The next item 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's one change to today's business: the Counsel General and Brexit Minister will make a statement shortly to update the Assembly on Brexit negotiations. Draft business for the next three weeks is set out on the business statement and announcement, which can be found amongst the meeting papers available to Members electronically.

Minister, could we please have a statement from the Minister for health on drug rehabilitation services in Wales? Figures published by the Office for National Statistics show that the number of people dying as a result of drug poisoning in Wales has increased by 40 per cent since 2003. However, the only Welsh Government-approved residential rehabilitation centre, Brynawel Rehab, is not getting the referrals needed from the council to be cost-effective and is operating only at 60 per cent of its capacity. Last year, Healthcare Inspectorate Wales called on the Welsh Government to improve the availability of drug rehabilitation provision. Minister, can we have a statement from the Minister outlining the reasons why this vital facility is being underused, when the figures show its services are vitally needed here? Thank you. 

Thank you for raising this important issue. Of course, residential rehabilitation and in-patient detoxification play a really important role in helping service users secure a long-term recovery. The Welsh Government remains committed to ensuring that such services are available and will remain an important element of the Welsh Government's substance misuse strategy in terms of its ongoing priorities. This year, we've committed more than £50 million to ensuring that people have the right help and support that they need to deal with the impact of substance misuse and £1 million of that will specifically support residential detox and rehab. Around half of the funding—so, £25 million—goes directly to our area planning boards, which are responsible for the assessing, commissioning and delivering of substance misuse services, and they commission those services in line with clinical guidance and with input from service users themselves.

With particular regard to organisations such as Brynawel, it is certainly for the chief executives of those organisations to advertise the good work that they do and to make those contacts and make those links in order to ensure that they are viable businesses. I know Welsh Government has supported Brynawel in a number of ways over the years, and, of course, Business Wales is very keen to engage with them to see what further support, information and advice we can offer for the future.

Trefnydd, you will recall that on 14 February last year, this Assembly unanimously supported a motion proposed by myself, and supported by colleagues across the Chamber, regarding the issue of unadopted roads in Wales. The motion called for the establishment of a taskforce to look at the issues facing residents across Wales who are living on these unadopted roads. These roads have often been unadopted for decades, are in a poor state of repair and result in significant levels of letters, e-mails and phone calls between residents and county councils across Wales, often going around in circles with no endpoint in sight. Now, following that vote in February 2018, the taskforce was established and has been consulting with a range of bodies, including local authorities, housing associations, utility companies, the Home Builders Federation, One Voice Wales, and everybody else, it seems to me. You will recall that the motion also sought to develop a Wales-wide programme to deliver a reduction in the number of unadopted roads in Wales. Now, in answering a written question on 26 March, the Minister for Economy and Transport stated that the taskforce was finalising its recommendations and that he expected to receive its report later that month, meaning at the end of last month. It's now the end of April. Could I ask the Government for an update in terms of the progress on this issue and when it expects to make a statement in this Chamber on the taskforce's recommendation?

Thank you for raising this issue. Of course, the issue of unadopted roads is one of concern to a great many of us in this Chamber. The work that's going on through that task and finish group really complements the work that is going on in terms of our leasehold reform agenda more widely in ensuring that there is good management of estates across Wales. I'll certainly ask the Minister with responsibility for the economy and transport to write to you with an update on progress on the issue, and to give you an idea of the timescales as to when he'll be able to provide more information on the work of that task and finish group.

I would like to ask for two Government statements. Firstly, I'm asking for a Government statement outlining what support has been given to staff who lost their jobs following the closure of Dawnus, which will affect your constituents as much as it affects mine, and what further help will be provided. Because it was a catastrophic closure, because it happened virtually overnight.

Secondly, I'm asking for either a Government statement, or preferably a debate, on incineration. This should include how the waste incineration directive is being implemented, whether buffer zones from properties, such as those that exist for opencast mining, could be implemented, and the reason why the Government is not bringing in a moratorium on incinerators, which I and many others in this Chamber have asked for.

