The next item is the business statement and announcement. I will now transfer the reins to Ann Jones, but I will first of all call on the Trefnydd to make the business statement—Rebecca Evans. 

Diolch, Llywydd. There are two changes to this week's business. Firstly, the Minister for Health and Social Services will make a statement shortly to update Members on the latest position regarding the COVID-19 vaccination. Secondly, the title of the statement on promoting the use of Welsh in families—the transmission in families policy—has been updated. 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.  

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

Darren Millar. Darren Millar.

Can you hear me?

Yes, we can hear you.

Apologies for that. Trefnydd, north Wales was hit very hard last week, as were other communities across the country, by storm Christoph. Included in those communities that were hit was Ruthin in my own constituency. Can I call for a statement from the Welsh Government on the impact of those storms and what support is now going to be made available to communities like Ruthin and others across Wales that have really been hit hard by this? These floods couldn't have come at a worse time, given the impact of the COVID pandemic. 

Can I also call for a statement from the Minister for Health and Social Services regarding the compensation available for third-year student nurse placements? I was contacted by a student nurse this week who tells me that student nurses in England are being paid for the placement hours that they complete under the new emergency standard measures that have now been introduced during the pandemic. But she and her colleagues in Wales have been told in a letter from the Chief Nursing Officer for Wales that students here will not be paid for their placements. This obviously seems to be quite unfair for those students here in Wales who feel that they are now disadvantaged compared to their peers. Can I ask for a statement on this particular issue in order that the student nurse workforce that we are going to be so reliant on during the pandemic and, indeed, in the future, is given proper compensation for the work that it's putting in? Thank you.

Thank you to Darren Millar for raising both of these issues, the first being storm Christoph, which is clearly absolutely awful for the families and the businesses involved. As Darren sets out, it couldn't have come at a worse time, being in the middle of the pandemic and in winter as well. We're very alive to the needs of the people who've been affected by the storms, and that's why the Welsh Government has agreed to work with local authorities to make those support payments of up to £1,000 available per household. And of course, you'll remember that that is the same level of support that we made available in the storms that hit Wales in February and March of last year, just before the pandemic really took hold. This support will also be available to people who have suffered significant internal flooding whilst the restrictions have been in place, and we're in some active discussion with the areas impacted in terms of the case for any further funding. I know that the Minister for Housing and Local Government particularly is having discussions with the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs about what further support might be needed and, clearly, we'd be keen to keep colleagues updated on that.

I will ask my colleague the Minister for Health and Social Services to provide a written response to the particular query that you have regarding student nurses and the role that they can play in the tackling of the pandemic at this point. 

I wanted to ask a question about health visitors. I had a reply from the health Minister today to a written question that I'd put in, and I didn't get a direct response as to whether any health visitors have been redeployed in the health service due to the pandemic. He said in that reply just to risk assess any considerations for redeployment by the health boards, but didn't say if it was happening or not. Now, I know that lots of parents are struggling to get access to their health visitors, so I'd like to have a statement brought forward from the health Minister that can detail whether those redeployments have happened, and how, and whether that means there's a deficiency therefore in helping new parents here in Wales. 

My second request for a statement is with regards to the burst mine shaft in Skewen in my region that happened last week. I know one of the ladies whose house it happened to, Samira Jeffreys, very well, and she lost everything in that. I know that we are set to have a briefing as MSs at the end of the week by the Coal Authority, but I'd like to understand, as a Welsh Government, what are you doing to check all those old coal mine shafts to ensure that we don't see this happening all across south Wales, especially where we have former mining communities, and to ensure that you help those people who have been affected by this tragedy?

On the first issue that was raised, which was in regard to the redeployment or otherwise of health visitors, I know that the health Minister will have been listening to that request for a statement, but I'd also encourage you, and I'm sure you've already sought this as well, to take it up directly with the local health board who'll be able to provide you with that more granular local level of data that might be useful to you. 

And Welsh Government has been working with the Coal Authority and seeking to work also with the UK Government with regard to our legacy coal tips and all of the wider flooding issues that affected us last year. But, clearly, the former mining communities would be really keen that that work includes the mine shafts as well, and I know that some work is already going on to ensure that the work that has already been started is fully cognisant of all of the various risks affecting the communities. But I know that the Coal Authority will be able to give you and other Members representing the local area that fuller briefing on Friday this week. 

Trefnydd, can I ask for a Government statement on Welsh Government engagement with the post office and postal services? The reason it's relevant is that Welsh Government policy and support for high streets and small businesses is very important, and I've been told recently when I've applied to the post office in respect of a small post office in Efail Isaf that had shut temporarily and is now in the process of reopening—the store has reopened, it is the only shop in Efail Isaf the village—but what I'm told is that the post office has a grant of £50 million in respect of supporting small shops and postal services like this. Now, it seems to me it is vitally important that Welsh Government actually is engaged with the way in which this money is used to ensure that there's maximum effect. Now, I know the people of Efail Isaf support their store, but would welcome any intervention Welsh Government can make to ensure that the post office money that is available is best used for services like that in our communities, supporting those communities. 

