Dawn Bowden: Diolch, Llywydd. Can I first of all thank Members for a really interesting debate, on a subject that I'm very, very passionate about? I've been a lifelong sports fan, mainly football. I don't think I'm going to declare my football allegiances in the Chamber today, but suffice to say—[Interruption.] Suffice to say—[Interruption.] Merthyr Town FC. Suffice to say, I've not actually been...
Dawn Bowden: Formally.
Dawn Bowden: Well, can I thank Rhianon Passmore for that supplementary question? And I think it is, at this point, worth just saying a little bit about the work that the last Government did on the cultural strategy. My predecessor, Dafydd Elis-Thomas, commissioned strategies across his portfolio, and that included the cultural priorities strategy, and that work was significantly progressed, involving a...
Dawn Bowden: Yes, and can I thank the Member for that question also and agree with him? And I will certainly offer my congratulations to the facility in his constituency and region, in the Vale of Clwyd. These small organisations are a key element of the cultural sector and we need to support them, and we want them to thrive in the post-pandemic world as well. The cultural recovery fund, of course, has...
Dawn Bowden: Thank you, again, for that supplementary question. What I would say in terms of the position of the Minister with responsibility for culture, I think it's more important that the Minister delivers on what is being asked rather than the position in the hierarchy of Government. And I'm very clear about my role in that and my role with the Minister for Economy in making sure that the cultural...
Dawn Bowden: Can I thank Heledd Fychan for my first ministerial question? Thank you very much. The Welsh Government is committed to creating a cultural strategy setting out our priorities and ambitions for the arts, culture and sport. This will sit alongside the statements of priorities already created for Creative Wales, Visit Wales and the historic environment.
Dawn Bowden: [Inaudible.]—I'm trying to get in. Hefin David. I'd like to nominate Hefin David.
Dawn Bowden: Thank you, Mark Isherwood, for bringing forward this very important debate, and I just wanted to say how apt it is that we discuss such an important matter on the last day of this Senedd term. And I just want to talk very briefly about a family in my constituency. I want to talk about Caden. He lives with his mum, Lisa, in Merthyr Tydfil, and Lisa said that her life stopped the day that she...
Dawn Bowden: My previous life as a Unison official in Wales is well known, and I remain very proud of the fact that I was part of the negotiating team working in partnership with the Welsh Labour Government that delivered the living wage into the NHS in Wales, ahead of the rest of the UK, and at a time when NHS colleagues in England were taking strike action against an intransigent UK Tory Government who...
Dawn Bowden: In my brief contribution to this debate, I just wanted to make a few general comments on just one or two of the key areas in the final budget. I'll open by saying that I am very pleased to be supporting it, because unlike the UK Tory Government's budget, this Welsh budget is putting our NHS and our vital public services first—public services that have again shown us their true value and...
Dawn Bowden: Thank you for that answer, Minister. So, would you therefore agree that Boris Johnson's boast about his Brexit deal involving no tariffs, quotas or non-tariff barriers is now at odds with the experience of small manufacturing businesses in the Valleys, and what used to be as simple as trading with, say, Bristol or Birmingham is now more complicated than trading with Japan or Canada? Minister,...
Dawn Bowden: Thank you for that answer, Deputy Minister. I was very pleased that, last week, when the Minister Ken Skates announced the reconstruction mission for Wales, this enshrined the principle of town centres first. Now, my particular concern is to ensure a better connected digital future that will sit alongside developments like the new bus station, metro services, road improvements on the Heads of...
Dawn Bowden: 8. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to support the economic development of town centres in Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney? OQ56361
Dawn Bowden: 1. What is the Welsh Government's latest assessment of the impact of the EU-UK trade and co-operation agreement on the south Wales Valleys? OQ56362
Dawn Bowden: Thank you for that answer, First Minister. These Welsh Government interventions clearly are critical to the chances of many businesses in my constituency, as is the absolute need for the UK Chancellor to confirm the extension of the furlough scheme as part of the UK budget announcement tomorrow. I can tell you, First Minister, that Welsh Government investments in business support, in a new...
Dawn Bowden: 4. Will the First Minister provide an update on Welsh Government support for businesses in Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney? OQ56373
Dawn Bowden: Diolch, Llywydd. On 21 February, we marked one of the many significant days in the remarkable history of Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney. It was on this date in 1804 that the Trevithick steam engine made its first ever rail journey, nine miles from Penydarren to the Merthyr-Cardiff canal. This journey made Richard Trevithick and not George Stephenson the real father of the railways. And such was...
Dawn Bowden: First Minister, can I welcome the annual report on the delivery of the programme for government? After the last 12 months that we've all experienced, it's an excellent reminder to me that the many hours spent online have been time well spent supporting this Welsh Government through the pandemic, and in continuing to deliver on the manifesto promises that we made at the 2016 election. Because...
Dawn Bowden: The Deputy Minister and I, of course, share a very similar background, so it comes as no surprise that I share her support and principles that underpin our social partnership work. Can I very much welcome her statement? Not because it's easy; indeed, in my experience, it's often more difficult, but it does help to build a shared commitment to a common cause, and, in tough times like those...
Dawn Bowden: Minister, as you know, there are a number of services and projects that are delivered by local authorities that are directly funded by Welsh Government. So, the council employs the staff, but Welsh Government funds the activity, and an example of that could be something like a community sports development service. There are local authorities that are saying that, during the pandemic when some...
