2. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:28 pm on 3 December 2019.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Darren Millar Darren Millar Conservative 2:28, 3 December 2019

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.