The next item is the business statement and announcement. I call on the leader of the house, Julie James.

Diolch, Llywydd. There are no changes to this week’s business. Business for the next three weeks is as shown on the business statement and announcement found amongst the meeting papers that are available to Members electronically.

Can I ask for two statements? Firstly, a Welsh Government statement providing an update on developments in the Swansea city region, and Welsh Government support for the city region, and further confirmation of what the Cabinet Secretary for Finance said earlier this week: that the money would be made available for the city region within the budget.

The second question I would like to ask is for a Welsh Government statement on universal credit roll-out in Wales, and an update on any discussions with the Westminster Government regarding the availability of application forms and information through the medium of Welsh.

Thank you for those two questions. The Member will be already aware that there’s a lot of work under way on the Swansea bay region city deal to develop the proposed projects into full business cases and to finalise the governance arrangements. That’s with the expectation that funding for the city deal will begin in 2018-19. We know that good progress is being made. The next milestone will be the establishment of a joint cabinet and the formal submission of the detailed business cases.

Swansea bay city region is also working with the Welsh and UK Governments to develop an agreed implementation, monitoring and evaluation plan that sets out the proposed approach to evaluating the impact of delivery. This is a £1.3 billion deal underpinned by £125.4 million of Welsh Government funding, £115.6 million of UK Government funding, £396 million of other public sector money, and £637 million from the private sector. I know that he shares my ambition for the Swansea city region, and we look forward to making it a reality as soon as possible.

Andrew—

Sorry, on the other one here—I was asked two questions, Llywydd.

My apologies.

On the statement on universal credit, we know that there’s been a revised roll-out schedule for universal credit following the UK autumn budget changes announced last week, and that confirms that, with the exception of Cardiff, all the other job centres across Wales will have implementation of universal credit pushed back by a few months. We very much welcome the pause of this roll-out, which we’ve been calling on the UK Government to action for some time. The Minister for Housing and Regeneration has written to the Minister of State for Employment requesting more details in relation to the UK autumn budget changes, particularly where universal claimants are in receipt of housing costs, to understand how the new support arrangements will work for claimants in the transition to universal credit. The Minister is also seeking reassurance that the Department for Work and Pensions will be able to offer financial support to universal credit claimants over the Christmas period as, Llywydd, I think a large number of us in the Chamber have been very concerned at the reports that universal credit claimants might be very seriously disadvantaged, especially if they're weekly paid. 

We also understand that applications for universal credit in Welsh are currently only available via a free telephone service provided by the Department for Work and Pensions's service centre. However, the Secretary of State did recently confirm that they're working towards having applications for universal credit online in Welsh as they move into the final phase of development.

So, I think, overall, we're pleased that they've acknowledged that there are some issues with universal credit. We'd have liked them to have acknowledged it sooner. We'd like them to also acknowledge that there's a real problem with people generally having their income decreasing as a result of the universal credit roll-out. And whilst we welcome the abolition of the seven-day waiting period for the first payment of universal credit, we remain very concerned that there are still universal credit claimants waiting more than six weeks for their first payment. 

Leader of the house, could I seek two statements from you, please? One is a statement from the Minister for economy and transport in relation to the potential overspend that was identified in his written statement yesterday of in excess of £50 million for the Heads of the Valleys road, on the stage that they're doing at the moment on the eastern edge, and the implications that that overspend could have on his budget for projects around the rest of Wales, because £50 million plus is a significant capital expenditure, which I presume hasn't been budgeted for, but will have implications on that budget, and it's important that we, as Assembly Members, when we're pressed in our own communities about the likely impact, can have answers to that. In an ideal world, it would be good to have an oral statement, if that was possible, because, to date, the inquiry, and the overspend, that the Minister commissioned have all been dealt with via written statements and there's been no opportunity to question the Minister on the floor of the Plenary here, so I'd hope that you would seek an oral statement on behalf of Members from the Minister before the Christmas recess.

