The next item, therefore, is the business statement and announcement. And I call on the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd to make the statement—Rebecca Evans.

Diolch, Llywydd. There are two changes to this week's business. The Counsel General and Brexit Minister will make a statement shortly to update the Assembly on EU negotiations. Additionally, the Business Committee has agreed to seek a suspension of Standing Orders tomorrow to enable the Standards of Conduct Committee report 01-19 to be debated. Draft business for the next three weeks is set out in the business statement and announcement, which can be found amongst the meeting papers available to Members electronically.

Minister, please could we have a statement from the Minister of health on the risk to future cancer facilities presented by the shortage of specialists in Wales? Figures produced by the Royal College of Radiologists show that only three extra cancer doctors joined NHS Wales in the past five years. We can see the vacancy rates for clinical oncologists are also the highest in the United Kingdom. A spokesman for the royal college said, and I quote:

'Our shortage of cancer specialists poses a real risk for the future. This impacts on clinical care, research, education, leadership and service development.'

Quote closed. Please can we have a statement from the Minister of health on this very serious issue?

And my second statement, Minister, I would like to have, because Welsh Government—. We are asking in this Chamber to devolve more legal powers to our Chamber and this great institution. On the other hand, when there are some high-profile cases in England that this Assembly goes for, we hire an English barrister. Is there any shortage of Welsh barristers with the competence and the quality? Why don't we hire them and use our own home-grown talented barristers and face those legal wranglings in the High Court in London?

Thank you very much for raising the issue, particularly of clinical oncologists. I would suggest that the earliest opportunity for you to raise that with the health Minister would be this afternoon in the statement on 'Train. Work. Live.',  which is the Welsh Government's efforts to ensure that we do have the appropriate staff within the NHS with the skills that we need for the future.

And, on the issue of the Welsh barristers, I would imagine that availability and skills and expertise might have something to do with this, but I would suggest again that you raise this directly with the Counsel General, who'll be able to provide a view on that.   

Trefnydd, last week, I raised with the Minister for environment what the latest position was in terms of the Swansea bay tidal lagoon. Now, it seems a long time ago since the Hendry review reported that the lagoon was a no-regrets option—in fact, a 'no-brainer', as I recall him saying at the time. Now, clearly, the UK Government's refusal to contribute funding has meant that alternative models are being looked at, as you know. But, unfortunately, I am also sensing that Welsh Government enthusiasm for the project is also faltering. Gone are the public announcements around the commitment to invest and we have heard next to nothing from the Welsh Government in terms of what practical actions they are taking to help deliver the scheme. Last October, the then Cabinet Secretary for Finance, now First Minister, told the Ocean Energy Europe conference, and I quote, some moving words:

'We are striving to make Wales a leading player in the marine energy field with energy generated from waves and the tide playing an important role in our ambitions for a low-carbon economy.'

End of quote. I would argue that the Swansea bay tidal lagoon is vital in terms of delivering that ambition. Therefore, will the Government commit to bringing forward a debate in Government time on the Swansea bay tidal lagoon and provide clarity as to the level and type of commitment towards that scheme? Plaid has always argued that the people of Wales should benefit from any wealth generated from our natural resources, and I would be interested to hear what action, if any, the Welsh Government is taking in this regard. 

Welsh Government continues to remain an enthusiastic supporter of the proposal for a Swansea bay tidal lagoon, and we're pleased that there are other options and other ways of funding that being looked at at the moment. There's no lack of enthusiasm here, and we are still keen to ensure that Wales can be a world leader in marine and tidal technology. I think that the enthusiasm certainly is here across Government to make that happen and, should a viable proposal come forward, then Welsh Government would certainly be keen to have those discussions. The funding that we identified previously still remains on the table for that scheme, should a viable proposal come forward. Of course, the environment Minister will be intending to make a statement on a low-carbon Wales before the summer recess, which might be another opportunity to explore this issue. 