Thank you again for raising both of these issues. And as Mike Hedges will know, Dawnus directly employed 705 people across Wales and the UK, and 430 of those employees were based here in Wales. As he will know, the Welsh Government established a taskforce to support those individuals who were directly affected as a result of the business entering into administration. The Welsh Government's ReAct programme, Careers Wales, and the Department for Work and Pensions' Jobcentre Plus have been deployed, and they're actively supporting those individuals who have been directly affected.

The administrator has appointed a specialist recruitment agency to manage the redundancy process, with all former employees notified and either paid or expecting their redundancy payments imminently. A number of regional construction businesses across Wales have taken on a number of those former employees who were directly affected, and a new business, based on one of the subsidiary businesses of the Dawnus group, has been established, with those staff transferring across to the new entity, and that safeguards around 37 direct jobs. Officials are aware that there's an ongoing dialogue with potential buyers for the acquisition of another subsidiary business in the Dawnus group, and that could safeguard more jobs within the group.

I can also inform Mike Hedges that 35 apprentices have been identified within the business, and officials have engaged with the construction industry training board to ensure that they have continued support, to ensure that they can complete their training with other organisations. And, of course, the taskforce will continue to work with the support organisations to help those individuals affected, and the Lighthouse Club charity can provide mental health support to those construction employees who have been affected.

On the issue of your request for a statement on Welsh Government policy on incineration, I will again speak to the Minister with responsibility and ask what she thinks would be the best way to provide an update.

Can I call for a statement on waiting times for patients in north Wales, please, from the Minister for Health and Social Services? The Trefnydd will be aware that the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board had £1 million clawed back from it this year—this is on top of £3 million being clawed back last year—because of its failure to meet expectations from the Welsh Government in terms of delivering improvements on waiting time performance. And of course, over the Easter recess, it emerged that there was a row between the Welsh Government and the Countess of Chester Hospital in terms of the payments due for Welsh patients being treated there. Given that the capacity of the hospitals in north Wales is not geared up to take additional referrals as a result of the loss of the Countess of Chester's activity, this is absolutely going to add to the pressure in north Wales, lengthen waiting times, and unfortunately, I think, cause many people to languish in a lot of pain on waiting lists in the future. As I understand it, the Welsh Government has been provided with a plan, over 18 months ago, by the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, to address orthopaedic waiting times in particular, and they are still waiting for that plan to be given the sign-off. Without that plan, they're unable to build the capacity in the system to be able to enable them to meet the waiting time targets. So I do think that we need a statement on this urgently, and we need an update on the situation with the Countess of Chester Hospital and whether patients are now able to be referred to there for their treatment.

Thank you for raising this. And, of course, the Minister for health will be answering questions in the Chamber tomorrow, and I see that you've tabled precisely this question for him, which will be question 4. So I know that he'll be pleased to answer that tomorrow. But I can say, with regard to the Countess of Chester, that the Minister has been very clear that the action taken by the trust is unacceptable and not in line with the statement and values and principles that we have agreed between the NHS in Wales and NHS England, and that we will always act in the best interests of patients at all times. I spoke to the Minister about this issue earlier on today, and he said that he would expect to be in a position to provide Assembly Members with an update, certainly, hopefully, by the end of this week. 

Trefnydd, I'd like to raise some matters that were brought to my attention during a recent visit to the Rhondda campus at Coleg y Cymoedd. I was informed by senior management at the college, and ColegauCymru, about the serious financial constraints, not just on colleges, but also on students. Education maintenance allowance payments, which could mean up to £30 a week for some students, have not increased with the cost of living since 2004. Adjusted for inflation, payments should now stand at £45.25 a week—50 per cent higher than what they are now for some students. I've been told that a shortage of funds is often the reason for students from poorer backgrounds dropping out of their courses. So, can I ask for a statement from the education Minister about addressing the financial constraints on college students to ensure that education is accessible to all regardless of family income?

ColegauCymru and the principal at Coleg y Cymoedd are also concerned about the apprenticeship levy, which they say is a tax on Welsh employers. And many feel that Welsh employers are being penalised. Since Wales doesn't operate the digital voucher scheme, there's a feeling among employers that they are not getting their levy contributions back. In England, this scheme works differently and employers can get their contributions back. So, some companies now in Wales train their apprentices in England as a result of that. Does the Welsh Government have any idea as to how many Wales-based companies are training their apprentices in England? And furthermore, I'd like to know if this Government is able to work with the sector to overcome the problems around the apprenticeship levy to prevent Welsh employers from losing out, and to address the bureaucratic problems that companies in Wales face. A statement or a debate on this matter would be more than welcome.

