The next item is the business statement and announcement, and I call on the Trefnydd to make the statement. Rebecca Evans. 

Diolch, Llywydd. There are two changes to this week's business. Later this afternoon, the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs will make a statement on the food and drink Wales cluster network, and, additionally, tomorrow's short debate has been postponed. Draft business for the next three sitting weeks is set out on the business statement and announcement, which can be found amongst the meeting papers available to Members electronically. 

Can I call for two statements today, Trefnydd, the first, on the issue of primary care counselling services in north Wales, from the Minister for Health and Social Services? There is a significant problem in terms of waiting times for access to primary care counselling services in some parts of my constituency, and, obviously, with the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board currently being in special measures for its mental health services, I wanted this to be highlighted, and to find out what the Welsh Government are doing to resolve it. I understand that, in the Conwy east area, there are some individuals who are currently waiting—a typical wait is 12 months to see a primary care counsellor, which is clearly unacceptable, when compared to Conwy west and central and south Denbighshire, where individuals have almost immediate access because of a different approach that has been taken by the GP primary care clusters. Now, I'm sure that you'll agree with me that people ought to have equity of access to these sorts of services where they're served by the same local health board, and I would be grateful if the Minister could look into this in order that we can make sure that services are available to those who need them in a timely fashion. 

Can I also call for a statement from the Minister for Housing and Local Government on safety in rented accommodation? I understand that there are no legal requirements at the moment for carbon monoxide detectors to be installed in rented accommodation in rooms where there are gas burning appliances. But, given that we will all be aware of the tragic scenes that have unfolded in some homes, whereby individuals have unfortunately succumbed to carbon monoxide, some of them passing away, I do think that this is something that ought to be looked at for the future here in Wales, where we could usefully change the law to make carbon monoxide detectors a requirement in rented accommodation. Carbon monoxide is responsible for around 60 deaths each year in the UK, and thousands of people have hospital admissions as a result of being poisoned by carbon monoxide. I do think that this is something that is worthy of consideration, and I would be very grateful for a statement.

Thank you to Darren Millar for raising these issues this afternoon. He'll remember that the Minister for Health and Social Services published on 14 November the revised improvement framework for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, setting out the expectations it will need to meet in order to be stepped down from its special measures. And I know the health Minister was pleased to note that positive progress has been made in terms of mental health services, including the I CAN approach to improving mental health. But I appreciate Darren Millar's concerns about different approaches across the area that he represents. So, I would invite him to write to the health Minister, reiterating the concerns that he's spoken about in the Assembly today.

In terms of safety in rented accommodation and carbon monoxide, I'll ask the Minister for Housing and Local Government to write to you with the latest update in terms of the standards that we do require for rented accommodation, but with a particular focus on the importance of carbon monoxide testers.FootnoteLink

Information further to Plenary

Could we have a statement, or a debate, on plastic shopping bags, which can help inform the Minister's deliberations as she decides the way forward to make Wales a global leader in reducing single-use plastics? It would allow us then to debate the first long-term scientific study of biodegradable, oxo-degradable and compostable plastics, which has shown that, after three years of deposition in soil, sea water and open air, the biodegradable and oxo-degradable bags were remarkably resilient, still able to hold 2kg after the three years. And we could also debate, of course, the increase in the use of thicker plastic bag-for-life bags. And subsequently, I would suggest the need to end the use of single-use bags and plastic bags for shopping entirely. We've led the way in Wales; we can go further, and I know the Minister is sympathetic to that.

Could we also have a statement on the developing Welsh Government position on CCTV in slaughterhouses in Wales? And I declare my interest as a long-term associate member of the British Veterinary Association. I support their position on mandatory CCTV in abattoirs, because it would increase opportunities to observe and verify the handling of animals, it would increase opportunities to observe and verify the proper application of the stun and slaughter processes, and it would also increase opportunities to protect the food chain and protect public health.

And finally, could we have a statement in due course—particularly, perhaps, after President Trump has left the UK—on the issues of future trade deals with the US, and the implications for Wales in terms of not only health services, but also the need to protect our farmers, our food producers and our consumers against lower animal welfare and hygiene standards. The idea that we suddenly open our markets to imports of cattle that are pumped full, unnecessarily, of antibiotics, or chicken that is routinely bathed in chlorine to kill off rampant bacteria—. That's not a level playing field for our farmers, and, I have to say, it's not the standard our consumers want of animal welfare and food hygiene. So, I ask for consideration of those three debates and statements.

