2. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:56 pm on 23 January 2018.

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Photo of David Rees David Rees Labour 2:56, 23 January 2018

Leader of the house, about 12 months ago, the then Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children actually indicated that he was withdrawing Communities First funding from NSA Afan due to an audit report that he'd received. He went on to say that further financial investigation would be undertaken. We've yet to hear anything since that date, and I understand that it's now been transferred to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance. Could I have a statement from the Welsh Government indicating where the progress is in relation to that investigation, because NSA Afan, obviously, has many activities going on in my constituency and they operate many community centres that would struggle if NSA Afan had difficulties?

On a second point, it's been raised before in this Chamber—about the situation of the flood zone on the site where the Baglan prison will be built. This weekend, as Simon Thomas has pointed out, heavy rain has come. We have seen floods all over the place, including on that particular site. Now, it's not just due to heavy rain on one day; it shows that the water levels and that the water table are high and, as such, they need to be addressed. Now, we understand the flood zone was moved from C2 to C1 because of a scheduled NRW reassessment—I understand that—but, based upon the events of the weekend, it's clear that another assessment needs to take place. It's been called for before. Can we have a statement from the Minister for Environment to say how reassessments are done and when they can be redone based upon circumstances?