Thank you, Presiding Officer. To recap for those Members who were not part of the fourth Assembly, the regulations will enable people with an impairment lasting at least 12 months to access disabled parking spaces in exactly the same way as they would if their condition was permanent. Now, the disabled persons blue badge scheme is intended to enable those who cannot walk or who have considerable difficulty in walking to access services and facilities, thus assisting them to live independently. Blue badges are issued by the local authority and they are responsible for assessing applicants and deciding whether to issue a badge. There is no formal route of appeal against the decision of a local authority beyond the local authority general complaints process.

Welsh Ministers have limited powers in this area. We have issued non-statutory guidance and we work with local authorities to promote a high-quality and consistent service to applicants. Issuing statutory guidance or changing the issuing arrangements, such as creating a central assessing and awarding body, would require a change to primary legislation, which can be pursued if the current arrangements prove unsatisfactory.

In terms of the 12-month or six-month question, the approach was endorsed by the task and finish group’s recommendation in 2015 when they said,

‘The Welsh Government should consider providing a temporary badge system where qualifying conditions are likely to last at least 12 months.’

In terms of why badges are issued for 12 months rather than for a shorter or a longer period, or indeed more flexible periods of time, one of the priorities was to introduce a scheme which was going to be workable and also practical. The consultation sought views on effective administration of the temporary badges from all stakeholders, including local authorities, who will be responsible for issuing those badges. Over 80 per cent of respondents who expressed a view on this topic felt that a standard 12-month issuing period was the best approach to take. This was also the opinion of the implementation group tasked with overseeing the effective delivery of the task and finish group recommendations.

Can I support and thank Sian Gwenllian for her appeal to Members to not support Mark Isherwood’s attempt for an annulment of the regulations? But can I equally suggest to Mark Isherwood that, if Members wish to discuss and debate the blue badge scheme in more detail, then I am more than happy to make an oral statement on the scheme? This will give an opportunity for questions and further debate.