Thank you very much for asking for those three statements, or debates. I know that you have a meeting planned with the Minister for housing and regeneration in order to discuss the particular concerns about waste, and I know that she's aware of the research to which you referred. The Welsh Government has itself commissioned a study into carrier bag usage in Wales, and that research has gathered data on both single-use and reusable carrier bags, and it's also examined people's attitudes and behaviours in relation to those carrier bag charges that were introduced. The outcome of that work is due to be published this month and will be used then to help us to consider the future action that might be needed in this regard. And I know that the Minister's keen to explore that with you.

On the issue of CCTV in slaughterhouses, our larger slaughterhouses, which process the vast majority of animals here in Wales, already have CCTV, and official veterinarians are able to access that footage for all of those useful reasons that Huw Irranca-Davies has described. The Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs has committed to working with slaughterhouse operators in a supportive relationship to ensure CCTV is in place in all Welsh slaughterhouses, and, in order to facilitate that, the food business investment scheme for small to medium-sized slaughterhouses does include funding for investments to safeguard animal welfare, and that would include, of course, the installation, upgrade or improvement of CCTV. The introduction of legislation to make it mandatory hasn't been ruled out by any means, and any decision to do so won't be made until after the application window for that scheme has closed in January, and then the type and the scale of investments undertaken by those slaughterhouses will be able to be reviewed.

And on the last issue, after the general election, if it is the situation where we have a Government that wants to open up negotiations with the US as a priority, then certainly we will schedule an opportunity for the Assembly to consider what could be very significant negative impacts for Wales, because, of course, the EU and the US are two of the toughest and most experienced trade negotiators in the world and there are fundamental differences in terms of the approach between those two countries in areas such as food safety and access to public services, and I know that this is something that the Minister with responsibility for international relations and who has trade within her portfolio is keen to explore with Assembly Members. 

Minister, may I ask for two statements from the Minister for Education on attendance at secondary schools in Blaenau Gwent. According to a recent report, over the last three years, attendance at secondary schools in the borough has failed to improve. Blaenau Gwent ranks lower than all the other local authorities in south-east Wales and well below the Welsh average of 93.8 per cent. Please could we have a statement from the Minister on what action she intends to take to address this serious situation—[Interruption.]—which has seen Blaenau Gwent ranked—this is my region—twentieth of 21 Welsh local authorities for secondary school attendance for the last three years? 

And the second one is, Minister, on this PISA result, word by word they are saying on the well-being of Welsh pupils: 

'They were more likely to feel miserable and worried...and less likely to feel joyful, cheerful and proud.' 

That is the PISA result for our Welsh students. So, how can we improve our children's morale standard and our teaching system in our schools to make sure that they not only learn, but also that they enjoy in Welsh schools? Thank you.  

So, on the first issue, which is the attendance at secondary schools in Blaenau Gwent, I'd invite you to write to the Minister for Education outlining your views and concerns there. 

And, of course, the next item of business this afternoon is the statement by the education Minister on the PISA results, and I know that she's keen to discuss all of these issues with Members this afternoon. 

Minister, as I'm sure you're aware, this Saturday coming is Welsh Small Business Saturday. A great opportunity for all of us, as Assembly Members, to support local homegrown businesses, both in the high street and elsewhere. Last week in this Chamber, the First Minister made the important point that the high street of the past cannot simply be resurrected, no matter how much we sometimes might like that, but the future will lie in a combination, a fusion, of the physical high street and online sales. 

When I was Chair of the Enterprise and Business Committee, back in 2014 I think it was, we reported about how the high street could be improved and we suggested this approach. So, five years, six years have gone under the bridge since then, and I wonder if we could have an update from the Welsh Government on how we might achieve that more modern, more sustainable high street with a rebalancing of business rates so that businesses, whether online or in the physical high street, can better compete and survive. 

Secondly, could we have an update from the Welsh Government on proposals for a national forest? I know that this is something that is in the pipeline and there have been different ideas about how it might be achieved. It's very much in vogue at the moment, with many parties in the UK general election looking at ways that we can plant more trees. I think all of us would agree that that is a good way to go, but the issue is how you do that, how quickly you do it and where those trees are planted, whether it's done on a local authority basis, which I think is the Welsh Government's plan, rather than having it in one place. So, I wonder if we could have an update on the Welsh Government's strategy for making sure that we make Wales greener in the future and we make a lead across the UK to show that we can be the most sustainable and environmentally friendly part of the UK in the future. 