Trefnydd, can I ask for two statements from Welsh Government, the first on the report published last week by the chief inspector of probation in relation to the youth justice and early intervention services in the Western Bay area.?The report was quite damning. It actually highlighted that, out of 12 areas, nine were considered to be 'inadequate', with a tenth being 'room for improvement'. So, basically, you've only got two out of 12 they could actually give any credit for. And we are talking about the lives of young people and the protection of those young people and the vulnerability of those young people and this report is highlighting the concerns being expressed, and it is important that the Welsh Government gives a response on that. So, could we have a statement from the Welsh Government as to what actions they're going to take on the basis of this report? 

On the second point, I just want to request a report or perhaps a statement from the Welsh Government on air pollution again. Emissions from Tata—I know last time I raised this, the then deputy Minister for the environment highlighted that he was attending meetings, but it's nice to have a report or a statement from the Welsh Government as to the outcome of those meetings, because, again, my constituents are facing daily pollution from the steelworks, noise pollution from the steelworks, on a regular basis. We understand it's an industrial complex, we understand it is a huge aspect of the economy, but there's also the aspect of being a reasonable and well-behaved neighbour, and on this occasion we seem to be falling down on that, and we need to have a report as to how the Welsh Government is interacting with Tata to ensure that it behaves itself. 

Thank you very much for raising both of those issues, and, of course, it's the Ministry of Justice that oversees the youth offending teams in the three local authority areas run by Western Bay. It must take urgent action as a result of the findings set out in the HMI probation report. We want to ensure that services are in place to support young people who are at risk of entering the criminal justice system and to ensure that they are robust and reliable and fit for service. I can tell you that Welsh Government officials have been in discussion with their counterparts, and it's the intention of the Minister, Jane Hutt, to write to the Ministry of Justice on that particular issue.

And, on your concerns regarding clean air, I'll certainly ask the Minister to write to you with an update, but I can say again that I've been having discussions with colleagues across Government in terms of shaping our programme of statements and debates as we move forward towards the end of the summer term, and the Deputy Minister has been clear that she'd like to bring forward a statement on clean air during that time.

Will the Trefnydd make a statement, please, on procurement in the Welsh health service in terms of its adherence, really, to local procurement in Wales? With health boards currently reporting a £90.4 million overspend for 2018-19, it is clear that finances are teetering on the brink. I was really disappointed, therefore, to learn quite recently that potentially more expensive blood glucose meters and test strips are being procured across Wales. For example, I understand that the cost of strips currently being purchased by the Welsh NHS are actually costing in the region of 70 per cent more than is necessary and that these can actually be procured locally in north Wales by a company that is encountering significant difficulties in being accepted on the preferred list. Now, this is despite the fact that they supply their products internationally and are used in the health sector across other parts of the UK. Given the potential to save money and support Welsh business, I would be pleased if you would be willing to investigate this situation more should I provide you with more information, and explain what steps you are taking to ensure that all procurement in our health service is based on a measure of value for money that also fits in with the principles of local Welsh procurement.

Thank you for raising that. Of course, you'll be aware of the statement that the First Minister made in September regarding the National Procurement Service and Value Wales and the importance that we put on good procurement practice across Wales. You mentioned the state of NHS finances, and the current NHS forecast represents a material improvement from the 2017-18 outturn, and, again, we would look forward to continued improvement next year. NHS organisations collectively have made over £1.5 billion-worth of efficiency savings since the new organisations were established at the beginning of the decade. And, in the last financial year, over two thirds of these savings of 71 per cent were found on a recurrent basis and we would expect that to be maintained in 2018-19.

On the specific issue of the blood glucose strips, if you do send me some further information, I'd be certainly happy to explore that with the health Minister.

I'd like to raise the matter of the Welsh independent living grant with you, Trefnydd. I wrote to the Welsh Government in the middle of last month asking for a clear timetable for carrying out assessments and restoring financial packages for disabled people who lost out when the independent living fund was abolished. I've not yet received a reply. On behalf of disabled people and their families who welcome the Government's change of heart on this matter, can you give any indication as to when those warm words will be matched by deeds? I would very much welcome a statement.