Secondly, at the Royal Welsh Winter Fair yesterday—I know the Cabinet Secretary and other Members of the Government were there seeing the best of Welsh agriculture and the best of the rural economy. A comment that comes over time and time again—and, in fairness, I know the Minister has made progress on this—is around bureaucracy and red tape in the agricultural sector. But there is a perception, and in some instances a reality, that there is a considerable amount of that in certain Government-backed schemes. Could we have a statement from the Cabinet Secretary as to what measures have been brought forward by the Government over the last 16 months since the election to try and dispel some of those myths that exist, and actually where the reality is to get on top of some of the red tape that stops applications coming forward and makes it a bureaucratic nightmare for some applicants? Because I know that's not the intention of the schemes, but, again, there is this reality and perception in some cases that people feel that it is hugely cumbersome to apply for some of these grants.

Thank you for those two questions. In terms of the A465, we have had a number of occasions—we've had topical questions and other available opportunities for Members to question the Cabinet Secretary around the issues there. We very recently discussed it in this Chamber and of course there will be further opportunities in questions and so on to discuss it in the future, so I don't really see that we need a statement. I'm sure, at the end of the scheme, the Cabinet Secretary will be updating the Assembly accordingly. 

In terms of the winter fair arrangements, I very much welcome the Cabinet Secretary's visits to the winter fair, I believe she really enjoyed them, and they are an excellent opportunity to showcase really excellent Welsh produce, which a number of us have also taken the opportunity to do. I personally have done a small amount of Christmas shopping there, I'm delighted to tell the house. I don't think we've had any complaints, however, in terms of the red tape that Andrew R.T. Davies mentions. The Minister is shaking her head at me that there are no such complaints, so perhaps if he provides some details, the Minister could have a look at them.

Could I ask for a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for the economy, or indeed the First Minister, in response to comments by Airbus UK senior vice-president Katherine Bennett to MPs last week that Brexit could add significant costs and red tape to the UK operation? She's warned that Brexit could actually blunt the competitive edge of the Broughton plant, which as we know is a key employer of 6,000 workers in north-east Wales. Given that everything that's imported from Airbus in the UK is imported into the EU, does this Labour Government agree with Ms Bennett that our place is within the single market, within the customs union and the European Aviation Safety Agency, so that we can fend off other arms of the company, maybe in other parts of the world, who in her words are knocking on the door as a result of the situation that we find ourselves in in this country?

May I also ask for a further statement? May I ask for statement from the Minister for Welsh Language and Lifelong Learning on the Welsh in education strategic plans? We did have a statement from the former Minister at the beginning of autumn—there have been almost two months since then. He accepted each of the recommendations made in the speedy review carried out by Aled Roberts. Now, since then, we haven’t heard anything further, and I’ve had local education authorities, councillors, educators and other organisations getting in touch with me asking what the situation is, and they are concerned that we are perhaps losing momentum on this most important issue. So, I would be grateful for a statement, even if it were to only endorse the commitment to take action, but also include a timetable for that action, so that we can tackle the weaknesses in these WESPS once and for all.

Thank you for both of those very important questions. In terms of the Brexit thing, we continue to call on the UK Government to provide Welsh businesses with the clarity they urgently need. And we absolutely do demand that they do not lose sight of the needs of businesses, workers and potential investors in their approach to the Brexit negotiations. We share the Member's concern at the current approach to the negotiations. There have been a large number of opportunities to discuss this in the Chamber, and I'm sure we're all very much looking forward to debating the Bill as it comes forward as well. But we certainly do share your concerns.

In terms of the Welsh language issues that the Member raises, the Minister was here listening very carefully to his comments, and I'm sure as she comes to terms with her new brief, she'll be taking them on board.

Leader of the house, later this week I'm attending a Wales automotive forum event, where I'll meet with Aston Martin. They'll update me on the positive progress on phase 1 of the new plant in St Athan.

Will you reiterate the Welsh Government's support for the project, given the concerns raised by Aston Martin very recently about the potentially catastrophic consequences of a Brexit 'no deal'? And will you join with me in urging the UK Government to obtain a Brexit deal that is good for St Athan and the rest of the country?

