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. Firstly, the legislative consent motion on the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill will be debated immediately after this business statement, with a vote then taken immediately afterwards. Secondly, the length of the debate on the Children (Abolition of Defence of Reasonable Punishment) (Wales) Bill has been reduced in line with the number of amendments tabled. 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. 

Trefnydd, can I call for a statement from the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs please, on the Welsh Government's efforts to protect endangered and threatened species in Wales? You may or may not be aware that today is Squirrel Appreciation Day around the world, and as the red squirrel champion in the National Assembly, I think it's very important that I take this opportunity to raise the important issue of red squirrel conservation across the country.

Since the 1940s, the red squirrel population has gone from covering the majority of Wales to having a population in just three main centres, one on Ynys Môn, one in mid Wales, and one in the Clocaenog Forest in my own constituency. Now, I know that there are many species represented by many individuals in this Chamber, but I do think it would be an opportune time to request an update on the action that is being taken by the Welsh Government to protect red squirrels, and, indeed, other threatened species across the country. 

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Ann Jones) took the Chair.

I thank Darren Millar for the question, and wish him a very happy squirrel appreciation day, as the species champion within this Assembly. And, certainly, the Minister was here to hear your request for an update on action to protect threatened species, and I'm sure she'll give it due consideration. 

I want to raise the devolution of the criminal justice system. The past week has seen a significant strengthening of the arguments for devolution, in line with what already exists in Scotland and the north of Ireland. The tragic case of Conner Marshall has highlighted what many of us already knew—that the probation service privatisation has been an unmitigated disaster. How many other lives have to be lost before the probation service is sorted out? Will we ever fully understand the extent of the true cost of the decision to part privatise the probation service?

The Tory justice secretary has said that he's keen to press ahead with plans for another new prison in Wales, even though we have the highest incarceration rate in western Europe. The numbers of people dying because of substance use has reached an all-time high, and the rape conviction rates are plummeting from an already low level. It's clear that the English criminal justice system is not working for us. As the Thomas commission on devolving justice found, people in Wales are let down by the system in its current state. If Wales were running its own criminal justice system, we could have a focus on reducing harm and improving outcomes. 

In the First Minister's initial response to the Thomas commission, he promised to open dialogue with the UK Government following the election. Now, more than a month has passed since that election, so can we have a Government statement outlining whether that dialogue has begun? Can you also tell me what preparatory work that you personally have begun in terms of this Government's budget, because you can demonstrate that Wales is serious about the devolution of the criminal justice system to Wales, and that we are not content to see the findings of this commission kicked into the long grass by committing resources to the issue? Do you plan to do that?

Well, I would say, in the first instance, with respect, I think the First Minister has answered some of those questions. But there will be the opportunity to have a more detailed discussion in a debate in Government time, which I understand will be taking place in the coming weeks.

Could we have a statement or a debate on the provision of appropriate treatments for borderline personality disorder in a consistent way right across Wales? I've been approached by an articulate and very well-informed constituent—informed through personal experience and through academic research—who has raised the difficulty of obtaining dialectical behaviour therapy, DBT, in the Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board area, and he's queried whether the same may apply across different health board areas in Wales. And we could also discuss, then, the extent to which an individual experiencing borderline personality disorder should be able to engage with clinicians on what the individual considers to be the most appropriate form of treatment for themselves, as opposed to simply accepting whatever treatment may or may not be available within one health board area.

Could we also have a statement on changes on train timetabling, to enable Valleys commuters to get to work on time in Cardiff? There are only two trains that leave Maesteg that are scheduled to arrive in Cardiff before 9 a.m. on weekdays. The first leaves at 6.44 a.m., arriving at 7.38 a.m.—plenty of time to get to work for an 8 a.m. or 8.30 a.m. start. However, the second was subject to a timetable change in November, which pushed back the departure train to 8.04 a.m., arriving in Cardiff at 8.54 a.m. if there are no delays. Minister, there are always delays—sometimes five minutes, sometimes 10 minutes, sometimes more. So it means that commuters who previously had understanding bosses who said, 'As long as you're at your desk by 9 a.m., don't worry, you're fine', are now regularly arriving at their desks later than 9 a.m., to find their bosses saying, 'You keep this up and you'll be out of a job.' So, I've written to Ministers, to Transport for Wales, to KeolisAmey, to Network Rail, and others, to put this train back to an earlier time when the May timetable changes come. So I'd welcome a statement on the May timetabling.