Thank you. In relation to your first concern, I think that the most opportune moment to raise that with the education Minister would be during the debate this afternoon on support for disadvantaged and vulnerable learners. And, in regards to the apprenticeship levy, there were several detailed questions there, and I'll ensure that you are furnished with a response.

Trefnydd, I'd be grateful for two Government statements concerning the protection of wildlife. But firstly, last week, we had yet another slurry spill from a farm in west Wales near Cilgerran, with an estimated 120,000 gallons that have leached into the Afon Dyfan, a tributary of the Teifi. Natural Resources Wales, we know, is investigating, but goodness knows what damage has been done, and it will continue to be done as the pollution works its way through the food chain. I actually received an excellent poem this week from a constituent about Gammarus pulex. I wouldn't say I've got the pronunciation right, but in plain English, it's the water flea. And it says 'I'm an important indicator species for the environmental health of aquatic beasties.' And I think that's an important point, because this latest spill comes on the back of a serious incident in the same water system shortly before Christmas, and that spill near Tregaron was estimated to have killed 1,000 fish. We very often measure the damage in the number of fish that have been killed, but it won't be only fish that have been killed; it will be absolutely everything else within that environment that has been killed as well. And if we keep on as we are at the moment, with repeated slurry spills into our rivers, we won't have any life whatsoever left in those rivers, and it will take decades for that life to return. So, I believe that we need urgent action to address this, and I think we need to hold people to account who should be looking at this, and also look at the inspection regime that I hope is in place to inspect slurry facilities across the land, and also look further at whether some of these slurries are in the appropriate place, so that they cannot leach when they spill into our environment and absolutely destroy it.

The second statement that I would like is on hedge and tree netting. We've seen the recent campaigns that focused on developers using nets to prevent birds from nesting and therefore hindering planning applications and construction work, and I know that Mick Antoniw has raised this earlier this year. But I've received, as a request from a column I put in a newspaper this week, anecdotal evidence where this is happening on farm land. I know that there is a petition in front of the Assembly that is calling on us to do something seriously about reducing the use of netting that prevents birds from nesting and making it a criminal offence. I think, given that there is clear public interest in this subject, it would be really useful if the Government now did make a statement on this, because it is ridiculous to say that you're putting netting on a hedge that will stop birds from nesting, because birds will get within it and if you have any loose netting, not only will it allow the birds to get through, but it will most definitely prevent them from getting back out. 

I thank Joyce Watson very much for raising two extremely important issues this afternoon. The first issue related to agricultural pollution incidents and the incident that Joyce described is subject to ongoing investigation. But, as we set out in our water strategy, agriculture is a major cause of water pollution, which is why the Minister is so keen to work with farming unions to develop sustainable solutions, whether through the better targeting of our financial assistance or by improved training through Farming Connect.

The Minister issued a statement on agricultural pollution last December, and in that she set out the requirement for regulations to be introduced, and they will come into force in 2020. And that is the right thing to do, not only for the environment, but also to ensure that Wales maintains its excellent international reputation in terms of farming. The number of incidents has increased over the last year, so that's obviously of great concern, and the Minister will work closely with the sector in terms of developing the regulatory reform and knowledge transfer, which I think are both necessary to address this particular issue. 

I know that you've raised your concerns regarding netting in correspondence to the Minister and that she's prepared a response to you on that. We have received some reports of netting. We're not yet aware of how widespread it is, but clearly any incident is of real concern to us. Joyce Watson referred to the petition, which has just opened at the National Assembly for Wales. There's also one in Parliament with 330,000 signatures. So, I think that this is a real concern to members of the public. There might be occasions when the netting of trees would be legitimate, but that is only when it is absolutely genuinely needed to protect birds and prevent them from nesting during developments so that they don't come to harm, and that kind of circumstance would be extremely rare indeed. So, on the whole, I think that our policy certainly is moving away from mitigating harm and damage to integrating biodiversity and ecosystem resilience into the very earliest stages of due development control.