Absolutely. We're working very closely with Aston Martin, who intend to build their new sport utility vehicle at St Athan. And, Llywydd, I cannot resist the opportunity to say that I had the opportunity to visit Aston Martin at the Gaydon plant, and had the opportunity to have a look at some of the new designs there—and they are very exciting indeed. I also met a number of the apprentices from Wales working in that plant, and their commitment is really quite something to behold.

The project does remain firmly on track, and the company's consistently set out its commitment to the UK. But it has indeed sought clarity on Brexit from the UK Government to enable it to plan appropriately. And as I said in answer to the previous Member as well, we continue to call on the UK Government, alongside Aston Martin, to come to the understanding that no deal represents a real risk to business here in Wales, and that we, absolutely, urgently need clarity on our position after Brexit and, indeed, that they take into account the needs of businesses, workers and potential investors in their approach to the Brexit negotiations, which I'm afraid we're less than sanguine that they currently are doing.

Leader of the house, could I call for two statements, please? Firstly, on refuse and bin bag collection—something often raised here, but not in this part of Wales I'm about to refer to. Concerns have been raised with me in Flintshire, from Higher Kinnerton to Holywell, that people are no longer allowed to leave any extra black bin bags alongside the council-provided black bin. One constituent told me she'd rung county hall and was told it had been decided and it was to force people to recycle, but she added:

'I and many others still have non-recyclable refuse to dispose of from time to time, and this is when the council's policy falls down and creates fly-tipping.'

She said the policy of charging £50 by the council to take away a single item was, in her words, outrageous, and she simply can't understand why the council prefers to send out individual lorries to deal with fly tipping rather than collect everything in one go from the pavement. She concluded:

'I'm writing to you to urge you to raise this issue—one of the things that really affects people's day-to-day lives.'

Hence my raising it in the Chamber with you today.

Secondly, could I call for a statement on support for male domestic abuse victims? You may have seen press coverage last week relating to the men's refuge in Flintshire—the domestic abuse safety unit in Shotton. Well, it's not actually located there but hosted by—. And it reported a man who'd escaped from an abusive wife and moved into the refuge, saying it had got to the point where he was too frightened to leave the house. I visited—or should I say revisited—the domestic abuse safety unit last Friday, at their request, and they again emphasised and acknowledged evidence indicating that women and girls are disproportionately impacted by violence, and this is a violation of human rights and a cause and consequence of gender inequality. But they've also chosen to provide a gender-neutral service, because they say that domestic abuse and sexual violence affects both men and women. They told me that the male refuge received five referrals on its first day for just two spaces, and it's been full ever since, despite 30 referrals being refused, partly because it was full, partly because of risk assessment; that they're currently operating waiting lists; that they're receiving referrals from across Wales, and across the UK, and, for example, someone currently resident with them came from Conwy, who don't provide any men's beds, but refer them to Flintshire because there's nowhere else to go. I understand it's the only male refuge in north Wales, currently funded by the council, supporting people to March 2018, with funding for the female victims supported to 2019. Could I call for a statement accordingly?

Thank you for those very important questions. In terms of domestic waste collection, it's very much a matter for individual local authorities to decide how best to provide collection services to their residents. The Welsh Government advocates that local authorities provide comprehensive weekly collection services for dry recyclables and food waste, with a view to residents who make full use of the weekly recycling collections having very little to put in the residual refuse bags or bins. During FMQs, the Member will have heard an answer in which Wales's extremely good rate in terms of recycling was lauded, quite rightly so, and what I would say to the Member is that if his local authority is struggling, they should look for help from other local authorities who have very good practice in this area. 

In terms of male domestic abuse, I did see the programme that the Member refers to and it's a very serious issue. And, of course, we need to work towards having a Wales where violence against anyone in any situation is completely unacceptable. Our groundbreaking Act covers violence against women and girls, which is a very serious problem—still two women a week get killed as a result of gender based violence—but, of course, we need to make sure that services exist for all victims of domestic abuse wherever it arises. 

Can I ask for a Welsh Government statement on the impact on our communities of the recent budget and the inherent cuts to police spending and police numbers in Wales? We know that already, since 2010, there has been a £2.3 billion cut by the UK Government in policing, with the loss of 20,000 officers, and we know that inherent in this current budget is a further £800 million of real-terms cuts to policing, with the potential loss of a further 15,000 police officers across the UK, bringing police levels down to the levels in the 1970s, and that this will have significant implications for safety and for our communities. It seems to me that it's an important matter that there should be a Government statement on.