And finally, could we have a debate on the roll-out of universal credit, which, as I'm seeing in my surgeries week after week, is pushing many of my constituents deep into debt, into penury, and into despair? And can we have an update on the Welsh Government-commissioned research by Policy in Practice, which is designed to help the Welsh Government make policy decisions to best support local authorities and residents with universal credit, and understand how this is affecting families in Wales? We saw the research last year by Cartref, showing the impact of the freeze on universal credit, leading to an average 6 per cent cut to the income of people claiming working-age benefits since 2016. It showed that 84 per cent of tenants claiming UC now owe some rent to their housing association, whether through non-payment or technical issues. And those tenants on UC who are in arrears owe more than double the amount of rent compared to peers claiming housing benefit under the old system. So it would be good to have a statement or a debate on this, so we can really get to grips with the worst effects of this badly designed and poverty-inducing UK Government policy.

I'm grateful to Huw Irranca-Davies for raising three really important issues. The first he raised was regarding access to DBT for individuals with borderline personality disorder. Improving access to a range of therapies is a current priority for the Welsh Government, and over recent years, we have continued to implement our commitment to improve access to psychological therapies, and we provided an additional £4 million to health boards in 2018-19 to support that. A further £3 million was also made available as part of the mental health service improvement funding from this financial year. Improving access, quality, and the range of psychological therapies will, I can confirm, remain a top priority in the forthcoming 'Together for Mental Health Delivery Plan 2019-2022' and it is the intention of the Minister for Health and Social Services to publish that very shortly.

The second issue that was raised was the concern that Huw Irranca-Davies has raised previously in the Chamber, actually, in relation to access to Cardiff from Maesteg. In the first instance, it's an operational matter for Transport for Wales and KeolisAmey, which must meet the franchise commitment, and that is those two trains from Maesteg to Cardiff to arrive before 9 a.m.. But in recognition of the particular issues that he's described, I understand that Transport for Wales representatives have held a stakeholder workshop to look at this issue. The Maesteg-to-Cardiff morning service and the challenges you describe are currently under consideration, and I know that they'll be keen to provide an update following those stakeholder workshops. 

The third issue was the issue of welfare reform, and particularly universal credit and the devastating impact that's had on many people right across Wales. Another piece of evidence that adds, I suppose, to our understanding of the impact of the roll-out of universal credit, is the piece of research I published on the council tax reduction scheme in Wales. And Huw Irranca-Davies has described the impact it has on people in terms of rent arrears. That is one piece of a suite of research that we've undertaken that relates to both council tax and non-domestic rates, and as we gather more of those pieces of research together, they will help inform our way forward, and obviously I'd be keen to update Members in due course. 

Could the Minister make a statement regarding the siting of small modular reactors in north Wales? We understand that the consortium led by Rolls Royce is considering building small modular reactors, with Trawsfynydd in Gwynedd tipped as a prime target. We also thought that there were plans to site one on the Wylfa facility on Anglesey and reports seemed to confirm that. But a statement from Horizon Nuclear Power has sought to make it clear that this is not correct. They say, 

'There are no plans to deploy a Rolls Royce Small Modular Reactor at Wylfa Newydd site and recent media stories reporting this are not correct.'

Could the Minister comment on this statement? 

They added:

'Activity on the Horizon project is currently suspended, but we're working hard to establish the conditions for a restart using our tried and tested reactor design, which has already cleared the UK regulators' assessment process.'

They said that there is a

'planning application to deliver two of these reactors—providing enough clean power for over five million homes and a multi-billion pound investment to the region.'

Can the Minister give a clear understanding as to the position with both these sites? 

Can I ask you, in the first instance, to write to the Minister for Economy and Transport, who will, I think, be best placed to provide an update on his latest understanding of the situation? 