I want to raise the issue of poverty and neglect in our former industrial areas, especially in the Valleys. Unemployment is too high, food bank usage is unacceptably high, opportunities are few and far between, and too many young people are desperate to leave. To compound matters, austerity has put paid to many of the support networks that were once able to catch people when they fell. This has become a critical issue now for many communities. In my street surgeries in the Rhondda in recent months, I've found plenty of people who feel like they're under siege. 'We've nothing left' is how one woman in Maerdy summed things up; 'Our communities are being allowed to die' said another. So, what can the Valleys taskforce do to help places like the Rhondda that have unemployment levels almost twice as high as the Welsh national average and more than twice as high as the UK level? There are some fantastic projects being carried out by volunteers. How can they be supported, rather than hindered? Can, for example, funds be set aside to enable local authorities to take back some of the services that they abandoned in recent years? After all, we have been told that austerity is over. We can't just abandon these communities. You've got a part to play in making sure that unemployment and poverty are tackled, yet I'm seeing nothing radical enough to do the job. So, I would appreciate some concerted action, a clear plan on what you're doing to help prevent some of our communities from sinking.

With regard to the first query relating to your correspondence with the Deputy Minister on the Welsh independent living grant, I understand, as you say, you sent the letter in the middle of the month, so, perhaps if we let the standard 17-working-day response time elapse and if you haven't had a response within that time, I'd be certainly pleased to ensure that you do receive a timely response from the Minister.

On the issue of your concern about unemployment in the Valleys and your recognition that there are fantastic projects taking place there, I know that it is the intention of the Deputy Minister to bring forward a statement that encapsulates the work that is being undertaken by the Valleys taskforce, our Better Jobs Closer to Home schemes and also the foundational economy, again, this side of the summer recess.

I wonder if you could give me an assurance that the Government will make time available for a debate on one of the most important issues affecting all our communities, and that is the issue of housing, but specifically on the desperate need I think we now have in our communities for a twenty-first century ethical housing policy. We've discussed a number of matters around housing, whether it be leasehold and the problems associated with that. Many of those are still ongoing, but we now are coming across what I think are almost the equivalent of scams by some of our housing companies—freehold housing that is now being subjected to all sorts of management arrangements in terms of local services around those houses that encumber and often blight freehold housing in our communities. It seems to me that these are things that we actually need to prohibit, to have no part in an ethical housing policy.

We also need to look at what is happening, also, on the land that is being banked by these housing development companies. Now, you will have seen the reports, as I have—and I'm not sure whether this is happening yet in Wales, but it doesn't mean it will not do—of netting of those areas to actually prevent the development of wildlife in those areas for future planning applications. This is something that I think just highlights the extent to which the small number of large housing companies are not only exploiting their monopoly, making excessive profits, but are also, I think, out of control, and what we need is a broad housing policy to make our housing, in whatever form it is, twenty-first century housing—fit, unencumbered, of the highest ethical standards. I think we need to pull this together, we probably need legislation, but it would be a start if the Government would make its own time available for us to have a discussion on all these issues around housing so we can start looking at setting the parameters for the development of future housing policy.

Thank you for raising your concerns about leasehold and also the issues facing many people who own freehold properties that are subject to management fees on various estates across Wales. I know it's something that you've raised many times in this Chamber. As a result of some of the discussions that we had early on, I was able to take some early action in my previous portfolio to deal with some of the issues in the leasehold market. So, we came to an agreement with the developers that no new houses would be brought forward through Help to Buy and no new houses would be brought forward by developers as leasehold unless absolutely necessary. So, the latest statistics show that only three houses have been sold as leaseholds through Help to Buy now, and all of those three were bought off-plan prior to the new rules being introduced. So, we're managing to have some success, certainly in changing the way that the market operates through the levers that we have with Help to Buy, but I know that there are much wider concerns about people who already own leasehold properties. This is one of the reasons that the Minister is working with her multidisciplinary task and finish group on residential leasehold reform, which is working alongside the work being undertaken by the Law Commission to explore what changes might be needed through legislation, but also what else we could be doing more urgently to address some of the issues. I know the Minister will be keen to update you as and when the leasehold group does report, which I understand won't be too long.

