I'd like to raise the issue of medicinal cannabis. The relaxation of the laws regarding the prescription of medicinal cannabis as a result of the changes to the misuse of drugs legislation this year has brought about little change. This is more than likely due to the restrictive interim guidance that has been published as a result of this legislation change. The Multiple Sclerosis Society say that nothing will change in the short term for the 10,000 people in the UK living with MS who could get relief from pain and muscle spasms by using medicinal cannabis. This was brought into sharp relief during the last week, with the case of 16-year-old Bailey Williams, who has severe epilepsy that can cause him to suffer hundreds of seizures in quick succession. His family say that the condition is deteriorating rapidly. They say that medicinal cannabis would greatly improve his symptoms. 

Now, Sativex may be available on the NHS in Wales, but this is only licensed for the treatment of spasticity, and then only available to a small group of people living with MS who meet the criteria. This is of no use for people like Bailey with severe epilepsy, or any other condition that might fall outside that narrow scope. I'd like to see this Government work towards ensuring that interim guidance on prescribing medicinal cannabis is reviewed and then relaxed, so that access to treatment is not so heavily restricted. We have an opportunity in Wales to take a progressive approach to the prescription of medicinal cannabis, and we should not let that opportunity fall. I've already written to the new leader of Labour, so will you ensure, as a matter of urgency, that the new First Minister takes action on this without delay, as the family cannot wait until Christmas?

I'd also like to raise the matter of an Assembly Member sharing a platform with a well-known islamophobic far-right bully in London over the weekend. Yaxley-Lennon is known to have made up news stories that have helped to spread hate against Muslims. He’s regularly incited hatred and has no place in mainstream politics. The Assembly Member in question has no shame, but his sharing of a platform with such a reprehensible and dangerous character brings shame on this Senedd and it brings shame on Wales. I suspect there will be no contrition from the Assembly Member in question, as that’s the kind of person that he is, but I would hope that action is taken to sanction him in some way for pandering to a far-right thug and his followers.

Can we have a statement from the Government condemning this action and explaining to everyone why associations of this kind aren't harmless, and also, can that statement also outline the Welsh Government’s strategy for tackling the rise of the far right in Wales?