The next item, therefore, will be the business statement and announcement from the Trefnydd, who will answer on behalf of herself this time. I call on Rebecca Evans to make the statement—Rebecca Evans.

Diolch, Llywydd. There are no changes to this week's business. 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.

Could I call for three short statements, if I may? The first is on improvements in autism services. On 23 September, a week ago yesterday, the health Minister issued a written statement with that title, which merits an oral statement or even a debate in Welsh Government time. It states, for example:

'Some see the answer is to introduce autism legislation, but we know that in England where the Autism Act was passed in 2009, this has not achieved the benefits that were promised'.

And, it says:

'There is no equivalent to the progress we are making in Wales in the Integrated Autism Service'.

However, the National Autistic Society in England tell me that there has been significant progress in having a diagnostic pathway under the Autism Act there, with many more people presenting for diagnosis. Every area has an autism lead, and the last report said that the number of autistic people who have been found eligible for social care is up, and more diagnosis pathways are specialist autism ones. The wider autism community has asked me to challenge the perception that progress is being made in the integrated autism service where, for example, we don't have any information from it that measures outcomes for autistic people who have accessed the service, and much more besides, but I haven't got time to go into this now. It does merit time to ask appropriate questions accordingly.

Secondly, could I call for a statement on support for people with motor neurone disease? Again last week, the Motor Neurone Disease Association launched their 'Act to Adapt' report on housing adaptations for people living with motor neurone disease, pointing out that people with MND need their home adaptations quickly and easily, so that they can live safely, independently and with dignity. Their calls included for national Governments in England and Wales to review the funding distribution formula for disability facility grants, taking into account levels of disability and income, housing tenure and regional variations of business costs; for Governments in England and Wales and Northern Ireland to review the means test to address key identified problems; and for national Governments, including Wales, to include target waiting times for urgent and non-urgent works in transparent and measurable standards for adaptations, and to monitor against those targets.

Finally, could I call for an oral statement following the written statement by Jane Hutt AM, Deputy Minister and Chief Whip, on 19 September, 'Action on Disability: The Right to Independent Living'? It says the framework sets out how Welsh Government is fulfilling its obligations under, amongst other things, the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014. Its Part 2 code of practice refers to, or recognises that disabled people can achieve their potential and fully participate as members of society, consistent with the Welsh Government's framework for action on independent living, expressing the right of disabled people to participate fully in all aspects of life. So, for example, we need to know if and when the code is going to be amended to reflect the new guidance, and how public service providers will be apprised of that, where too many still ignore the code as currently drafted. In that context, finally, the new action on disability framework plan says that Welsh Government would develop a British Sign Language national charter for delivery of services and resources. However, as I stated here in February, the British Deaf Association is calling for local authorities and public services in Wales to sign up to their charter for British Sign Language and to make five pledges to improve access and rights for deaf and BSL users in Wales, where presently, at that stage, only two local authorities in the whole of Wales had signed up. So, let's work with, hopefully, the community, adopt the charter they have designed, and encourage all public service providers in Wales to sign up accordingly. I think we need that statement in this context relating to those two examples, but also many more where further clarity is required.

Thank you for raising the issues that you have this afternoon. In terms of autism services, I know that the Minister had received reports on two independent reviews on autism—one that related to children and young people's neurodevelopmental services, and then a second that looked at the integrated autism service. He accepted those recommendations and set out how he would move forward on those. But he has said that he's commissioning a review to ensure that services are meeting people's needs and that money is being invested where it is needed, because, clearly, we all want to ensure that our support for people with autism and their families is the right support, and that the investment is being made in the right place. Because, again, the Minister for Health and Social Services did say that he would be providing an additional £3 million of recurrent funding for the integrated autism service from 2021, and I think that that is really a testament to the value that we put on that service, and the important role that it can play.

I'll ask you, if you don’t mind, to write to the Minister with regard to your concerns about motor neurone disease and the 'Act to Adapt' report. There was quite a lot of detail there, so I think it would benefit from the Minister having the opportunity to see the report to which you refer. I will ask the Deputy Minister and Chief Whip to provide you with a response to the various issues that you have raised regarding the framework.FootnoteLink

Information further to Plenary

Bethan Sayed.

I was expecting Leanne to be called before me, sorry.

Could we please have an update on complaints procedures and what people can do to get answers and better feedback and results when there are disputes with social services departments? I've had a number of cases from people in Bridgend who've had disputes with social services departments, which you appreciate I won't be going into here today, but I would like to understand if we could have a statement on those processes and procedures so that we can be confident in those systems and that we don't get people disenfranchised with the system.