I'm certainly looking forward to celebrating Small Business Saturday, as I'm sure many other colleagues are as well in the run-up to Christmas, and obviously I'm sure that we'll take every opportunity we can to support and promote those independent traders that we have within each of our constituencies across Wales, and the vibrancy that they bring to our high streets. The Minister with responsibility for regeneration is here, and she will have heard your request in terms of an update as to how Welsh Government is supporting high streets, especially in terms of addressing the need to create the high street of the future, which, as the First Minister said, will look very different to that of the past.FootnoteLink Welsh Government has been doing some really interesting work with the Carnegie Trust, which has been looking at what the future of Welsh high streets might look like, and I'd be happy to share a link to that work with colleagues because I'm sure it would be of interest to Members across the Chamber.

And in terms of a national forest, I also share the enthusiasm of various parties that are now grappling with and understanding the importance of ensuring that we are planting trees in the right places, and that we put in those plans for the maintenance of our woodlands and our forests as well. I will speak to the Minister with responsibility for this to explore what opportunities there might be in due course to update the Assembly on our plans in that area. 

Information further to Plenary

Organiser, can I seek three statements, please? As we come closer to the recess dates now, we all know that the Christmas period puts huge pressure on our medical services, in particular A&E, and I pay tribute to each and every one who works in those services right the way through the Christmas period to keep us safe and put us back on the road to recovery if we do need those services. But very often, sadly, there are negative stories around that time of year about pressures within the departments. Could we have a statement from the Minister for health on how health boards are gearing up for this particularly busy time of year, where staffing rosters come under pressure in particular, and obviously the festive celebrations that many people enjoy at the time of year put some unique pressures on the service? As a Member, I know I'd be greatly enhanced if I could address some of my constituents' concerns if I was presented with that information at the start of the season, rather than maybe when we all come back and seek statements after the recess. Hopefully, we'll be seeking statements to celebrate the success of those departments and the way they've dealt with it, rather than some of the pressures that apply during that time.

Secondly, I've had a letter from various student groups at Cardiff University, but in particular the Cardiff Conservative university group, who have highlighted, obviously, the pressure that the strike action is putting on study time. I appreciate that universities are independent institutions and this isn't a direct role for Government, but Government obviously does put money into the higher education sector and supports students through their learning environment. I'd be grateful if we could have some sort of statement from the Minister for Education as to what intervention, if any, she has made to speak with vice-chancellors. The request that the Cardiff Conservative university students seem to make seems pretty reasonable to me: that where learning time has been lost, there is some form of reimbursement; secondly, where timelines have been challenging because, obviously, the strike action has put pressure on deadlines, those deadlines are extended.

And importantly, thirdly, as I understand it, if there isn't a resolution—. Sadly, I can see the Minister shaking her head not to give the statement, which is regrettable, but students are obviously upset by this. But thirdly, if we could see some sort of light in January at the end of this tunnel, because, as I understand it, the action is to be replicated in January if there's no resolution to the dispute, which obviously will put considerable pressure on exams in particular—.

And so, with those three requests, I'd very much hope that we can get a response from the Government, accepting that universities are independent institutions and that this is a matter for them to negotiate directly, but the Government does have a big stake in the money it puts on the table to support both the institutions and the students, and I'd be grateful for a response on that. Thank you.    

So, just for the benefit of the record, Llywydd, the Minister for Education wasn't suggesting that she shouldn't or the Welsh Government shouldn't be making a statement on this issue; she was making the point, really, that neither Welsh Ministers nor the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales can play any kind of formal role in what are UK-wide negotiations. Of course, higher education institutions are autonomous bodies responsible for employment matters, including pensions, and those responsibilities lie with those institutions themselves. That said, officials are continuing to monitor the situation and any future negotiations that may occur, and officials are also working with HEFCW and Universities Wales to monitor the impact on both staff and students. I think the greatest concern, really, is the impact on students, and we would certainly encourage all parties in their efforts to achieve a negotiated settlement.

