2. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:24 pm on 18 June 2019.

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Photo of Helen Mary Jones Helen Mary Jones Plaid Cymru 3:24, 18 June 2019

I'd like to ask the Trefnydd for two statements. Firstly, following up on your response to Joyce Watson with regard to the situation of the community in Solfa's attempted purchase of Trecadwgan farm, I'm very interested in the points that Joyce made about the well-being of future generations Act; I think those were very well made. I wonder if it would be possible, in the context of the efforts that that community are making, for the Government to bring forward a statement, perhaps a written statement, about the support that's available from the Welsh Government to enable communities to build resilience and protect community assets? This might be possibly by the Deputy Minister for the Economy under his social enterprise and social economy responsibilities. I think it would be helpful to those residents, but I think it's a case study, and it would be helpful to other residents who may be facing similar situations elsewhere to know what sort of support may be available to them, whether that would be through direct grants or in any other way. 

The second statement I'd like to ask for is I'd like to request the Welsh Government stand ready to make a statement once the legal case currently being taken through the High Court by the 1950s women, the Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign and others—if the Government can stand ready when that decision is made to make a statement about how that will impact on Wales. I appreciate that this is a reserved matter, and I'm sure that the Trefnydd, like me, was very disappointed with the UK Government's letter of response that was shared by the Welsh Government recently.

On these benches, we still believe that Welsh Government should give consideration, particularly if there is further legal action, as to whether they could have some locus in the proceedings, because of the huge loss to the Welsh economy, not only to those individual women but the huge loss to the Welsh economy, of the very unjust decisions that have been made around the raising of the pension age.

So, I'd ask the Trefnydd to ask whichever Minister—whether it would be the Deputy Minister with responsibility for equalities or whether it would be the Counsel General—to keep an eye out for that legal response, for the decision, and to be ready perhaps to make a statement about what further we could do to support the women, depending on, of course, the nature of the outcome of the case.