My second statement is with regard to the flooding that's been happening over the weekend. It's damaged many areas of Neath Port Talbot, especially Ystalyfera. I would like to have an updated statement from the environment Minister about what support has been given to date, and what councils could be doing, and how they can be supported, actually, to aid citizens in supporting this development, especially with climate change and how flooding may become more prevalent. So, if you could give us an updated statement on this, I would be very grateful.

Thank you, and apologies.

Thank you very much. In the first instance, regarding complaints procedures, perhaps it's most appropriate if I ask the Deputy Minister for social services to write to you with some more information on those procedures, and then there might be specific cases that you would wish to draw to her attention.FootnoteLink

On the second issue of flooding, I know that the Minister has said that she would be keen to bring forward a statement on this, because we have obviously seen some really heavy rain and high spring tides over the last few days. We have been aware very much of some issues of flooding, particularly in Bridgend, Caerphilly, Ceredigion, Rhondda Cynon Taf and the Vale of Glamorgan, and we're very much in touch with Natural Resources Wales and local authorities to explore any impacts that there have been on homes and businesses and what we can do to support. In terms of the wider picture, flood and coastal risk management does remain an area of a serious amount of work for us, with over £350 million being invested over the lifetime of this Government. We're taking the challenge of flooding and, obviously, the impacts of climate change extremely seriously.

Information further to Plenary

I would like to ask for a statement from Welsh Government in response to the BBC investigation aired last night into the cruelty on puppy farms in Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion. West Wales is shamefully known as the puppy capital of the UK. This is not something to be proud of. It certainly isn't something that we would want to advertise on our tourist brochures. The programme, which I would like to commend the BBC for, showed cruelty beyond belief in council-registered puppy farms. It showed hundreds of dogs living in filthy, dark, damp and cold conditions. These premises are inspected annually by inspectors and vets, people who are supposed to prioritise the welfare of the animals. A number of premises have been inspected and found wanting, with breaches concerning poor animal welfare logged by inspectors and vets. This wasn't a one-off, they had consistently failed to meet recommendations and had been issued with warnings. Despite this, no action was taken against the breeders and licences were reissued year on year. In some instances, not even basic needs were being met, such as in one site near Llandysul that featured in the programme.

I wrote to both Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire councils yesterday and was amazed to find that they responded in less than 24 hours. So, I know now that I need to get the BBC on side if I want a prompt response. However, what has appalled me in one of those responses is that one of the sites featured last night in Llandysul has been allowed by Ceredigion council to carry on breeding, and, I quote, with a three month-only licence. You tell that to dogs and puppies that are in those conditions, because I'm not convinced that these premises will keep to the conditions that have been applied to them. History tells you that that is not going to happen. There was limited access to clean water and bedding—and I'm pleased to say that since that programme some action has been taken in some of the premises features, but it shouldn't have taken a BBC investigation for this to happen.

The legislation that is in place to protect these dogs is clearly failing. These animals do not have a voice to speak for themselves, so we have an absolute duty to do it for them. I've raised these issues in this Chamber many, many times, and I can clearly remember this issue being highlighted in the 1980s by Esther Rantzen. That was over 30 years ago, and yet we're still here now. Carmarthenshire claims a 'proactive approach'—I quote—but the sheer volume of upheld complaints suggests that something is radically wrong in this process. Minister, I'd like to know what immediate action Welsh Government are taking, in light of this report, to protect the welfare of both the puppies and the adult dogs at the puppy farms featured in this programme. And it's clear to me, from the response that I've had swiftly overnight, that these authorities are overwhelmed. In that case, would the Minister consider limiting the number of licences, limiting the number of dogs in those licensed premises—although Ceredigion, to be fair, has done that—and also expanding the care that—the 1:20 dog ratio, making that increased? One to 20 is not good enough—I said it at the time—considering the numbers of puppies that those dogs will have. That number has to be increased. The welfare of these animals has to come first, not the profit. 

And the other issue I'd like to raise that was raised in that programme is the absolute failure of duty by vets, because I find that the most concerning of all. These are supposed to be experts in their field. They're supposed to have the welfare of their animals—. And yet we've seen experts saying, who were watching this programme, that they had failed in their duty. That is pretty serious. So, I'd like to know if we have any powers or any intentions to use a referral mechanism to the British Veterinary Association to make sure that action is taken against those vets, who, according to this programme, failed in their duty.

I'm grateful to Joyce Watson for raising this in the Chamber, and obviously we share her sense of horror, but also her anger at what she has seen happening here in Wales, where we're supposed to be a nation of animal lovers, but then we see things like this happening. I know that the Minister for Environment and Rural Affairs has written—or intends to very shortly—to veterinary bodies, and also to local authorities about this specific issue. She's meeting with the chief veterinary officer tomorrow. But I also know that the Minister intends to ask the animal welfare framework group to revisit the current breeding regulations to improve welfare conditions at breeding establishments. I'm sure that the kind of questions that Joyce Watson has posed about a way forward will be those questions that the group will be keen to look at. 