Thank you for that very important point. Members are obviously very aware that most aspects of policing policy remain non-devolved, and overall spending plans for the police in England and Wales are determined by the Home Office still. However, we're continuing to invest in community safety through our funding of the 500 additional community support officers that the Member will be very well aware of as well, and in protecting the budget for the additional community support officers for 2018-19, with £16.8 million earmarked in the budget for next year for the continued delivery of this commitment.

We also work very closely with police and crime commissioners and police forces in Wales, who can also bid for other sources of Welsh Government funding. They're doing a really good job in terms of collaborating and so on, and we allow them the freedom to make their own decisions about council tax increases, for example, in funding. But I completely share the Member's difficulties with the budget as announced. We will wait to see what the actual formula looks like, but I will certainly be sharing his concerns with the Minister for public services, who I'm sure will take them into account in planning out his year's work. 

Leader of the house, may I ask for a statement on the lack of employment opportunities for people with learning disabilities in Wales, and learning difficulties also? Mencap Cymru has recently pointed out that there are huge barriers facing people with learning difficulties who want to work. They went on to say that the employment rate in Wales was terribly low, with many employers needing to be educated about the benefits of employing someone with a learning disability. May I ask for a statement on what the Welsh Government is doing to extend employment opportunities in this largely untapped potential workforce?

The second statement I need from the Minister would be that I visited a Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals establishment in Newport. It's a wonderful job that volunteers and officials are doing, but I was very much disturbed when I heard that some of the animals—some dogs—had been very cruelly treated by people. And the offenders list, or register, is not here in this country. People can kill one animal and go and buy another one, or get another, from other devolved areas of the United Kingdom. So, we should be doing something seriously, through our respectable, honourable Chamber, that the people should treat animals with respect in Wales. And the RSPCA is doing a wonderful job, and we should be supporting them. Thank you.

In terms of the Member's first question, the Minister responsible for employability is sitting behind me, and I'm sure she'll be looking into making sure that Wales is a disability-confident and friendly nation. She'll be bringing forward a statement on the employability plan, which I'm certain will include a number of issues around disability-confident employers. When I was holding that portfolio, I did a large amount of work to make sure that employers in Wales understood what disability-confident might mean, and understood all of the attributes that many people could bring to their employer, if only people could see past them and to their skills instead. And I'm sure the Minister will be taking that into account when she brings her employability statement forward.

In terms of the RSPCA, I don't disagree at all with what the Member has to say. I was very distressed to see the vote in the House of Commons around animals, and whether they suffer cruelty or not. I would ask him to make sure that his own Government, in England, make sure that they bring forward the right measures, to make sure that sentient creatures are not cruelly treated, and are treated correctly.

Leader of the house, I wondered whether we could have a debate in Government time about what we can do to increase breastfeeding in Wales. The UK has the worst breastfeeding rates in the world, and that puts Wales, I'm afraid, in a very poor position. We know that 71 per cent of mothers start breastfeeding, compared with 83 per cent in England, but it's devastating to know that only 17 per cent are still breastfeeding just six weeks after the birth. This isn't just about the professional support that we give to mothers, which I know that the Cabinet Secretary for health is looking into, to try and improve breastfeeding rates, it is also about society's attitudes to breastfeeding, which is all our responsibility.

Because we heard last week from Dr Aimee Grant of Cardiff University on the research she's done in a Communities First area in Newport, about the attitudes to people feeding in public. And this is an absolutely crucial issue, because women don't go into purdah when they have babies—they need to be out and about, doing their daily tasks. So, when I read that people are saying that the

'standard joke in my house, if I breastfeed in Starbucks the whole café’s just gonna leave...and every middle-class, y’know, over 60-year-old woman is just going to be horrified.'