I call for two statements, firstly on diet as a treatment for diabetes 2, following the encouraging results from two diabetic diet trials conducted by diabetic dietician Claire Chaudhry at Wrexham Maelor Hospital. Last Friday, I had the pleasure of visiting the hospital to meet the dietetic service lead for diabetes in Betsi Cadwaladr, together with the head of dietetics east and the assistant director for therapies in the east. They made the point to me that diet is the cornerstone of treatment for diabetes. With 30,000 to 40,000 people in north Wales alone with diabetes 2, this is costing 10 per cent of the NHS budget, much of it due to complications, but the pilot work has seen patients coming off insulin, losing weight, and increasing patient understanding of their own physiotype and changing lifestyles. They emphasise this is invest to save: blood pressure tablet use dropping, people coming off £3,000 sleep apnoea machines, amputations reducing, and beneficial impacts for sight loss, kidney dialysis, stroke and much else besides. They've taken the lead on this in Wales. GP referrals are up accordingly, but they don't currently have the capacity to meet that demand. As an invest to save, I think it's a wonderful initiative, which merits attention from the Welsh Government alongside the health board that has led on this.

Secondly and finally, could I call for a Welsh Government statement on its engagement with autistic rights and the autistic rights movement? I'm sure you in particular will be aware that today is World Autism Awareness Day, part of World Autism Awareness Week, encouraging people to raise awareness of autism. Today, I have sponsored an event, just above us in the Senedd—a Going Gold for Autistic Acceptance 2019 event, where user-led organisations are promoting autistic acceptance and strengthening the autistic voice. As they say,

'nothing about autism without autistics.'

Acceptance is an action. Don't just be aware, act. And if all we're going to do is simply raise awareness, we're just going to make waiting lists grow longer and longer. We need to move to understanding, acceptance, representation, inclusion and equality. Where autistic adults are speaking, are we listening? Therefore, I would welcome a statement, not simply in the context of the normal service-led or medical discussions we have here, but in terms of that engagement with the authentic autistic voice and the autistic rights movement on World Autism Awareness Day.

Thank you very much. On the first issue of the dietetics work, it sounds very interesting and certainly extremely encouraging, so I'll discuss with my colleague the Minister for health in terms of the best way to better understand that and the potential that it has for people affected by diabetes and the prevention of diabetes across Wales. I know it's the intention of the health Minister to bring forward a statement on diabetes, again before the end of the summer term, so this is something that could be considered within that context.

And, on World Autism Day, I'm very happy to join you in outlining how important it is, when designing services for people with autism, to do so in a way that is co-produced. I know that you, like I, are a big fan of co-production as a way of developing services and support for people. We acknowledge that there is a long way to go. However, I do think that we have made some real progress, including through the £13 million investment in the integrated autism service, which is currently being rolled out across Wales. To mark World Autism Day, or certainly through the week, we will be publishing the full independent evaluation of the roll-out of the integrated autism service, and I think that will be useful in terms of identifying the most important next steps forward. We've also commissioned an additional review of the barriers to reducing diagnostic waiting times—that review will be also published shortly—and have also consulted on the contents of an autism code of practice under the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014. It's really important that the voices of people with autism come through in that consultation, so that the code can set out what support will become available because of what people have told us. But I completely agree with you that the authentic voice of people with autism should be at the heart of that work.