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Organiser, the First Minister, in response to the leader of the opposition, did not confirm when the regulatory impact assessment was going to be made available for public consideration. This is a vitally important document to understand the impact of such proposals that the Government are considering at the moment around nitrate vulnerable zones to be implemented here in Wales. Could I implore you to work with the Minister to make that document available to Members, so that we can understand exactly what the regulatory impact assessment is telling Ministers and the impact it will have, should these regulations be implemented across Wales, as proposed, before the Minister decided to have further consultations with the farming unions and other organisations?

I do take the sincerity with which the Government is entering into those discussions, but these are big decisions that are going to be made here on an all-Wales basis. And the Government's own panel, which it set up with the regulator, Natural Resources Wales, signing up to the report that that regulatory panel came up with, was for a voluntary approach on these matters that would seek to address the agricultural pollution incidents that the First Minister touched on.

I would draw the First Minister's attention to the fact that, over the last 20 years there has been no substantial increase in agricultural pollution across Wales. The barometer has been between 190 instances at its top mark and about 120 or 130 instances at its lowest mark. And of those instances, only 20 to 30 have been severe. Now, one is one too many—I accept that. But when you think of the discharge of Welsh Water, for example, in sewage pollution incidents that happen across Wales, and the action of the Government doesn't seem to want to take on those particular issues, this does seem to be using a sledgehammer to crack a nut here, when you already have a deal on the table that the regulator has signed up to, and the organisations came around the table, discussed this, debated it and came up with a proposal. I would implore the Welsh Government to go back to that document and actually work to that document, rather than bring these draconian proposals forward. 

I know that the Minister with responsibility for environment, energy and rural affairs is really keen to keep on working alongside farmers and their union representatives on this particular issue. As you say, these are big decisions, which is why Welsh Government is taking the time that it needs in order to develop proposals and to consider them. I understand that the Minister will be receiving advice including the RIA within the coming weeks, hopefully by the end of the month, and, clearly, she'll be keen to discuss things further with stakeholders in due course.

Could we have a statement from the relevant Government Minister on the recent fire at Kronospan in Chirk, which has caused huge concern locally, of course? It's the third fire there in just three years, and it burned for a week, causing pollution across the town and further afield. Now, it took 48 hours for air quality monitoring equipment to be put in place, which missed, of course, the worst of the pollution, but nevertheless it detected formaldehyde, which is a known carcinogen, in the air, which, as you can imagine, is causing huge worry to the population locally.

We need an explanation in the wake of these events. We need to hear what Welsh Government is doing to ensure that this doesn't happen again. Will you join with me in calling for an independent inquiry to establish why the fire raged for so long and also why the response from agencies was so sluggish? We also need independent air quality monitoring equipment to be permanently sited there. I understand that the current temporary equipment had to be moved up from Swansea. Now, local residents deserve a robust response from Welsh Government on this, and, at the moment, I'm afraid they're not getting it.

Also, could we have a statement from the education Minister in the wake of a highly critical report by Care Inspectorate Wales into Ruthin School, which was published recently? The report says, and I quote:

'The leadership, management and governance relating to safeguarding was found to be inadequate and as a result, young people were not fully protected.'

And the report identifies

'Significant and widespread concerns in respect of the wellbeing of young people'.

Furthermore,

'arrangements for dealing with concerns about young people's safeguarding were inadequate.'

Now, that's wholly unacceptable, and I'm sure you'll agree. So, will the Minister make a statement regarding the Welsh Government's role in safeguarding children in private and boarding schools? Will she also make a statement regarding the interventions available in schools based in Wales that are not subject to local authority control? What oversight do statutory authorities, such as child protection, have over private schools in Wales? And is there not a case to be made that when child safeguarding is at issue, then earlier intervention is required? This is the second report in a year highlighting concerns about safeguarding issues at the school and we need answers from the Welsh Government on these questions.