This is absolutely appalling. Breasts are for feeding babies, not for selling newspapers. And another woman, who said she always felt she had to cover up when she breastfed in public, was made to feel like she was pole dancing, because she was breastfeeding. This is completely outrageous, and we all have to do something about this, because it has a devastating impact on both the baby and the mother in later life. And it is feeding into our obesity, diabetes and cancer rates, and we just have to do something about it. So, I wondered if we could have a statement, and a debate, about how we collectively can do something about this.

I thank the Member for bringing up that very important topic. I share her passion for it, having experienced something very similar when I was breastfeeding my own children. And I'm appalled to find that, very many years later, the situation hasn't improved all that much.

The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services recently requested that officials and the Royal College of Midwives facilitate a task and finish group to explore ways to improve uptake, and to provide support to families. We have got a very good agenda for increasing the rate of breastfeeding in Wales, which remains a priority for us, and we've done a number of things, including the 'Transforming Health Improvement in Wales' review of all health improvement programmes, including the breastfeeding programme. I'm sure the Cabinet Secretary will bring forward a statement once the task and finish group has reported, so that we can all have a better view of where we are now and then how we can take the service forward in the future. 

Leader of the house, I'm sure that you were shocked, as everybody in this Chamber would have been, by the news yesterday of a 17-year-old from Rhondda Cynon Taf who was radicalised online and then went on to plan a terror attack at a concert in Cardiff here in June. We had a debate in the Senedd back in May of this year, and the Cabinet Secretary for Education, at that time, announced that there was going to be a national online safety action plan developed and implemented. I'd be grateful if we could have a statement to give us an update on the implementation of that plan, to ensure that we can look at the progress to make sure that we reduce the chances of young people being radicalised in the way that this 17-year-old has been. I think it's a matter that requires urgent attention, particularly in the current climate, and I would be grateful if the Government could make time available for that.

The Cabinet Secretary has indicated to me that she thinks a statement is due shortly. Actually, I'll also be answering questions with my portfolio hat on next week, so we'll be able to cover some of it off there as well, because I think the Member is right that this is an incredibly important area and I, too, was shocked by the programme that I also saw.

Can I associate myself with the comments made by Jenny Rathbone? I was pleased to attend this meeting last week with the Cardiff University academic and was really shocked at the tales that were told and I think if we could look at where we are with breastfeeding, that would be a great help. 

Yesterday, the cross-party Gypsy and Traveller group met in Pembrokeshire and had feedback from the members of the community there about what were the issues they were concerned about. One of the things that came up was the need for feedback on the accommodation needs assessments that have been carried out as a result—during the last Assembly—of a duty being put on local authorities to provide an adequate number of pitches and sites for Gypsies and Travellers. So, I wonder, leader of the house, because I believe this does come under your responsibilities, if we could have a statement where we look at what progress has been made across Wales about creating more pitches where they're needed and what the accommodation needs assessments have actually led to. 

Yes, I welcome both of those. In terms of the breastfeeding remarks, I'll just say in addition to the remarks that I made to Jenny Rathbone, that we have a number of examples of promoting and normalising breastfeeding across all Public Health Wales programmes of work, including, for example, the NHS settings programme, where health boards will continue to be supported to achieve and maintain UNICEF's UK baby-friendly accreditation and a breastfeeding report card is being developed to measure success, share good practice and identify areas requiring additional support. I will also be taking a good look at this in my new equalities portfolio, as I do think there is a real issue about how women are regarded in terms of their breasts and breastfeeding. So, I will certainly be doing that in conjunction with the Cabinet Secretary.

In terms of the Gypsy/Traveller issues that the Member raised—and has always raised as long as I've known her, which is all my life—I will certainly be looking at that. I'll be looking to have a meeting with the Minister for housing as soon as I possibly can and I'm very happy to say that I will then bring forward a statement on where we are and what we propose to do in the future, as soon as I've been able to have those meetings. 

