3. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:14 pm on 21 May 2019.

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Photo of Huw Irranca-Davies Huw Irranca-Davies Labour 3:14, 21 May 2019

Could I ask for one debate? I know we've recently had a debate on rugby, which mainly focused at the regional level, but I'd like to seek a debate at some point on community and grass-roots rugby, because it would allow us then to talk about the challenges, but also the successes, not least last weekend, when Maesteg 7777s, the Old Parish, of which I'm proud to be president, gained promotion into the next league above, and when Nantyffyllon on the same day gained promotion—my son was playing for them as well, I have to say—they gained promotion and won the Silver Ball competition of all the Welsh teams. These are two local Valleys teams with tremendous pedigree, real grass-roots champions. And the Valley Ravens, who do so much with mini and junior rugby in the Ogmore and Garw Valleys, where it was looking as if it was on its knees at one point, but they've really built it back up. And also to pay tribute to some of the longest serving champions of grass-roots community rugby as well—people like Mr Leighton Williams, the long-serving secretary of Ogmore Vale Rugby Club, who unfortunately passed away only very recently after years and years of service. 

Could I also ask for a statement on Government progress on the work streams that have flowed from the Valleys taskforce work? Because I think some of us would particularly like to speak up for the proposals there around a regional park. In fact, we'd probably like it to go further and to have some sort of national designation and look at what we can do in terms of—as we've just declared a climate emergency—biodiversity challenges and what that could contribute if we had real scale and ambition behind it. And also talk about, in the Valleys taskforce streams, how the wonderful pilot of the bus transport that is now looking at delivering people down out of their normal work hours by bus to Treforest and Llantrisant could be extended rapidly to other areas like Gilfach and the Garw and the Ogmore valleys as well. So, a statement on that and a debate on community grass-roots rugby would be very welcome indeed.