On the second issue, which you raised in relation to Ruthin School, I will ask the Minister for social services to write to you in response to the particular questions you had about safeguarding and Welsh Government's role of ensuring the safeguarding of children and young people in private and boarding schools, and also the oversight that the statutory bodies have, because those were some detailed questions and I'm sure that they require a detailed answer.

The first issue was, of course, the fire at Kronospan and the issues that related to the smoke as a result of that fire. The Minister has obviously been here to hear your comments on that and he's obviously taken an interest in it. I'm sure your officials would have been in touch with Wrexham County Borough Council, which, obviously, is the lead body in terms of responding to this. But if I could ask you to write to the Minister, I'm sure she'd provide an update on the overall issue.

I would, business manager, like to ask for two statements, if possible, from the Government. The first relates to a matter that was raised during First Minister's questions, and that is the congestion charge that Cardiff county council has proposed as part of their work to improve transport within the city. Many of us will welcome the vision that Cardiff local authorities demonstrated in their White Paper, and many of us will support their ambitions, but many of us will not tolerate a Valleys tax to pay for it. It's important, I believe, that any charge levied on citizens of this country is done so fairly and with equality at its heart. The congestion charge as proposed by Cardiff county council fails on both of those measures. It is, of course, the Welsh Government that has responsibility for the trunk road network and the major roads into and out of Cardiff. I understand that Cardiff city council, Cardiff county council, will take responsibility for those roads within the city itself, but up until the entrance to the city, they are the responsibility of the Welsh Government. It would be useful, therefore, if we could understand what the policy of the Welsh Government is on road charging and whether the Welsh Government were consulted as part of this and whether the Welsh Government has signalled any consent or support for this potential tax. And for many of us, we are immensely concerned about the way in which this was announced and immensely concerned about the impact it will have on our constituents. So, I would be grateful if the Welsh Government could provide us with a statement on those matters.

The second is—I would like to ask for a statement from the health Minister on issues around drugs and the spiking of drinks. This matter has been raised with me in the last few weeks. We had, last week, a very good, I felt, debate on rape and how rape is dealt with within the criminal justice system. I think many of us welcomed that debate and I think there was a broad agreement on all sides of this Chamber about the need to improve the experience of people who've been victims of rape within the criminal justice system. But we must also recognise—particularly young women are at threat from drinks being spiked in all of our major towns and cities, and particularly students and young women face an enormous impact and fear that their drinks can be spiked and they may be attacked when enjoying a night out. This is something that I think is of profound significance to all of us, and it's something that I hope the Welsh Government could seek to take action to address.

I'm grateful to Alun Davies for raising both of these issues. I think that the letter that the economy Minister has sent to the leader of Cardiff council does start to answer some of those concerns that you have, particularly in terms of Welsh Government's concern about fairness, but also the concern that any decisions should be taken in a way that is very much considerate of the impact on the wider region as well. So, I think that the work that is set in train as a result of that letter will be the starting point for those discussions, and I'll ensure that that letter is circulated to Members.

And on the second issue in terms of the spiking of drinks, I know that the health Minister is due to issue a statement in the near future that will launch the new substance misuse delivery plan, and, clearly, education and keeping people safe are very much at the heart of that particular plan.

Minister, may I ask for a statement from the Minister for Housing and Local Government about the housing support grant? Funding for housing-related support has fallen by £27 million in real terms since 2012. Local authorities, third sector support providers and social landlords say that, within current budget restraints, it is already difficult to meet the needs of people requiring support services. They claim that without additional investment in the housing support grant, there is a risk that services will not have the capacity to meet people's needs and that homelessness could get much worse in Wales. Could we have a statement from the Minister in response to these concerns about what action she will take to ensure services have the resources to meet the needs of people experiencing the effects of homelessness?

And the second statement I would like to ask for from the Minister for culture, please. I think the First Minister earlier mentioned heritage sites in Newport. It was very nice to understand his concern. But my concern is vandalism in heritage sites. Earlier this month, it was reported that appalling damage had been done to a burial mound dating back to the Bronze Age at Wentwood near Newport, and police say it could only have been done by off-road vehicles. It is not acceptable in any society. Before we promote our Newport heritage, our culture, we have to make sure it is adequately protected. So, Minister, can we have a statement from the Government that all of our heritage sites are properly protected from these vandals? Thank you.

