I want to write to Cefin Campbell
Cefin Campbell: ...that they may no longer be able to operate these vital services, which allow people to attend hospital or GP appointments, to go shopping and interact with the wider world, or even travel to school. A lack of public transport, in rural areas in particular, is damaging to social cohesion and the ability to access public services, so the importance of these services in rural communities in...
Cefin Campbell: ...the rest of their lives. It is clear that the damage is done early. According to the Bevan Foundation, child poverty may later affect mental health, self image and self-esteem, physical health and education. It can also impact subsequent career paths, the ability to socialise normally, and it increases the likelihood of being involved in crime, as either the victim or perpetrator....
Cefin Campbell: ...concerned about their ability to manage their finances, with almost half saying that this is having an impact on their mental health. Indeed, in giving evidence to the Children, Young People and Education Committee recently, the president of NUS Wales said that one student in Carmarthen had only £100 left after paying rent and bills during the autumn term. So, bearing this in mind, will...
Cefin Campbell: ...multi-sport duathlon event that is being held today in Pembrey Country Park, near Llanelli, following an absence of three years due to the pandemic. The event will see over 250 learners and further education staff from eight colleges across the whole of Wales coming together during this inclusive event, with participants attempting either a 6 km tri-duathlon or a full 27.5 km duathlon....
Cefin Campbell: ...a way that would benefit our communities. After all, the Crown Estate is already devolved to Scotland, and has been since 2017, and they benefit from some £12 million per year to spend on health, education, public transport, green energy and so on and so forth. The Crown Estate in the hands of the people of Wales would give us a long-term source of funding that would allow us to invest in...
Cefin Campbell: ...culture committee, which is responsible for the Welsh language, among other things, consulted on what its priorities should be for the sixth Senedd. One of those priorities was to recognise that schoolchildren during the pandemic had faced extended periods away from school, as I mentioned in my previous question, and, as a result of that, their education has suffered. Because of the...
Cefin Campbell: Thank you very much. With the new curriculum in the pipeline, and the target to reach a million Welsh speakers by 2050 and the Welsh education Bill on the horizon, it's clear that there are major changes afoot in the education sector in terms of Welsh-medium provision. As we've already heard you mention in the Chamber, Minister, children have lost out on a great deal of their education during...
Cefin Campbell: ..., whilst the demand for rehoming had increased by 73 per cent between April 2020 and March 2021—that's a very significant increase indeed. Likewise, there was a significant impact on the dogs' school education programme because of the pandemic. The number of owners that participated in training programmes in 2020 was reduced by 73 per cent as compared to the previous year. The sector,...
Cefin Campbell: ...Brexit and the pandemic to the cancellation of those social events that have been so important in bringing people together to use the Welsh language in all parts of Wales. There's also the issue of school closures and the issue of second homes that we've already considered this afternoon, and the shortage of mental health services through the medium of Welsh. But I want to highlight one...
Cefin Campbell: ...is demand for that housing. Very often, these developments are built at the outskirts of our towns, and that means that these developments are a long way from important services, a long way from schools, from public transport provision and even access to jobs, and, very often, these housing developments don't include enough affordable housing. I want to echo one point that's been made by...
Cefin Campbell: ...perspective, namely the attainment gap in the data published by Qualifications Wales this week, which showed that there were fewer A* and A grades in examinations from children in receipt of free school meals as compared to those more privileged learners. Now, you have explained how you intend to tackle this, which was in response to my original question, but in looking back at the time of...
Cefin Campbell: ...to seeing the draft strategy. Just to follow up on that, I've been referring specifically to the statutory sector. The objectives of Cymraeg 2050 recognise the important role of further and higher education in delivering this vision of a million Welsh speakers. And you as a Government are duty-bound to ensure that learners and students have opportunities to continue with their education...
Cefin Campbell: Thank you very much, Llywydd. Would the Minister agree with me that one of the most important things that needs to happen in order to ensure that more children benefit from Welsh-medium education is to ensure that qualified bilingual teachers are available to teach them? Now, whilst we recognise that there has been some progress since the beginning of the pandemic in terms of the numbers...
Cefin Campbell: I will conclude with this, Llywydd: expanding free school meals also gives us an opportunity to secure healthier foods for our children and to increase horticulture here in Wales. To conclude, therefore, free school meals for primary children would not only lead to better healthy eating patterns, reduce obesity, improve the ability to concentrate in the classroom and reduce the stigma...
Cefin Campbell: Plaid Cymru believes that all public procurement of food should prioritise the purchase of food produced in Wales. The provision of free school meals for primary children, with an emphasis on developing local supply chains, will support local farmers and growers, and local businesses. With a threat to the farming sector created by trade deals with countries like Australia, and the increased...
Cefin Campbell: In a post-COVID-19 world, providing free school meals should be more of a priority than ever before, because it helps our society to build back better. Effective school food programmes can help our children not only during the first 1,000 days of their lives, but also the next 7,000 days on their journey toward adulthood. And we've heard this fact previously from Luke Fletcher, but I will...
Cefin Campbell: ...Meithrin, which is now called Mudiad Meithrin, on celebrating its fiftieth anniversary? This is quite the milestone for the most important organisation we have in terms of providing early years education through the medium of Welsh. Mudiad Meithrin was established 50 years ago to do two things: to represent and give voice to the Welsh-medium nurseries that had started to appear in the...
Cefin Campbell: ..., not just for food production in Wales, but also for the sustainability of our rural communities, as it leads to more rural depopulation and a damaging impact on the sustainability of our rural schools and public services in rural areas too. Nobody doubts the importance of tree planting in delivering against our environmental policies, but we must do this while safeguarding the viability...