Can I firstly concur with the comments made by Joyce Watson and the Minister regarding the netting of trees? I first became aware of this over the last few weeks, and it does seem to be a cynical circumventing of the rules. It's not what the rules did intend originally, and I do hope the Welsh Government will look at it, and I'm happy to support that campaign, Trefnydd. 

On a lighter, more pleasant note, I'm sure you'll want to join with me in congratulating Abergavenny RFC, who beat Oakdale—well, maybe the Member won't want to join in—to become the WRU national bowl champions recently. I wonder if we could have an update from the Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism on the Welsh Government's support for locally based grass-roots sport like the national bowl championship. I think that it really does a great deal to grow sport from the grass roots, and we need to do all we can to support that.

Secondly, or thirdly I should say, over Easter we saw the tragic fire at Notre Dame in France. I'm sure that we all want to send our best wishes to the people of France as they face that enormous challenge of rebuilding that iconic cathedral. It just so happened that that very week, we had a group of 200 or so residents from Beaupréau in France in Abergavenny, the twin town of Beaupréau, and that brought to my mind the importance of twinning associations and the valuable role of twinning associations, particularly at this time with some of the uncertainty surrounding the ongoing Brexit issue. I wonder if we could have a statement or an update from the Minister for international relations on support given by the Welsh Government to twinning associations and campaigns across Wales. I think they've been going on for a very long time in different towns and villages, indeed, across Wales but often don't get the respect that they deserve, and I think that a lot of people are working behind the scenes to make those campaigns a success. So, I'd be grateful to hear from the Welsh Government on what support has been given.

Thank you for raising those two issues this afternoon, and, of course, the Minister was here to hear your request for a statement on Welsh Government support for local sporting organisations and clubs and groups. You'll have heard the First Minister, in response to one of the questions just this afternoon, talking about the importance of local sporting opportunities in terms of public health and, of course, well-being.

Again, on your concern about the importance of twinning organisations, I will ensure that the Minister is aware of your request for a statement on that particular issue.

I've asked on numerous occasions if we could have an update from the health Minister on the eating disorders framework. We know that this is in its consultation stage, and patients and carers have been key in putting forward their ideas, although I know that there's some kickback from consultants in the field, unfortunately. This week, I've had new cases of people with eating disorders as young as nine years old, and that's very worrying indeed. So, I would really like to see the culmination of this proposal so that we can get to grips with this issue now and refocus our energy on a new framework, if that would be entirely possible.

My second request is if I could have a statement—well, he was here earlier—from Dafydd Elis-Thomas on the current discussions happening in Port Talbot with regard to the movement of the Banksy art display. We know that the only way in which the council locally can afford to adapt the building that they're going to put it in is if they can have financial support from the Welsh Government to develop a hub there as part of the Welsh Government's vision for a national art gallery for Wales. And so, in the spirit of trying to make this work, and to try and attract more people to Wales, would it be possible for the Deputy Minister, Dafydd Elis-Thomas, to provide a statement to us? They have written to him to ask whether he'd be minded to fund this—whether he could reply to them, for one, and whether he could let us know whether he is minded to support it, given the enthusiasm locally and internationally for the Banksy that will also attract other pieces of art internationally, if stages 2 and 3 can go ahead. Stage 1, we believe—touch wood—will go ahead, but we need financial backing from the Welsh Government for the next few stages, so a statement from him would be very welcome indeed.

Thank you very much for raising those issues. In terms of the eating disorder framework, the health Minister has confirmed that he has now received the report and he is waiting for some further advice on that from officials, but he will certainly make a statement as soon as he is able to do so, having considered that report. 

On the Banksy issue, I'm sure that the Deputy Minister will respond to the request that he's received and reply to that correspondence, but, of course, we do have the statement on Creative Wales this afternoon, which might be another opportunity to raise this.