Thank you for raising these issues, the first being the housing support grant. The particular issue you refer to is a part of the budget for 2020-1, and I would suggest, perhaps, that the appropriate place for scrutiny of that is within the budget discussions, so there'll be another opportunity to have those debates here on the floor of the Assembly, and also through the budget scrutiny process that committees are undertaking as well. So, that, I think, would be the appropriate place to be scrutinising elements of the 2020-1 budget.

I will ask the Minister to write to you in terms of how we are protecting our heritage sites in the round, but also with some specific thoughts on the issue of those off-road vehicles that you described, which clearly have had a very, very detrimental impact in the area of Wentloog, which you referred to.

I would like to ask for two Government statements. The first is on British Sign Language and the provision of courses, especially for the parents of deaf children. We received and debated a petition from Deffo!, which was supported by the Government and supported by Members across the Chamber, and people are saying to me at Deffo!, 'What's happening now?' Can we have a statement on what actions have been taken and what actions are planned following that petition, because there are serious concerns within the deaf community? I'm not sure I want to declare an interest: my sister is profoundly deaf and a member of the deaf community, but I'm not the parent of a deaf child.

The second request is on publicly available electric charging points. We're trying to promote electric cars; we're trying to promote green energy. Would it be possible for the Minister to make a statement on where they're planned for, when they're likely to be installed, how many are likely to be installed at each point and what type? Because I understand from one of my constituents that most of those at the Sarn service station are there for Tesla vehicles, not the more common charger. I'm not an expert in these things, but my constituent says that if you've got a Tesla vehicle, there's no queue; if you've got an ordinary electrical vehicle, there is a queue. We're trying to get people into electrical vehicles. There needs to be some sort of plan, and I'd like a Government statement on that plan.

I can see the Minister responding positively to your request for a statement in relation to electric car charging points. There are currently over 930 publicly accessible charging point connectors across Wales, up from 670 in April of last year. So, clearly, we are starting to see some progress in this area, but Mike Hedges raises an important point, doesn't he, about the particular charging points being appropriate for the vehicles that people are choosing to drive? So, Ken Skates would have heard those comments, and I'm sure that he'll provide an update on that.

On the specific issue of BSL and the petition that Deffo! brought forward to the Assembly, I'll be sure to liaise with colleagues—I know that this is an area of interest for a number of our colleagues, actually, across Government, both in education and health—to ensure that you are provided with a suitable update.FootnoteLink

Information further to Plenary

I'd like to raise an issue as a supporter of sport in Wales and of the need to celebrate Welsh sporting history, and also as a Cardiff City fan and elected representative of a not insignificant number and hardy bunch of Bluebirds fans from Anglesey—Holyhead in particular—who've been very faithful to the club over the years. Cardiff City Supporters' Trust has become aware of a valuable and irreplaceable collection of Cardiff City Football Club historic memorabilia that's due to be auctioned on 25 January. Now, the trust has urged Cardiff City Football Club to acquire the collection as the basis of a museum to celebrate the history of the club. There had been some reports that the items had been withdrawn from sale. It appears that they are due still to go for sale on 25 January. Time is running out to prevent this loss of a very important Welsh sporting heritage. Could I ask for intervention by the Minister for sport and sporting heritage, including making contact with the club to see what assistance might be given to keep this in public hands, or at least accessible to the public, and for a written statement on steps that might be taken by Welsh Government to support the club in acquiring this very valuable memorabilia?

Of course, the Deputy Minister with responsibility for sport has been here to hear your request for his intervention in this particular issue in terms of ensuring the memorabilia to celebrate the history of the club that you described is still accessible to fans of the club, and I'm sure that he will give it due consideration.

