Mohammad Asghar: Yes, go on.
Mohammad Asghar: Let me finish my speech and I'll give you the answer in a minute. A strategic transport executive body would co-ordinate the provision of a seamless travel experience for users. This would provide a back-office function for integrated ticketing across all modes of transport, and by all preferred payment methods. Integrated ticketing and a smart travel option will make a huge difference to...
Mohammad Asghar: I'm grateful for the opportunity to speak this afternoon on the future development of Transport for Wales. The purpose of this report is to make sure Transport for Wales is fit for purpose. To that end, the committee makes 13 recommendations. It is pleasing to note that the Welsh Government has accepted all 13 recommendations, and Transport for Wales itself has welcomed the report. I would...
Mohammad Asghar: Minister, in Wales, along with the rest of the United Kingdom, there are marked health inequalities between those living in the most deprived communities and those living in the most affluent areas. Childhood obesity is no exception. More than 28 per cent of children living in the most deprived areas are either overweight or obese compared to less than 21 per cent in the least deprived areas....
Mohammad Asghar: Close ties between schools, further education colleges and employers are a major factor in helping young people achieve their aspirations. Minister, what actions are you taking in providing colleges and employers with greater accessibility to school careers guidance services to ensure young people are provided with the information they require to reach their full career potential? Thank you.
Mohammad Asghar: Thank you very much, Minister, for the reply. I hope you roll out this pilot scheme, it is better. Inspectors already consider school careers advice provision when making judgments. However, last year, a committee of MPs in Westminster said that schools should be specifically rated by Ofsted on the quality of their careers advice. This will ensure pupils are getting all the information they...
Mohammad Asghar: Thank you, Presiding Officer. Minister, good quality careers advice is essential to help students access the jobs and skills that are best qualified for them. But concerns have been expressed about the quality and availability of careers advice, citing the shortage of trained careers advisers and a lack of knowledge of apprenticeships and vocational training by school staff. What are you...
Mohammad Asghar: Minister, please, could I ask for a statement from the Deputy Minister and Chief Whip on transgender hate crimes in Wales? Figures obtained by the BBC from police forces in Wales show that the number of recorded transgender hate crimes has more than doubled in the last two years. While some of this increase may be put down to past under-reporting and more people now being willing to come...
Mohammad Asghar: First Minister, just further to Rhianon Passmore's question, I would fully support the decision by Caerphilly council to buy 23 of the homes worst affected by the air pollution in Hafodyrynys. However, only a few short weeks ago, the council rejected plans to demolish the houses and, instead, pinned their hopes for tackling air pollution on cars getting cleaner and greener in the coming...
Mohammad Asghar: Will the First Minister make a statement on pupil exclusions from schools in Wales?
Mohammad Asghar: May I put on record my thanks to the Deputy Minister for his prompt response in dealing with the issue of vandalism at the Roman amphitheatre in Caerleon, which is managed by Cadw? I understand that an anti-social behaviour working group, which includes representatives from Cadw, Gwent Police, Newport City Council and the local community, met on 23 May to consider a range of options to tackle...
Mohammad Asghar: Will the Minister update the Assembly on the progress of legal action being taken by the Welsh Government against the two firms that give advice on the sale of publicly owned land by the regeneration investment fund for Wales, which resulted in a financial loss for the Welsh taxpayer? Your progress report will be highly appreciated.
Mohammad Asghar: The case for a relief road for the M4 around Newport remains strong, Minister. First proposed way back in 1991, it tackled the problem of congestion that has never been properly addressed. The M4 is Wales's strategic gateway to the rest of the UK and Europe, but we are serviced by substandard dual carriageway that fails to meet modern motorway standards. In the last two years this stretch of...
Mohammad Asghar: Minister, please could I ask for two statements from the Minister for health, first on the recruitment crisis in NHS Wales? According to the Royal College of Physicians a third of advertised consultant posts go unfilled and sickness absence is also rising. The college reports that the Welsh hospitals are understaffed and overstretched, and have made 16 recommendations for improvement to...
Mohammad Asghar: Thank you, First Minister, for the reply to John Griffiths regarding homelessness. You may be aware that I have raised this issue previously in this Chamber, on how homeless pods could reduce rough-sleeping in Wales. In February this year, pods to provide emergency overnight accommodation for the homeless were installed in Newport by the charity Amazing Grace Spaces. Since then, they have...
Mohammad Asghar: Minister, Welsh farmers play an integral role in protecting and enhancing the countryside. Many of the valued habitats and species found on Welsh farmland are reliant on active management by farmers. RSPB Cymru claim that current levels of support aren't protecting the environment and fail to keep farm businesses viable or farmers on the land. I'm sure, Minister, that you recognise that food...
Mohammad Asghar: I'm grateful to the Minister for her statement today, and I join her in congratulating Andrea Garvey. The aim of Adult Learners Week is to raise awareness of the value of adult learning, celebrate the achievements of learners and providers, and inspire more people to discover how learning can positively change their lives. The fact is, adult learning is key to a forward-thinking and diverse...
Mohammad Asghar: Minister, please could we have a statement from the Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism on the outcome of the Wales tourism summit in Llandrindod Wells in March? The current 'Partnership for Growth' strategy for tourism expires next year, and I understand that the Deputy Minister has been consulting with the tourism sector following the summit. Given the importance of tourism to...
Mohammad Asghar: Deputy Minister, over the last three years, more than 32,000 schoolchildren in south Wales have benefited from vital rail safety education. Network Rail, in participation with the Crucial Crew safety initiative, have been delivering rail safety sessions to children in areas including Caerphilly, Merthyr Tydfil and Newport. Minister, will you join me in congratulating Network Rail and Crucial...
Mohammad Asghar: First Minister, great news to have this big investment in the Blaenau Gwent area. The Tech Valleys strategic plan states its aim of creating 1,500 new jobs over the next 10 years. How will the Welsh Government monitor progress towards meeting the aim, and will the First Minister commit to making an annual report on this project to the Assembly, and to ensure that promised benefits are...