Minister, may I ask for a statement from the Minister for Economy and Transport on the delay in commencing car production at Rassau industrial estate in Ebbw Vale by TVR? The Welsh Government gave the sports car company a loan of £2 million in March 2016, and has invested £0.5 million in the car maker. Production at Rassau was due to start earlier this year, but answers to my written questions reveal that this is not now expected to commence until the last quarter of 2020. Given that Blaenau Gwent currently ranks at the bottom of the league table of economic competitiveness in the United Kingdom, please could we have a statement giving the reasons why this much-heralded investment has been delayed and the much needed 100 quality jobs have not been delivered yet?

I'll ask Mohammad Asghar, in the first instance, to write to the Minister for Economy and Transport to seek that additional information, and I'm sure that he will be able to provide an explanation as to any delay. 

May I first of all thank the Trefnydd for the business statement? And, on the back of that business statement, can I ask for a statement from the health Minister on an update on the minimum alcohol price legislation here in Wales? You will all recall that we passed this legislation in the Senedd last year. Similar legislation has been operational in Scotland for over a year, and a recent survey, which was published over the past few days, suggests that the policy has been a sweeping success in reducing the amount of alcohol that people in Scotland, even, drink. Now, there are clear implications for us here in Wales. So, could we have a statement on the minimum alcohol price here in the Senedd?

Yes, we can be really proud of the public health legislation that we've already introduced here in Wales. And I know that the Minister for Health and Social Services will provide an update on the minimum unit pricing legislation.

Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. We hear today that there's been a 22 per cent increase in the deaths of homeless people. The numbers, of course, relate to Office for National Statistics research across the whole of Wales and England. I'd be grateful if the Welsh Government could make a statement on the situation in Wales, so that we can understand how this increase in drug poisoning, as I understand it, has affected people who are homeless in this country. I would also appreciate a statement from the health Minister—I can see he's in his place at the moment—on how we deal with drugs issues, particularly on the interface between dealing with addiction, with homelessness, and the criminal justice system. I understand that there is a very real difficulty in the policy that we're taking at the moment that means that people who are suffering from addictions are not always receiving the appropriate treatment, and that service providers have significant difficulties in delivering the sort of treatment that many people who are suffering with different addictions actually require. So, I'd be grateful if the Welsh Government could provide us with a statement on those matters.

I'd also like to ask for a statement on the matters that have already been addressed in this session by Joyce Watson. I think all of us who saw the research published by the BBC—or broadcast by the BBC—last night were absolutely appalled that that is happening in this country. And, for all of us who have concerns on these issues, I think we all want to see far higher levels of regulation from the Welsh Government. Now, I understand that a voluntary code of conduct is being proposed at the moment on animal sanctuaries by the Welsh Government. I'd like to have a statement from the Welsh Government, and I'd like to understand why that is not a statutory code. I want to understand what the Welsh Government is going to do to ensure that there are far higher levels of regulation, and far higher quality of welfare regulations in place, to ensure that the unscrupulous, cruel and potentially illegal activities that are taking place in this country, on our watch, are addressed and are tackled. The Minister will be aware that, as a former Minister myself, I was aware that some of these issues required legislation. I see no reason now why the Welsh Government cannot move forward and put these matters onto the statute to ensure that we have comprehensive animal welfare legislation in Wales that addresses the issues that have been raised in terms of puppy farms, but also reaches out to ensure that animal sanctuaries are included, and also all those areas and businesses that are breeding animals for profit.

I thank Alun Davies for those requests for statements. And I can confirm that the Minister for Housing and Local Government will be making a statement on homelessness next Tuesday. And the Minister for Health and Social Services is currently coming to the end of his considerations and consultation on the new substance misuse delivery plan, and he will be keen also to provide an update to Assembly Members when he's had the chance to consider fully the responses to that consultation. And, on the third issue, I know that the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs will provide an update to Members following her discussion with the chief vet, insofar as the dog breeding issues are concerned. But I will certainly ask her to consider what you've said and to provide you with an update on Welsh Government's approach to sanctuaries and other regulatory matters.

You will be aware that, last week, the Wales Governance Centre published a report looking at international evidence of imprisonment rates having been reduced. This follows on from previous research that showed that Westminster's imprisonment policy has failed us in Wales, having given us the highest imprisonment rate in western Europe, with higher numbers of people from a black, Asian and minority ethnic and deprived background. The report demonstrates that, to bring down high imprisonment rates, Governments need control of all of the policy levers across the field of criminal justice, including prisons, probation and the courts. Does the Welsh Government agree with me that the whole of the criminal justice system needs to be devolved in order to bring down our excessively high imprisonment rate? And, specifically, will the Government agree to hold a debate on the findings of last week's report? 

