Natasha Asghar: News of the passing of Her Majesty the Queen has left the nation in a state of profound sadness and loss. The Queen was a constant presence in most of our lives. Her first Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, was born in 1874; her last Prime Minister, appointed only a few days ago, was born in 1975, 101 years later. That alone just exemplifies the length of time that she has devoted to the...
Natasha Asghar: Minister, I recently visited Newport docks to discuss the potential of a bid by Associated British Ports for a free port to be established in south Wales. As you know, in May, it was announced that the UK and Welsh Governments had come to an agreement to collaborate and deliver a new free port in Wales, backed by £26 million in UK Government funding to support the regeneration of communities...
Natasha Asghar: No, not at this moment.
Natasha Asghar: And I really fail to see how air quality will be improved by forcing higher fuel consumption, thereby creating more emissions. Vehicles today are designed for maximum efficiency and fuel economy at particular speeds, and it will not benefit the environment if cars are stuck on gridlocked roads pumping out pollution day after day. Presiding Officer, more people die on roads from drink driving,...
Natasha Asghar: Let me say from the outset to everyone here that I am 100 per cent in favour of taking action to improve road safety here in Wales. The Welsh Conservative group really have no problem in seeing reduced speed limits on roads where there is large pedestrian activity, such as outside busy places of worship, schools, playgrounds and high streets where cars are permitted. As Edmund King, the...
Natasha Asghar: Minister, I recently met with the Road Haulage Association, also known as the RHA, alongside Welsh Government officials, some civil servants, and alongside other groups and organisations, to talk about the huge skills shortage in the industry and the challenges that they're facing with recruitment and retention, as well as simply the lack of respect that they receive in their trade. I knew...
Natasha Asghar: First Minister, research suggests that nearly two thirds of businesses in the UK spend between 5 per cent and 20 per cent of their total outlay on energy. This represents a significant proportion of their total running costs, meaning that large price rises will have a dramatic effect on their ability to operate at a profit. Small businesses are less well placed to swallow increases in energy...
Natasha Asghar: Thank you, Minister. I appreciate all the work that you're doing. Around 35 per cent of medical staff in Wales are from the ethnic minority backgrounds, and, in some hospitals, over 60 per cent of their staff belong to the ethnic minority groups. A recent report on racism in medicine by the British Medical Association found that nearly one third of doctors surveyed have considered leaving the...
Natasha Asghar: 2. What discussions has the Minister had with ministerial colleagues about tackling racial discrimination in public sector workplaces? OQ58304
Natasha Asghar: Just like many people in this Chamber, I watch the Eurovision Song Contest every year and I have seriously got tired of seeing 'nul points', but it was a delight for me to see Ukraine win this year, and for Great Britain to do incredibly well. Alongside 161 million viewers, I was hooked, and I must say, I was very fortunate to have a head of comms in my team who is a walking, talking...
Natasha Asghar: Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak on this. I've only been a Member of the Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee for a year, and it's evident to me that, sadly, a lot of double standards exist here. I seem to be calling a spade a spade today and this seems to be the theme, so I may as well continue. Publishing the annual accounts has been delayed due to a Welsh...
Natasha Asghar: Minister, nobody is more concerned about the welfare of greyhounds than the Greyhound Board of Great Britain. The board constantly strives to minimise the possibility of injury to greyhounds by funding track improvements, improvements at kennels and ensuring that independent veterinary surgeons are present at all GBGB tracks to check the health and well-being of greyhounds before and after...
Natasha Asghar: Thank you so much, Minister. Last week, I met with representatives from the Motor Neurone Disease Association Cymru, together with people suffering with the condition, at an event sponsored by my very able colleague Peter Fox. One of the issues raised with me was that of MND patients being trapped in inaccessible homes because local authorities have not provided necessary adaptations. To put...
Natasha Asghar: 7. What consideration did the Minister give to the duty of local authorities to provide accessible housing when deciding on the local government settlement 2022-23? OQ58267
Natasha Asghar: Thank you, First Minister. Data from StatsWales shows that the number of patients registered with GPs across the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board is steadily increasing, from 606,000 patients in 2016 to over 619,500 in January 2022. At the same time, a quarter of all GPs working in Wales are aged over 60 and therefore nearing retirement. This is the highest percentage of any country in...
Natasha Asghar: 8. What action is the Welsh Government taking to improve access to GPs in the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board area? OQ58266
Natasha Asghar: Thank you very much for that, Russ. The number of bus journeys, as I mentioned, was falling even prior to the COVID outbreak. In 2016-17, there were 100 million bus journeys, a figure that fell to 89 million in 2019-20. We've had countless debates and questions in the Chamber, and it's clear that many bus services have not resumed since the pandemic, leaving residents isolated in their...
Natasha Asghar: I think the issue you're talking about is obviously a contentious one, because it's obviously concerning rail and, obviously, it's something that Welsh Government, as well as the UK Government, have an interest in. However, I don't believe that it's true moving forward, and I think the devolved issue that we have here, the devolved issue that we're focusing on right now, is important....
Natasha Asghar: Thank you, Presiding Officer. I move the motion tabled in the name of my colleague Darren Millar. It's no secret that I've been in my role for over a year, and after having conversations with numerous members of the public, various bodies, various organisations, the conclusion that I've come to is that the transport network in Wales is just not fit for purpose. Whether we're talking about...
Natasha Asghar: I'd like to thank my colleague Jayne Bryant for bringing this question to the forefront. Some schools in my region and elsewhere in Wales have surplus land available as part of their school grounds. Some such as, and pardon my pronunciation, Olchfa Comprehensive School in your constituency—[Interruption.] That's it, yes—are selling off their land for housing. However, some schools have...
