Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:32 pm on 22 October 2019.
Two issues: first of all, the Wales Audit Office has today published an important report on the roll-out of enhanced primary care, which highlights that change needs to be happening at a greater pace and scale to address all the long-standing challenges, and ensure that primary care services are fit for purpose. Certainly, investment in new buildings sometimes has unintended consequences. In my own constituency, the St David's practice in Pentwyn was awarded a capital grant by the Government to expand its Pontprennau branch to accommodate the growing number of new estates in Cardiff North. But this has led to the Pentwyn surgery, where the most deprived population is living, being redesignated as a branch surgery. So, there's been a superficial strengthening of primary care, which has actually led to a reduced service for those who don't have a vehicle and only have an infrequent bus service. So, I wondered if we could have a debate in Government time to enable us to examine the challenges that we face in primary care, and hear more about what the Government is doing to strengthen primary care, which is so crucial for delivering 'A Healthier Wales'.
Secondly, I wanted to raise the issue of the fall-out from the demise of Tomlinsons Dairies in Wrexham, because we have learnt in the last 36 hours that farmers were encouraged to transfer to Tomlinsons by Sainsbury's on the grounds that if they didn't transfer to Tomlinsons, they would lose their contracts to supply milk to that supermarket. But a result of which is that they haven't been paid in the last two weeks. I understand that Marks and Spencer has paid suppliers for milk that they have sold, but Sainsbury's has yet to do so. I wondered what the Government can do about this and whether they've entered into any discussions with Sainsbury's on this matter of justice.