I want to ask about this Government's investment in companies in the arms trade. I specifically want to discuss the investment in the Thales cyber security facility that was announced earlier this year. I accept, of course, that cyber attacks are a growing threat, and this has been highlighted as one of the biggest threats that the UK faces, but I fail to understand, though, why investment to develop a cyber security facility couldn't have involved a company that doesn't make weapons that kill and maim. Thales have a major presence in Saudi Arabia and have been supplying that kingdom with equipment for decades. Thales is also believed to be supplying components for Russian tanks. When you invest in a company like this, you have a vested interest in them doing well. When war is waged, business is good for companies like Thales. Now that the Welsh Government's presence at arms fairs is being reviewed, will you also agree to consider reviewing ongoing public financial support for companies involved in the arms industry? 

On the first issue, relating to the devolution of criminal justice, I think that we are at one in terms of our ambitions there, and I think that Welsh Government has set that out clearly on a number of occasions and it does remain an active area of interest for us. But obviously I'll make the Minister with responsibility for this area aware of your concerns, and I'm sure that you would have had the opportunity to consider the report to which you refer.

And, in terms of investment and how Welsh Government invests, of course, we look very closely at investments. When we look at the Development Bank for Wales, for example, we have very strict criteria there. I know that, in response to previous concerns that have been raised about our presence at a particular trade event, the First Minister has said that he will re-explore again the best way to support our cyber security industry in Wales, and I'm sure that he'll be considering all of those issues in the round.

Aside of all this, cyber security is one of the key areas in our international relations plans—an area where Wales does really well. But it is really important that we're investing in the right businesses in order to continue to be able to promote ourselves as a part of the world where cyber security is done very well.

I'm looking for two statements—first of all on incineration, and I'm looking for a statement from the Welsh Government to ban incineration. The health Minister wrote to the residents of Trowbridge, and he said that adverse health effects cannot be ruled out with incineration. Now, the community are being faced with a proposal whereby an incinerator is going to be placed right in the middle of an urban area. So, I'd like to know whether or not the Government are prepared to listen to the local community. 

Secondly, I'd like a statement on a really backwards, backwards, step, with restrictions now being placed on the swim card for over-60s. It really doesn't make sense to prevent people who are getting older from exercising. It's very short-sighted and, longer term, if you look at the health effects of not exercising, it could end up costing a lot more money. So, will the Government look at that again and reinstate the swim card for people over 60?  

We'll be certainly looking at the first issue on incineration, and I know that the health Minister is keen to ask Public Health Wales to publish the most recent evidence and advice in terms of incineration. Of course, it's not really appropriate for discussion within the business statement on particular local planning issues, because obviously we're unable to comment on those.

And there were several opportunities last week to explore the new free swimming initiative with the Minister with responsibility. Obviously, he made changes to the scheme—or certainly Sport Wales made changes to the scheme—following an independent review that sought to refocus the scheme, looking at children, particularly, in deprived areas, but still ensuring that there are free swimming opportunities for the over-60s. We know that only around 6 per cent of the over-60s in the target group were actually accessing the free swims, so we need to ensure that, where we do make the investment, we do so in a way that makes it possible for people to take up those opportunities. 

Finally, Nick Ramsay.

Neil McEvoy has stolen my thunder on an issue I was going to raise on incineration, as I've also had a local issue in Monmouthshire, just outside Usk, with concerns surrounding a proposal for an incinerator. I think you said, in answer to Neil McEvoy, that the Welsh Government is going to be looking at this. I know that, across the water in the United States, there have been concerns for some time about incineration and possible health effects. So, if we could have some renewed guidance or new research carried out into the effects of incineration, I think that would put a lot of our minds at rest. 

Secondly, I see the Minister for Economy and Transport is here. The last few weeks have seen, once again, traffic chaos in Chepstow due to a number of roadworks and lane closures. I've called a number of times in this Chamber for work to be done on a Chepstow bypass. I know that the Minister has listened to those pleas and I think discussions have happened. So, I wonder if we could have an update at some point—and I think the Minister's updating you now—from the Minister for transport, and now, if he likes, on where we are with trying to get to grips with some of the traffic problems, particularly at rush hour, within Chepstow and whether there have been those all-important cross-border discussions between the UK and Welsh Governments on the viability of a bypass, of which I accept two thirds would be across the border in Gloucestershire.

On the first issue, which was incineration, I did say that the health Minister will ask Public Health Wales to look at the evidence on incineration to ensure that Members are best informed in terms of any impacts there might be on public health. 

On the second issue, the Minister was advising me that he spoke to the Secretary of State for Transport just two weeks ago on this particular issue and he'd be happy to write to you with an update. 

Thank you, Trefnydd.