6. 6. Plaid Cymru Debate: Local Authorities

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:49 pm on 3 May 2017.

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Photo of Siân Gwenllian Siân Gwenllian Plaid Cymru 4:49, 3 May 2017

(Translated)

Thank you very much, and thank you for an interesting debate, despite the break in the middle. Janet Finch-Saunders, at the beginning of this debate, mentioned the impact of cuts on public services, but those are the cuts imposed by the Conservatives. They are your cuts, so it makes no sense, Janet, to vote Tory. It doesn’t make any sense whatsoever for anyone who wants to safeguard our public services. The cuts are part of your very deliberate campaign to destroy public services. People are aware of that, and people have had enough of that. You also claim that you are the party of low taxation, but, in Monmouth, the average tax is the highest in Wales: £1,649 per annum. I am pleased that the Cabinet Secretary mentioned the regionalisation of local government, and it is crucial that we do keep a close eye on this and on the issue of accountability as the proposals move forward. That direct link between the constituent and his or her elected representative is crucial, and I am concerned that that may be lost in the reform that is currently in the pipeline.

Neil McEvoy spoke passionately about his vision for Cardiff. He mentioned the LDP, which will lead to the loss of a lot of greenfield sites and a sea of concrete—’absolute madness’, as he described it. The emphasis should be put on bringing empty homes back into use; I agree entirely with that.

Dai Lloyd mentioned the importance of effective social services to keep pressure from the health service, and I agree entirely with that too. Very often, social services are forgotten in the wider debate on the reform of the care system in its entirety in Wales.

Adam Price mentioned zero-hours contracts, discussing Plaid Cymru’s amendments to the social services Bill and the way that they were rejected by the Government, and the way in which Plaid Cymru’s efforts to scrap zero-hours contracts have been rejected a number of times in this place. So, I am going to focus on clause eight in our motion, which calls on the Welsh Government to scrap zero-hours contracts, in concluding this debate.

Hefin David, no, this isn’t a motion for Twitter. This is motion for real people, people who are struggling to make ends meet on zero-hours contracts. You on this side of the Chamber agree that those contracts are unfair. Zero-hours contracts lead to uncertainty. Zero-hours contracts lead to inconsistencies in terms of working hours and income for workers. It’s difficult for anyone on a zero-hours contract to control the flow of income.