Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:17 pm on 10 July 2018.
First of all, leader of the house, can I say that I'm a bit surprised that we haven't had an oral statement on the consultation on land-use management and the future of common agricultural policy payments, which is going to be hugely important over the summer? I understand it's a long consultation, but it will feature strongly in the summer shows. I think an oral statement would have been suitable for such a consultation, and I no doubt will return to this tomorrow when the Cabinet Secretary is due to answer questions. But I think it deserves a particular session in this Chamber, to look at and examine that consultation.
Can I ask for two further possible statements? First of all, does the Welsh Government intend to make a statement on water over the next week or so? We're not in a position of drought yet in Wales—just to be sure that we're very clear about this—however, we do have a situation where we're starting to look at a situation that might arise with drought. Two months in a row of way-below-average rainfall is one of the triggers for drought—we're getting on for that. We're much better prepared than the summer of 1976, which I think we both can remember, but it's certainly true that there is some concern now about water use in Wales—a potential water shortage—and, of course, we'll be on a break over the summer, so if the Welsh Government does intend to support any kind of water-use restrictions, or needs to do that, because we may well have rain, but if it's not of sufficient quantity, we could still be in August with some problems—. So, will the Welsh Government make a statement, and in particular, will the Welsh Government make a statement on the use of the new joint powers in the Wales Act 2017 with the UK Government around water resources in Wales? I'm perfectly happy that our water is shared throughout the United Kingdom; I think it's right and proper that a common resource is shared. But I also think it's right and proper that the right price is paid for the use of resources. I think it would be very difficult politically if we saw any drought restrictions in Wales and water was flowing, shall we say, through English factories and towns without there being a quid pro quo in some of that. We just need to understand where the new powers under the Wales Act will be used by the Welsh Government to have discussions with the UK Government about the joint management, and appropriate management, of water resources in Wales.
The other situation I'd like to request a statement on specifically, or perhaps a letter from the Cabinet Secretary would be appropriate, is the situation of dentistry in Wales, and in particular dentistry at a consultant-led level. I have a constituent who's happy for me to name him, Mr Boff, who has been waiting for two and a half years for restorative dentistry, having lost all his teeth. He can't get that done by a restorative dentist in Betsi Cadwaladr, because they've never been able to retain a restorative dentist, but they're not willing, either, to pay for him to get it done where their previous restorative dentist has gone, which is in the west midlands. So, they're not prepared to pay for him to go there, but they don't have a dentist who can do it in the health board area, and they sent back £1 million to the Welsh Government for dentistry last year, because they couldn't spend the money. In the meantime, my constituent has actually been warned by his general practitioner that he now faces malnutrition because he literally does not have the teeth to eat properly.
This is something that could be solved so easily if health boards had a way of utilising the resources that they've been given by Welsh Government to spend outside their area, to make sure that our constituents do get the healthcare that they need. Now, the last time—I could read this out; I've got a very long list of interactions on this, and a lot of people have been involved—but the last time, most recently, a couple of weeks ago, a response from the Cabinet Secretary did show a little bit of urgency and a realisation that the health board can't continue sending holding letters to me—several weeks ago—on this matter, and that Mr Boff does need his full treatment. I would appreciate some response before the recess on what's being done to restore this service, which must be affecting other constituents, because Betsi has not had a restorative dentist for at least a year now, and is not able to provide a very essential service.