1. Will the Commissioner make a statement on reducing the amount of disposable plastic that is used on the Assembly estate? OAQ51614

Diolch, Simon. Thank you very much for that question. The Commission is committed to minimising waste, including reducing plastic on the estate, and we are proud to have achieved our commitment to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill to zero by 2018. We are working to reduce single-use plastic on the estate, switching to compostable alternatives where possible within the next six months, as well as working with suppliers to seek alternative solutions.

Can I thank the Commissioner for that positive response? Clearly, the Assembly has taken some steps in the recent past, for example getting rid of disposable coffee cups here and going over to ceramic cups, which is something that the public is now very interested in. So, we were ahead of the game there. I'm concerned that we stay ahead of the game. We still use one-use plastic knives and forks and so forth and also, just looking at the shop here, some of our goods are still in plastic containers that you look at and think—well, they don't need to be, really; it's just something that we've fallen into the habit of. So, I'm pleased to hear that you have a six-month plan, that you're trying to eradicate as much of this is possible. It's something I think we can all join together. I will, on Friday, be visiting Aberporth, which is one of the plastic-free communities in Wales, but it's not the only one now. Many communities are saying they want to set themselves up to be plastic free, and I think it's important that we in the Assembly—not the Government, but we in the Assembly— set the standard and set some leadership as well.

I thank Simon for acknowledging the positive work, which is ongoing. We have water filters and fountains around the buildings, cutting down on the need for bottled water. We provide extensive recycling facilities across the estate for most materials, including plastic, and we have clear signage and communication initiatives to raise awareness of the recycling facilities and we encourage their use. Improvements over the last few years have included removing some general waste bins from desks to maximise the use of the recycling options. Thank you for acknowledging the use of plastic cups, which is no longer happening. Thank you. 

On this matter, I was disappointed to see that, at the GP briefing breakfast, which you also attended, there were plastic straws provided for eating yoghurt, and I wondered if you can change that to make them paper, because we need to ban plastic straws; they are one of the worst offenders. In addition to that, the canteen is no longer serving vinaigrettes in bowls or jugs, but they've now got these silly little plastic containers, individually sized ones. That is just adding to the amount of plastic on the estate. This is completely ridiculous and not sustainable. I wondered if you could do something about it.

I thank the Member for her questions here. I would like to assure you that the work is ongoing and all the points that you've raised we will be taking note of and dealing with them. Thank you.

Questions 2 to 5 are to be answered by Joyce Watson, the commissioner for equalities and the Commission as the employer of Assembly staff. Question 2—Darren Millar.

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer.