Peredur Owen Griffiths: Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. Before I begin, I would like to thank Ken Skates, the Senedd Commissioner for budget and governance, and Senedd officials, for attending the Finance Committee on 5 October to discuss the Commission’s proposals, and for the additional information provided shortly after that meeting. I would also like to note at the beginning of my contribution that the scrutiny of...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Thank you, Minister. The revelations, as you say, over the weekend about a former Gwent police officer and his colleagues were deeply disturbing. It is abhorrent that racist, misogynistic and sexist material is found on the phone of a police officer. Having met with members of the police federation yesterday, I know they are also disgusted with these serious allegations. If there is a culture...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: 2. What is the Government doing to promote community cohesion following serious allegations made about Gwent Police? TQ683
Peredur Owen Griffiths: What support is the Government providing for businesses in South Wales East who are still feeling the effects of the COVID pandemic?
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Unfortunately for you all, I'm not Luke Fletcher, as described by Delyth, but I do want to explore the economic contract. Through the economic contract, businesses must demonstrate current action in areas such as economic strength and adaptability, fair work, the promotion of well-being and becoming low carbon and climate resilient. Ideally, the economic contract would help see a Wales where...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Diolch. Sorry if it is falling between two Ministers, as it were. Any information would be gratefully received. Thank you very much. Last month marked Black History Month. A timely report by the Trades Union Congress released that month revealed that racism and discrimination towards black workers is still rife in the UK. The statistics in the report 'Still rigged: racism in the UK labour...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Diolch, Llywydd. Pensioners in the UK are expected to be around £442 per year worse off from April following a reduced pension rate and a cut in help for energy bills. Given that in January this year over 75 per cent of over-65s surveyed by Age UK were worried by the rising cost-of-living crisis, and, since then, the inflation rate and the cost of energy bills have only continued to...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Thank you. I move the amendment in the name of Siân.
Peredur Owen Griffiths: It's a pleasure to have the opportunity to take part in this debate again and champion the cause of veterans in Wales. It's a cause that, despite the improvements in rights and services for veterans in recent years, still needs championing. The housing crisis that exists in Wales disproportionately affects our armed forces community. Research from the Royal British Legion has found that...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Thank you for that response.
Peredur Owen Griffiths: People are petrified at the prospect of being unable to afford the basics this winter and they have little faith in a super-rich Prime Minister doing anything for them. In the absence of adequate help from Westminster, reserves that local authorities hold for rainy days need to be deployed. Unfortunately, you have local authorities like the Labour-run Caerphilly County Borough Council holding...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: 1. What additional financial resources is the Welsh Government providing to local authorities to help them deal with the cost-of-living crisis? OQ58608
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Trefnydd, figures supplied to my office lay bare the capacity problems within the Welsh NHS. The Welsh ambulance trust is routinely losing more than 2,000 hours per month due to ambulances waiting outside just one hospital in my region. The fact that this hospital is the flagship Grange hospital is even more problematic, as this was meant to herald an improvement in health services for...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: I welcome the report of the Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee from its inquiry into care home commissioning. I also welcome the opportunity to speak on the topic in the Senedd. This report clearly highlights the challenges faced in the complex area of care home commissioning for older people, with the intention of improving the system so that it is more equitable for all....
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Thank you for that response.
Peredur Owen Griffiths: A frequent complaint during street surgeries is the state of the bus network. This service is a lifeline for so many people and is particularly the case in Blaenau Gwent, where car ownership is low and there is a higher proportion of older people than in many other constituencies. Unfortunately, if you wanted to travel by bus between Aberbeeg and Cwm—a 10-minute journey by car—it would...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: 2. What is the Government doing to improve public transport in South Wales East? OQ58587
Peredur Owen Griffiths: Thank you, Luke, for bringing this issue forward today and allowing me to contribute to this debate, which, I know, is very important to you.
Peredur Owen Griffiths: We've heard from Heledd just then about the—. And I want to go on from what Heledd was saying: the charity Barnardo's Cymru go as far as describing the EMA as a lifeline for many young people that they help. They go as far as saying that it can be the difference between a young carer being able to go into education or not. Unfortunately, many of these young carers end up being penalised, as...
Peredur Owen Griffiths: We've heard already today how the cost-of-living crisis and the housing crisis have a greater impact on certain sections of society or communities than others. As Plaid Cymru's spokesperson for older people and communities, I'm aware just how difficult winter can be at the best of times for older people, and this certainly isn't the best of times. Older people in Wales are amongst those most...