It's a follow-on, really, from Mark Isherwood. I wanted a statement about domestic abuse that can affect everyone, both male and female. The Welsh Government figures on violence against women and girls include all the assaults and all the abuse of males in with those figures, but the word 'male' isn't mentioned. So, the figures are not really what is written on the tin. So, I'm wondering really when the Government will start to actually recognise—and I didn't really get it from your statement earlier—that domestic abuse is a serious problem that affects a lot of men. One in three victims are male and according to the Office for National Statistics only 10 per cent of men will report abuse. So, in terms of the men who are murdered by partners and ex-partners, there's roughly one every 11 days and that's not to diminish the other side of what you spoke about earlier. But there needs to be a recognition in this building and amongst everybody here that men are also the victims of domestic abuse and there need to be services for people, for everybody.

Final question. You won't be able to give me the answer now, but I would appreciate it at some point in the near future. How many beds are there in terms of refuge for men in each county of Wales? Diolch yn fawr. Thank you. 

The Member brings this up consistently, and, as I said in response to Mark Isherwood, we are working, of course, towards a situation where no-one in Wales lives in fear of violence or anything else. There's a huge cultural issue around the acceptability of domestic violence. I will, of course, be looking at violence against everybody in all kinds of settings in my new role, but it is actually important to remember that two women a week are killed by domestic violence, and we need to get our priorities straight.   

Leader of the house, today we've seen the publication of the fifth state of the nation report from the social mobility commission, which actually doesn't give us good reading in certain areas, because it highlights the fact that austerity doesn't solve the problem; it creates even more problems for many of our deprived communities. Now, most of the deprived communities are therefore facing challenges, and the young people in those communities are facing those challenges as well. Can we have a statement from the Welsh Government to say how we'll actually now work towards tackling some of those points to ensure that our young people in the disadvantaged communities have a better chance in life? 

I very much welcome the Member's question. There is a big piece across the Government about social mobility currently under way. As the Member knows, I chair the fair work board, which is looking very much in terms of fair work and how we can increase social mobility. With my previous hat on, I had a number of meetings with various Cabinet Secretaries, and I will be incorporating the remarks that he's made in terms of what we're trying to achieve with the fair work board and working across the Government with other Cabinet colleagues to address some of the issues that were highlighted in that report, which I think are really a cause for concern to all of us.  

Two things, if I may, leader of the house. First of all, there wasn't time earlier for me to have my supplementary question to Neil Hamilton's question to the First Minister, despite the brevity of the answer that he received initially, on parking charges in Wales. But can I concur with Neil Hamilton's comments that it is important that councils are encouraged and given guidance to keep those charges as low as possible and to make sure that people travelling to our town centres across Wales aren't spending more than is required by the policies in those areas? In Monmouthshire, there are overstay facilities on many of the parking machines, and that does mean that people who do overstay aren't fined in the first instance; they can actually pay their ticket afterwards. So, could the Assembly give guidance to local authorities on how to keep charges to what is required in those areas, and perhaps we could have a statement on that? 

Secondly, on the weekend, one of my constituents in my village, actually, slipped in the cold weather we're experiencing at the moment and suffered a head injury. Luckily, there were friends and neighbours on hand to support her, but it was an hour before the first responder was able to be there. In fact, the subsequent ambulance was then with her about 10, 15 minutes after that, I think. So, specifically in relation to the times for first responders, can we have an update on what's being done to make sure that those are on hand in Wales when people need them? I know of many instances where first responders are there in the requisite time, but in the case of a head injury I really do think it's important that people do get the support and the medical treatment they need as soon as possible by those first responders, and perhaps you could look at what's happening there across Wales.   

In terms of the Member's first question on parking charges, I can only commend him to the answer the First Minister gave. There are a large number of authorities with cutting-edge practices in terms of parking charges, utilising modern methods of charging for the exact time that a person stays, including apps that do that and registering with the local authorities, and so on. And I would certainly commend that as a course of action to all local authorities, in conjunction with a good travel plan, because I do think it's very important to include active travel plans in city centres as well. Actually, there's quite a lot of research to show that people who travel by public transport into city centres spend more and spend more time in the shops and restaurants there. So, I think parking charges in an overall travel plan for our shopping centres is a very good thing. 

In terms of the winter preparedness and the first responders, the Cabinet Secretary was here listening to the Member's remarks and nodding, so I'm sure the Member will get a response to that in due course.   

Thank you, Minister.