doesn't show the whole picture. Falls in rates of economic inactivity are to be welcomed, but that doesn't show the whole picture. My questions today relate to wage levels in Wales, and...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Sadly, of course, the cat was let out of the bag and it was an insult to Welsh workers, of course, to suggest that low wages in Wales was something to be celebrated. The truth, of course, is that wages in Wales have been remaining at too low a level for far too long. I do not believe that reflects well on 20 years of Labour-led Governments. But one tool, certainly, for raising wages in Wales...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. Now, Trade and Investment Wales recently hailed the 30 per cent lower salary costs in Wales compared with other parts of the UK. Government has since taken down references to lower wages on social media, and so on, and I can fully understand why you'd want to distance yourself from your own mistake, but can I ask what is the mistake that was made here? Was it just...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: What assessment has the Counsel General made of the effect that leaving the EU will have on agriculture?
Rhun ap Iorwerth: What discussions has the Minister had with the Minister for Finance regarding the importance of procurement policy as an economic tool?
Rhun ap Iorwerth: I was delighted to take part in the health committee's recent inquiry into increasing physical activity among young people, and I'm looking forward to going through the report that I pushed to have, to go through it in more detail. But one of the key things that was highlighted in that report was the need to push active travel for children. And I am also pleased that you're talking with other...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Thank you very much. The impact of 10 years and more of austerity imposed by the UK Government, as well as the failure, I'm afraid to say, of the Welsh Government to prioritise local government funding this year, has led to totally unsustainable pressures on education budgets in Anglesey, as in the rest of Wales. I congratulate Anglesey council on succeeding in safeguarding education budgets...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: 8. Will the Minister make a statement on school budgets in Anglesey? OAQ53548
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Will the Minister make a statement on vascular services in Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board?
Rhun ap Iorwerth: I’d like to request three statements if possible. First of all, I’d like a statement from the Government to update us on the discussions with the Rehau company as a result of their decision recently to consult on the closure of their plant in Amlwch. I and other local representatives have met with the company more than once to try and ensure that everything possible is done to avoid the...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: The petition itself notes the limitations on who and where in Wales and in which health boards the testing can be accessed, where the tests are being fully utilised, and it's that lack of consistency that the petitioner found to be particularly unacceptable. And I would like to take this opportunity to thank Stuart Davies and those behind this petition on the work that they've done in...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: When it comes to cancer, we do know that one of the most important elements to improve the chances of survival is ensuring an early diagnosis. Sometimes it’s easier said than done, but with prostate cancer specifically, there is a testing method that does simplify and therefore accelerates the process of providing a diagnosis, and that is the mpMRI scan. You can’t have a diagnosis of...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Just to paint a picture of the seriousness of the situation, it's estimated that a third of the houses sold in my constituency in the last year were sold as second homes. That has a clear and detrimental effect on the local housing market.
Rhun ap Iorwerth: I formally move.
Rhun ap Iorwerth: I sympathise with Welsh Government's frustrations, clearly, but so much of this is about Welsh Government being reactive. The question is here: who is being proactive in seeking deals for Wales on funding, post Brexit or now for that matter? I've been holding discussions with some individuals this morning about the notion of free zones for trade or free ports. Where are the bids being...
