Rhun ap Iorwerth: I am pleased, in the absence of the Member for Carmarthen East, to take part in this debate for Plaid Cymru to pursue issues with regard to economic development. It is a debate on a vital area for the future of Wales. Our economic future is based on talented people developing ideas and developing those ideas in Wales, and we have to create the correct business environment to allow...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: First Minister, let me tell you about a 30-year-old man, who, after a mental health crisis, presented himself to Ysbyty Gwynedd, was then transferred overnight, on a six-and-a-half-hour journey, to a hospital in the south-east of England. His family was able to negotiate a handover to the home treatment team, so, after a week, he was returned home, but describes being accompanied back to his...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: What work is the Welsh Government undertaking to give consideration to the impact of leaving the European Union on the health service in Wales?
Rhun ap Iorwerth: First Minister, the one issue that comes up time and again when I speak to the families of those who have dementia is the problem in Wales of having a specific contact worker for families who want someone to turn to whenever they would wish to do that. Now, having that kind of pledge and ensuring that such a worker is available would allow Wales to be innovative in the care that it provides...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Formally.
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Llywydd, earlier you challenged a colleague of mine to come to a question; perhaps you could challenge the Minister to come to an answer. Let's try one perhaps on which we can agree. Another worry for staffing is our departure from the European Union. A British Medical Association survey suggests that 45 per cent of EU doctors working in the UK are considering leaving—another reason...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Okay. I didn't hear a number there. We're sitting quite close to each other; I'd have thought you would have heard that I asked specifically about doctors, not other health professionals, in this particular question. And thank you very much for pointing out the fact that doctors do play an important role within the NHS. If it is the case that you don't know how many additional doctors...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Diolch yn fawr iawn. Plaid Cymru has long put the case for training and recruiting 1,000 extra doctors in Wales, but, given British Medical Association estimates on the numbers of just GPs that we need in the coming years, maybe we've underestimated the figure. Do you think it's time for Plaid Cymru to look at that 1,000 doctors figure and review it upwards, and what is your Government's...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Is it not the case that the last but one Counsel General was unelected?
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Thank you very much. That, of course, doesn’t mean that the First Minister wouldn’t still be able to just make one nomination and that one nomination would be discussed as part of that process.
Rhun ap Iorwerth: What support can the Welsh Government provide to Lein Amlwch?
Rhun ap Iorwerth: The only reason I make this intervention is to have it on the record that the front bench are laughing at this, which is a serious matter—[Interruption.]
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Will you take an intervention?
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Just a few points from me. I will refer to what we heard from Dai Lloyd on the timing of the introduction of this. The fact is that this couldn’t be done following the changes that will come into force under the new Wales Act, which raises the question of why other parties in this place voted in favour of that particular piece of legislation. Plaid Cymru, in several manifestos, has included...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: The cross-party group on hospices and palliative care here in the Assembly is looking at the possibility of holding an inquiry into how to deal with inequalities in terms of access to hospice care in Wales. You referred to the funding secured in agreement between us and the Government. But, isn’t the truth of the matter that a series of Labour Governments has failed to tackle that...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Will the First Minister make a statement on community benefits from energy schemes?
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Can I make an intervention? It’s worth noting that Neville Southall outed himself as pro-independence over the last weeks.
Rhun ap Iorwerth: The Minister never wants to make contributions to debates, but is very happy to hear his voice here in the Chamber while he is sitting down. I will continue. Where there are ideas or plans, as we have in Plaid Cymru, as we’ve outlined this afternoon, to strengthen the north, to encourage investment and to get rid of the lack of regional balance in many areas, we’re working on behalf of...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Thank you for being able to contribute to this debate. Can I set one caveat, as Llyr also did? It’s very common in north Wales to hear people saying that everything goes to the south, but I don’t have any interest in feeding divisions. I want to unify the nation, but—and this is very important—where there is evidence of a lack of action by the Government to spread prosperity fairly...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: I’ll make a short contribution. I want to do that because I feel genuinely passionate about this particular issue. I like cars. I have always liked cars. I used to go to the motor shows when I was a young boy with my parents. I consider cars to be works of art. One can look at a car from any period and learn a lot about that period from the car in front of you. Yes, the cars on our roads in...