On 20 March, this Assembly instructed the Welsh Government to write to the European committee for the prevention of torture to raise the concerns of Imam Sis and the other Kurdish hunger strikers on the international stage. Imam, who lives in Newport, is now on his one-hundred-and-seventh day of hunger strike. The situation is now beyond serious. It's profoundly immediate. It's urgent. I note that the motion, though passed, is not binding on the Government, and so I'd like an update, please, on whether the Government have acted on the instruction given to it by the Assembly. I'd also note that, during the debate, the Minister told me that the Welsh Government would not be willing to take action on this because it isn't a devolved matter. But since that principle was waived in the debate immediately following that, relating to the WASPI women, where the Government indicated it would write a letter, could we please be reassured that the same principle will be followed here? I'm very worried about Imam.

Thank you for raising this issue again. I think, as the Minister was able to outline in her response to the debate, it is an extremely serious and concerning situation, and it's a situation that many people across Wales feel extremely passionately about as well. The Minister did set out that it would be for the Assembly to send any letter on behalf of the Assembly. It wouldn't normally be the Welsh Government that did it on its behalf. But I'll certainly have a further conversation to explore what action might be taken.

Today the Business Committee met and discussed my motion to use section 37 of the Government of Wales Act 2006 to compel the Permanent Secretary to release the leak inquiry into the sacking of Carl Sargeant. They're going to return to the motion after Easter, and I hope they can support it. In fact, I'd encourage all AMs here to support it and sign up as supporters to the motion. I'd also like a Government statement on this, because why don't we just act with some openness and transparency and publish the report when it's clearly in the public interest?

I'd ask you to look again at the response that the First Minister gave to the leader of Plaid Cymru when he asked a question on this precise issue just earlier on this afternoon. The First Minister set out that he is currently considering the judgment that was made and taking some further advice with a view to updating the Assembly in due course.

Trefnydd, I would like to support David Rees's request for a Government statement on the very problematic inspection report on youth offending services in Western Bay, and I would ask you and the Government to reconsider your decision not to bring forward a statement. I won't reiterate the points that David Rees has already raised about the seriousness, but I would point out to you and to others that out of the 14 recommendations that the inspectorate made, six of those are for devolved organisations—they're for local authorities, they're for the health authority, they are for children's services. Now, as David Rees has rightly pointed out, these are some of our most vulnerable children and young people. I think we have all, actually, probably most of us across this Chamber, been glad to see Wales taking a slightly different approach, despite the fact that this isn't a formally devolved matter. It must, therefore, be a concern of us all—and I very much hope it would be a concern of the Welsh Government—that this report is telling us, for example,

'The service and partner agencies do not always undertake actions to reduce vulnerability. Some children and young people are not safe.'

Now, that is surely something that we cannot dismiss as a non-devolved matter, when six of the actions are for devolved organisations, and I would ask you and the Government to reconsider whether it would be possible to bring forward a statement in Government time to reassure us all that these very serious matters will be adequately addressed. I'm aware, of course, and you will be aware, that there is a planned reorganisation that may help to alleviate matters, but this inspection report makes it clear that there is actually no plan for that planned reorganisation that was supposed to begin yesterday in terms of the services being taken back under direct local authority control. I would submit, Trefnydd, that this is not a matter, even though it is not a formally devolved matter, where the Welsh Government would want to simply pass the buck back to Westminster, and so I'd ask you to have further discussions with your colleagues and consider, given that both David Rees and I, and, I'm sure, others in this Chamber, would wish to ask questions about this—I would ask you to reconsider and consider a Government statement.

I did have the opportunity to discuss this briefly with my colleague Jane Hutt just this morning. Clearly, there are very concerning issues within the report that do need to be responded to. Welsh Government officials are, as I said in response to David Rees, in contact with their counterparts, and I know that Jane Hutt wants to take this up directly with the Minister in the Ministry of Justice. But given that we are just about to go into recess, perhaps it would be best if, certainly in the first instance, I ask my colleague to write to all Assembly Members with an update on that action. 

I thank the Trefnydd.