Trefnydd, I'd like to request two statements this afternoon. The first is from the Minister for Housing and Local Government regarding grass fires. Just four months into the year, and we've already seen 102 grass fires in the Cynon Valley, and I'd like to pay tribute to the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service for the way in which they've dealt with those. But shockingly, of those 102 grass fires, 98 were started deliberately. I'd welcome the opportunity for a statement from the Minister to outline what can be done by Welsh Government and partners to tackle this trend.

On a separate matter, I'd also like to request a statement on the EU settlement scheme. I've been contacted by a constituent whose German partner has lived in and contributed to this country for 30 years. To apply for status, he has to present his identification documents, and the only location in Wales where documents can be presented is in Hengoed, in Caerphilly. Now, that's a two-hour journey from Aberdare by bus or train, despite it being in a neighbouring constituency to mine, so goodness knows how long it would take for residents from other parts of the country to travel there. So, could we have a statement from Welsh Government, please, about what it can do to support people during this difficult process?

Thank you, Vikki Howells, for raising these issues. I will certainly ask the Minister for local government to provide you with an update on Welsh Government action and the action of our partners in terms of preventing grass fires. I understand that the number of fires this month has been relatively modest and that, overall, they're likely to be far short of the level that we had in April 2015. But when you provide me with the figures that you've seen for grass fires in your constituency, then, certainly, I think that we do still have a serious issue here to address, and I've seen it certainly in my own constituency of Gower in recent weeks. I'll make sure that that advice is forthcoming to you. 

And on the issue of the EU citizens, we are disappointed, to say the least, at the lack of document scanning locations that have been provided in Wales and we recognise the huge difficulties that this will cause to EU citizens without having access to Android phones, which they would need otherwise to send that documentation. I do understand that the Home Office is looking to provide more scanning locations, and we would certainly like to see more of those in Wales. I know that the Counsel General has written to the Home Office about this matter, and if you'd like to share some more specific examples of your own constituents and the trouble that that has caused, we'd certainly be able to use those as a case study.

Of course, we're providing additional support to EU citizens via Citizens Advice, to provide information about the settlement scheme, and we've also contracted with a Welsh law firm to provide a EU citizens immigration advice service here in Wales. That service will deliver a public awareness campaign about EU settled status and an individual advisory service that will encompass a legal service that is sensitive to the circumstances of individual applicants, including any family members that they might have, to enable an understanding, completion and submission of those settled status scheme applications, and we'll shortly be making a written statement about these services. 

I'd like a statement on the position that minority-care-time parents find themselves in. I had a constituent in my office earlier today being forced to pay bedroom tax, and being put into debt as a result. He cares for his daughter on the weekends and the extra room is needed. If you look at every council across Wales, those rooms that are needed to take care of children when parents work in partnership don't count in terms of bedroom tax. So, what can be done? I'd like a statement on what you could do, please.

Thank you for raising this and, of course, the Member will be aware that Welsh Government has, over a long period, made extensive representations to the UK Government about its bedroom tax and the fact that it is unfair to parents and families who find themselves in a variety of circumstances, such as that which you describe, but also parents and people who are disabled, for example, who need a room for carers to stay in occasionally or who need an extra room for some of the equipment, and so on, that they require. So, we've been clear for years that the bedroom tax is an unfair tax on disabled people, and we'll continue to press the UK Government on this.

Business Minister, you'll be aware that the First Minister announced at your party's conference early in April that section 21 evictions will be abolished. The UK Government has made a similar announcement that these so-called no-fault evictions will come to an end, and they're considered at the moment to be one of the biggest causes of family homelessness. The UK Government made a written statement to Parliament about what is now planned by way of consultation. I think we need an oral statement to scrutinise the way that this reform will be taken forward. It is very important to examine the way the consultation will also be conducted. Whilst I think this is a desirable reform, it has to be implemented carefully because there are many interests on both sides of the question, and how in certain circumstances landlords are able to acquire their property for sale or major repair is something that needs careful investigation. I think a lot of us have realised that section 21 is no longer fit for purpose given that 20 per cent of people now are in private rental accommodation. This is a very important issue and I think we should have an oral statement as soon as possible.