Through you, Minister, I'd like a statement from the Deputy Minister for children on child protection, because we live in a Wales where a vulnerable child, or vulnerable children, actually, in the care of private companies can allege abuse, it's not taken seriously, they will not be taken to a place of safety to be spoken to, if a child has learning difficulties they will not be given an advocate, they will not speak to a child protection specialist. And, if you think of the scandals all over the UK now about children having been through the utmost brutality in care, and if you look at the history of care homes in Wales—in this city, in fact—then my question or statement that I want from the Government really is: what is the Government going to do to protect children in Wales? It's a desperate situation. They must be listened to.

Safeguarding of children, and vulnerable children in particular, is clearly a priority for the Welsh Government, and I will certainly ask the Minister for social services to provide you with that update on what the Welsh Government's priorities are for child protection in Wales.

I endorse the comments about the fire at Kronospan and note that Wrexham council convened a multi-agency meeting to discuss this last Tuesday, and that the Clwyd South MP was meeting the chief executive of the council last Friday and is keeping the Secretary of State up to date on this.

But I call for two statements. Firstly, on cervical cancer prevention, you may be aware that this is Cervical Cancer Prevention Week. Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust, which is campaigning to end the stigma around the human papilloma virus infection, or HPV, and to raise awareness of this really common virus and the role of cervical cancer screening in preventing cervical cancer, states the cervical screening programme in Wales is now testing all samples for HPV first, but notes amongst other things that many women still—. They hear regularly from women every day who feel ashamed, embarrassed, confused after being told they have HPV. Myths around HPV may further discourage women from attending their screening tests. So, could I call for a statement responding to their call for detail from the Welsh Government on the steps that the health Secretary is taking to increase understanding of HPV following the cervical screening move to HPV primary screening?

Secondly and finally, could I call for a statement on help for young people facing financial hardship? This is in the context of the charity established by Ally Elouise in Llandudno in 2015, which offers free loans of over 3,000 suits and prom dresses to hundreds of students who otherwise couldn't afford to celebrate finishing school. Ally has been awarded the Prime Minister's Points of Light award, and she e-mailed last week stating, 'I'd be grateful if you could share or promote this in order to help as many young people facing financial hardship as possible to attend their school proms this year.' I call for a statement accordingly.

Firstly, I would congratulate Ally on everything that she's achieved and the fact that she has received recognition for what is an excellent, practical idea that can really make all the difference to young people. We know the cost of attending a prom can really be prohibitive and a worry for some families, so I take my hat off to Ally and the ingenuity she's shown in ensuring that young people can enjoy what is a very special moment in their school, or the ending of their school, lives.

The cervical cancer issue that you raise is also extremely important, because we are due to have Cervical Cancer Awareness Week, and I know that Vikki Howells will be hosting an event for all Assembly Members in the Senedd to attend and find out ways in which we can all play our part in raising awareness of the importance of testing locally. The health Minister, as you were talking, was really keen for me to make the point that, actually, there's no shame involved in any of this, and that it is important that the tests are undertaken. We have more sensitive tests here in Wales, which will mean that we are able to intervene and save lives early, and also now, of course, we're rolling out the vaccinations to boys as well. I know that that's been really warmly welcomed across Wales.

And finally, David Rees.

Trefnydd, last week the Secretary of State for Justice in the UK Government reminded us that he still believed that there was a need for a new prison in south Wales. Now, we've had this debate before, where my community has been very vehemently against the location of the last proposal. But the question we had in that debate was whether we needed a new superprison, and what were the appropriate processes. Will you have a statement from the Welsh Government as to what discussions you've had with the UK Government on such ideas from the Secretary of State for Justice, and what actually he means by the benefits of a new superprison? Because, in the debates last time, we talked about the ways in which we can actually make lives better for prisoners, and to look at the way in which we pass justice over. We talked very much about the devolution of justice and devolution of prison services to Wales so that we could do it appropriately for Wales. Now, this statement seems to be ignoring all those concepts and once again looking to impose a new prison in us. So, hopefully we'll have a statement from the Minister, or whoever is the relevant Minister, in relation to actually what discussions are taking place and what plans he's having for Wales.

I will certainly ask the Deputy Minister and Chief Whip to provide you with an update on the latest discussions that may have been had in this particular area and the Welsh Government's approach to the relevant issues that have been raised.

Thank you very much, Trefnydd.