2. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:29 pm on 12 December 2017.

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Photo of Mark Isherwood Mark Isherwood Conservative 2:29, 12 December 2017

Can I call for two statements? Firstly, on the impact of winter weather on transport after the weekend of disruption that we've had. Yesterday, along with thousands of others, it took me seven and a half hours, with multiple train changes, to travel from Wrexham to Cardiff. The staff, I have to say, on the train were fantastic, offering free coffee and goodness knows what else. They can't be responsible for snow and they can't be responsible for trees falling. There were signal failures as well with trains going backwards as well as forwards. The context of understanding how this could have happened in the way it did; the extent to which it was beyond anybody's control; and the extent to which we can plan better should there be any further recurrence of this sort of temperature, snowfall and ice as the winter progresses.

Secondly and finally, mesh implants. I know, last week, Neil McEvoy called on you for a Welsh Government statement on mesh implants and you replied that the health Secretary had already made a commitment to bring forward a statement on mesh implants, and you were sure he would be doing so very soon. Thus far, his statement, including written responses to me on behalf of constituents, have stated that he still believed that the benefits outweigh the risks. I'd therefore be grateful if you could ensure that the statement takes account of recent developments in this context. In Australia, their regulatory body in the department of health, the Therapeutic Goods Administration, has concluded that the benefits of using transvaginal mesh products in the treatment of pelvic organ prolapse do not outweigh the risks these products pose to patients. They also consider that there's a lack of adequate scientific evidence before them to be satisfied that the risk to patients associated with the use of mesh products, such as single-incision mini slings for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence, are outweighed by their benefits, and Australia is removing these products from their register of therapeutic goods. And, in the UK, it's reported that the health watchdog, NICE, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, has stated that vaginal mesh operations should be banned, and that, in the documents to be published after consultation this month, they say there are serious but well-recognised safety concerns. And, of course, use of the implants to treat both organ prolapse and urinary incontinence has already been suspended in Scotland. I'd therefore be grateful, when the promised statement is brought forward, that these developments could be brought into consideration. Thank you.