Vikki Howells: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. The twenty-fourth World Transplant Games will take place next month in Perth, Australia. Since the very first games in Portsmouth in 1978, they've been held all around the world, serving as a celebration of the gift of a second chance at life, the demonstration of the success of transplant surgery, a promotion of the need to raise awareness of organ and tissue...
Vikki Howells: Thank you, Minister. I've got two questions today. My first is about initial teacher training. I think it's really important that trainee teachers are allocated a mix of school placements, so that they're able to gain experience in working with pupils from more disadvantaged backgrounds. And this is to build their skills and their expertise, but also, crucially, to build a passion for what is...
Vikki Howells: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd, and thank you, Minister, for your statement. It's so important that people can access primary healthcare in a timely fashion. So, I'd welcome a little more information about the access requirements for general practice as this transitions to a mandatory basis. From speaking to GPs in my constituency, I'm told that those early morning triage systems allow them to build...
Vikki Howells: Well, the motion before us today is, in my opinion, a very unnecessary and, I have to say, a vindicative distraction. Yet another manifestation of an opposition whose only interest is unfortunately in grabbing a cheap headline. In the process, what they do is actually let down our public services and the people who rely on them by their failure to engage with the very real challenges that we...
Vikki Howells: Thank you, Minister. The second anniversary of the regulations introducing Lucy's law—the ban on third-party sales of cats and dogs being brought in here in Wales—is imminent. This was such an important step forward in terms of domestic animal welfare. So, I'd like to ask: how is Welsh Government working to monitor those regulations, and to ensure that its provisions are being enforced,...
Vikki Howells: Thank you, Minister. I was really pleased to see that the budget for the discretionary assistance fund would be increasing by nearly £19 million, and that the cash value of payments would rise in line with inflation by 11 per cent. This news has been very warmly welcomed by, for example, the Bevan Foundation, as we know that the DAF is used by councils as a lifeline for families facing...
Vikki Howells: 8. What consideration did the Minister give to funding interventions that enable Welsh councils to tackle the impact of poverty in preparing the Government's budget for 2023-24? OQ59287
Vikki Howells: 3. Will the Minister outline the Welsh Government's priorities for improving the welfare of domestic animals in Cynon Valley? OQ59286
Vikki Howells: Thank you, Minister, for your statement. There are a couple of things that I'd like to pick up on. Firstly, it was really good to welcome you to Perthcelyn Community Primary School in Mountain Ash a few weeks ago. The school has received just over £66,000 in Welsh Government funding this year for a variety of external improvements. Ensuring the development of sustainable and welcoming...
Vikki Howells: Fist Minister, you will, of course, be aware that for any projects that weren't given the green light by the roads review, the advice to local authorities has been to go back to the drawing board and to consider, in accordance with WelTAG 1, alternative measures to mitigate, for example, local problems of road safety. What specific help can Welsh Government provide to local authorities around...
Vikki Howells: What measures is the Welsh Government taking to improve road safety?
Vikki Howells: I want to thank Welsh Government for the positive budget that they have brought forward. UK mismanagement and wider economic pressures make this one of the most difficult budgets since devolution. But Welsh Ministers have continued to protect front-line services, continued to provide help to those most affected by the cost-of-living crisis, continued to support our economy through...
Vikki Howells: Thank you for your answer, First Minister, and I was really pleased to hear the announcement last month about the new diagnostics and treatment centre for south-east Wales, to be based in Rhondda Cynon Taf. This could not just reduce, but actually eliminate, backlogs in accessing treatment and substantially reduce waiting times, moving forward, for orthopedic surgeries in particular, for...
Vikki Howells: 1. How is the Welsh Government working to improve the provision of health services for the people of Cynon Valley? OQ59213
Vikki Howells: Thank you, Deputy Minister, for your statement today. As a former teacher, I particularly welcome your comment around the new curriculum and unions in the place of work. Linking an understanding of workplace rights to career guidance is fundamentally the right thing to do, and I look forward to the results of the pilot in due course. I have a couple of questions for you today. Firstly, I note...
Vikki Howells: Thank you, Minister. I was really pleased to read the strategy showing how we're seeking to embed innovation across all aspects of Government; it's a very welcome approach, and I think it shows why innovation is vital both for our economy and for other sectors as well. I was very interested to read the section on the circular economy and on the environmental impact of the foundational economy...
Vikki Howells: What action is the Welsh Government taking to improve access to health services within the Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board area?
Vikki Howells: Thanks to Luke Fletcher and other Members for tabling this motion today and giving us the chance to discuss what is a very important issue: how we support our young people so that they can get the most out of their education. It follows on very naturally from last week's debate on the Children, Young People and Education Committee's report into pupil absence, and of course it's very timely...
Vikki Howells: Deputy Minister, you will be aware of my long-standing commitment to the Cynon Gateway North, working alongside residents of Llwydcoed and Penywaun and the local councillors there. The purpose of the gateway scheme is to mitigate the forced dispersal of traffic from the dualling of sections 5 and 6 of the Heads of the Valleys road, due to the permanent removal of the main Hirwaun entry and...
Vikki Howells: Thank you for that answer, Minister. The last meeting of the cross-party group on industrial communities heard from Professor Steve Fothergill on the Industrial Communities Alliance's six principles to streamline levelling-up funding. One principle is that funding should be strongly targeted to focus on the most disadvantaged places. This approach is critical for communities like the ones...