On the issue of winter resilience, our focus really has been unrelenting in supporting improvement and planning for the winter period, and we haven't stopped the process of reviewing the previous winter nor planning for the forthcoming period. Health board-level plans for winter have now been received and targeted feedback has been provided to those organisations and they've been asked to provide refined plans alongside a plan on a page outlining actions in extremis and an assessment of bed capacity for the winter period to be returned to Welsh Government this week

Regional partnership boards' plans have also been received and feedback has been provided to them. And on 1 October, the Minister announced a package of £30 million to support the delivery of health and social care services over the remainder of 2019-20, with £17 million allocated to regional partnership boards, £10 million to local health boards and the remaining £3 million retained for nationally agreed priorities over the winter period. And, of course, again, we have got the Choose Well campaign, which we'll be delivering at key times during those winter months, to remind the public that it's even more important than ever to use our health service responsibly, and that campaign will help to signpost people to the correct service for their needs, and, again, this is something that I'm sure that Assembly Members will want to promote locally to their constituents.

I would like to raise a concern that emerged yesterday evening, if you were watching Newyddion 9 that ethnic minorities in Wales are being forgotten as the 2021 census is held. The particular concern is that there will be no option to state that you are Welsh unless you are white. Now, this is entirely irresponsible. May I thank the singer, Kizzy Crawford, for discussing this live and for discussing how that is going to impact on her identity and how she defines herself? The situation is different in Scotland, as I understand it, but the Office for National Statistics is responsible for administering the census in Wales, on an England-and-Wales basis.

Now, Nia Jeffreys, who is a Plaid Cymru cabinet member for corporate support on Gwynedd Council, has already corresponded with the ONS, but I would like to ask you, as the Welsh Government, what steps you are taking to communicate this concern to the census and what efforts are you making in order to enable people to officially note what their identity is. If this happens with the census, then we must ensure that it doesn't happen in other official capacities. At the end of the day, we are not going to have a clear picture of the people living and working here in Wales unless they can define themselves as they would choose and as should be a right for them, too.

Welsh Government agrees completely that the ethnicity question at present isn't inclusive of all of those members of society who consider themselves to be Welsh but aren't white. I can confirm that Welsh Government officials have been raising this directly with the ONS for quite some time, and I have written recently to the Minister for the Constitution on this matter to more formally raise Welsh Government's concerns. We haven't yet had a response to that letter for probably obvious reasons with the general election ongoing.

I think it is important to recognise that, within the census, there is a separate question on national identity. So, anybody can identify as Welsh, English, British or any combination of that, but we do agree that the ethnicity question isn't so inclusive in its current wording. We do want the ONS to consider this issue carefully. I think this is an opportunity as well to emphasise that the census in 2021—it's so important that it is a successful census, because it's critical to our understanding of all of those population groups to ensure that they are included in the data that helps inform decisions that Government takes. Therefore, we would encourage as many people as possible to respond to that census when it does come around. But, Llywydd, I'd be very happy to share the response to the letter I sent to the Minister for the Constitution and a copy of the letter that I sent with colleagues.FootnoteLink FootnoteLink

Information further to Plenary

Information further to Plenary

Business manager, the First Minister referred to the new hospital being built, the Grange University Hospital, being built in Llanfrechfa, during FMQs. This has been welcomed by people I represent in Blaenau Gwent, who are looking forward to the hospital and the facilities, and the extension and improvement in healthcare that this offers. But to maximise the potential of the hospital in delivering healthcare for people across the Aneurin Bevan area, of course, we do need the transport networks that will enable people to use the facilities there and to visit those who are in-patients in the new hospital.

I have spoken to both the health Minister and the transport Minister on this matter, and I think it's important that we do have a statement from at least one of them to ensure that we have in place all the public transport networks, the funding and the provision of particularly bus services to enable people to reach that hospital. So, I'd be grateful to have a statement on that early in the new year to ensure that all of these transport systems are in place when the new hospital is commissioned.

Thank you very much to Alun Davies. Of course, he's right to say that public access to the new Grange hospital will be absolutely critical in terms of ensuring that that hospital is able to best meet the needs of the people of the area and to offer opportunities for their families to visit and support them, and so on.

I'm pleased that he's had the opportunity to discuss it with the Minister for transport and the Minister for health, but the health Minister has just indicated that he'd be very happy to have a further meeting to discuss the issue in perhaps some more detail at an early opportunity.

Thank you to the Trefnydd for that statement.