Thank you very much. This is an important announcement in terms of how we will approach the issue of section 21 in future, and David Melding is right that it is a sensitive issue that must be handled very carefully because there are strong views on both sides of the argument. I know that the First Minister has already had an early meeting with representatives of the Residential Landlords Association to understand their concerns, and, of course, they will be important consultees as we move forward. Clearly, this will require, I think, legislative change, so it will all be subject to the full scrutiny of the Assembly. The Minister will bring forward the appropriate statement when she's able to.

For the past month, people from north Wales have been blocked from accessing the Countess of Chester hospital as out-patient referrals, and that includes, by the way, urgent suspected cancer referrals. You did say earlier that the Minister would probably be making a written statement, I think, quite soon. I was going to ask whether we could have an oral statement so that we as Members could ask some questions, because my understanding is that there would be broader implications not just for patients in north Wales, but for the health service across Wales. I understand that the NHS in England are asking for an 8 per cent increase in charges, and the chief executive of Betsi Cadwaladr health board has made it perfectly clear that if that is the case, then any agreement would have to be replicated across all English providers. Welsh patients currently access services in 50 different health trusts in England. We can all do the maths, and I'm sure that we will all be concerned about those kinds of implications.

But, of course, in the meantime, this stand-off is causing a great deal of distress to patients, who feel as though they're being used as bargaining chips in this dispute. Many are asking how it could have come to this, because we knew that there were issues as early as last year. But similarly as well, of course, when there was a similar issue with Gobowen hospital some years ago, then there was an agreement to go to arbitration. I wouldn't mind hearing from the Minister whether he feels we might be getting to that kind of position in the near future. We need to hear really from the Minister how long he expects this stand-off, if you like, to continue and how long it'll take to resolve the situation, because, in the meantime, do you not agree with me that, at the very least, the Countess of Chester hospital should be accepting patients from Wales and not punishing those patients for the failures of others?

Thank you. You would have heard me in my response to Darren Millar earlier saying that there will be opportunities to question the health Minister on this tomorrow, because there are questions tabled that are relevant to this particular issue. Our understanding is that this is a unilateral decision that has been taken by the Countess of Chester and that other providers in England are not planning similar action. I do understand that there is a meeting taking place this week and it will be after that point that the Minister will be able to provide an update to Members.

Finally, Alun Davies. 

Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. Minister, I think many of us welcomed the announcement from the Welsh Government yesterday in declaring a climate emergency, but many of us also want to know what the substance of the Welsh Government's actions are going to be as a consequence of that. I have to say, the written statement we've had this morning from the Minister is a wholly inadequate response to the declaration that was made yesterday. If this is an emergency—[Interruption.] I welcome the First Minister responding to this, if he wishes to. If this is an emergency—[Interruption.] If this is an emergency, I would—. I'm happy for the First Minister to answer this question if he's so anxious to do so. If this is an emergency—

Carry on with your questioning of the Trefnydd.

If this is an emergency, I would like to ask for a statement from every single one of the Ministers in front of us today on what their actions will be, what their department is going to be doing to respond to this, and what the Government is going to do to ensure that the emergency they've declared is going to have a response, which it deserves and it requires. I would also invite the Ministers to make statements to us first, to this place. A declaration of this sort should have been made in the Chamber here to allow scrutiny to take place of Ministers and Ministers' actions. A plan for a low-carbon Wales was announced, I think, three sitting weeks ago, at the end of March, yet no statement has been brought to this Chamber on the contents of that document and no opportunity has been provided for Members to scrutinise Ministers on that. We read from today's business statement that no statement is planned to be made on that either. So, I hope, Trefnydd, that you will be able to reassure me and other Members on all sides of the Chamber that we will have a series of statements from Ministers that live up to the statements that have been made to date, the declarations that have been made, and which demonstrate to us that Welsh Government is taking this seriously and that this isn't simply a press release. 

Well, the Member will have heard the First Minister speaking passionately this afternoon about our declaration of a climate emergency, and he will have heard the commitment that we have to addressing this issue across Government. And he would also have heard me, in a business statement prior to Easter, make the point that the low-carbon delivery plan has been published and that we were giving Members the opportunity to digest that plan, and I've already made a commitment that it will be brought forward for an opportunity for Members to discuss it on the floor of the Assembly. 

Thank you, Trefnydd.