Absolutely. And as Mick Antoniw is aware, post office matters aren't devolved and they are the responsibility of the UK Government, but nonetheless, as Mick Antoniw sets out, we have a real and direct interest in ensuring that Wales does get its fair share of those UK funds. Post Office Ltd obviously works right across the UK, and it doesn't ring-fence any part of its budget separately; it's allocated on a needs basis, and I know that the arguments and cases that colleagues across the Senedd have been making for post offices in their own communities have been quite fruitful in terms of ensuring that some of that funding does come to Wales.

My officials are in regular contact with Post Office Ltd to discuss matters such as the situation in Efail Isaf, where, unfortunately, as Mick Antoniw has set out, the local post office did close, and, as he's mentioned, the shop has now reopened. I do know that Post Office Ltd have advised Welsh Government that they do intend to speak to the new owners of the shop in Efail Isaf as soon as possible to discuss a potential contract for post office services, so I very much hope for a successful resolution there. 

Trefnydd, could we have an update on the support available for parents managing homeworking and home schooling during the pandemic? I'm sure that this has been raised with you as a Member of the Senedd, as it's been raised with me. As a parent myself, who often has a toddler with me in the room when I attend some Zoom meetings, I'm aware of the pressures that parents are under. Children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, mustn't be allowed to slip further behind educationally, relative to previous generations. So, could we have a statement from the—well, I imagine the Minister for Education, on that?

Secondly, hopefully the vaccine roll-out means that we will soon be turning a corner in the pandemic. As thoughts turn to trying to rebuild the economy, could we have a statement from the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales on a strategy, or the developing strategy, for investing in greener technology and industries? I'm concerned that, for all the talk of doing things differently and building back better, it will be too easy for us to lapse back into pre-COVID ways as we do come out of this, and people relax. So, yes, we've got to get businesses back on their feet, but at the same time we've got to make sure that we do grasp the opportunity to transform the economy and make it greener—a greener and more affluent Wales.

Thank you. Welsh Government very much shares the concern that Nick Ramsay has described, about the impact of the pandemic on children, particularly those in more disadvantaged communities. And that's one of the reasons why we've invested so heavily in supporting young people and children to get all the digital help that they need. You'll be aware of the recent announcement of nearly £12 million of further funding to take the number of laptops and tablets that we've provided to children and families across Wales up to over 133,000. And we're obviously aware that many children also have difficulties getting online in the first place, so we've provided nearly 11,000 MiFi devices to help children access the internet to undertake their work. So, there's a great deal of work going on there, but I don't underestimate the challenges that this places on parents and families, and I know that the education Minister will be listening carefully to that contribution.

And again, my colleague, the Minister for economy, will be keen, I know, in due course, to update colleagues on the response to the economic crisis, which we're also facing as part of the pandemic, and what we can do to build back better—that kind of green and fair recovery that we're all so keen to see. I think we're standing in good stead with our economic contract, and the fact that that includes specific requirements in terms of decarbonisation. So, we have some good groundwork to build on. We have a budget that, last year and this year, has made significant allocations in respect of decarbonisation, and biodiversity. So, I think, again, we're building from a good place, but both colleagues will have heard the requests for statements.

I'd like a statement from the Government, please, about its ongoing commitment to protecting biodiversity. Biodiversity erosion poses grave risks, of course, to human health, and increases the risk of pandemics, and it has an important role to play in preventing runaway climate change. There's a specific situation happening in my region, which is causing concern among biodiversity advocates. In 2019, Trefnydd, the First Minister decided not to press ahead with the M4 relief road, in part because of the impact it would have on the Gwent levels. But as we speak, the Gwent levels are facing another threat from major development—ironically, this time, from a renewable energy hub. The project is a solar panel installation that's proposed to be built between Marshfield, St Bride's and Peterstone. It would use 155 hectares of green wedge and greenbelt land, which is the equivalent of 290 football pitches, and it would require 30 hectares more land than would have been required for the black route.

I think, Trefnydd, that when the First Minister rejected the black route, he set a precedent for the continued protection of the Gwent levels and the wildlife species that are found there, including the shrill carder bee, of which I'm species champion. Surely, our response to the climate emergency can't be to support renewable energy at the expense of species loss. The Gwent levels are a precious resource for our communities, and all of Wales, and if they're lost they cannot be replaced. So, I'd urge the Government to seek ways of protecting the levels from future threats of this nature. So, please could we have a statement, reasserting the Government's commitment to reverse the decline in biodiversity, for its intrinsic value, and to ensure lasting benefits to society as is set out in its nature recovery action plan for Wales? 

I very much share Delyth Jewell's passion for supporting biodiversity, and many of us are species champions and we take a lot of pleasure, I think, in those particular roles as well. The Minister with responsibility for the environment will have listened, but, also, the Minister for Housing and Local Government would have been keen to hear what you've described as well, given her work on the national development plan. And, I will make a point as well of having a conversation with the Minister to see what might be the best way to update the Senedd. 

Minister, it's already been mentioned this afternoon, regarding the flooding that's affected my constituency in Skewen and many residents who were evacuated from their homes. Most of them are not yet allowed back into their homes and may not be for several weeks to come. So, I want, essentially, two statements on the same issue: a statement from the Minister for the environment relating to how she is actually tackling the influx of water that's gone into the mines. Storm Christoph just highlighted a big problem and filled that mine and the water is still flowing out of that now, even though the rain subsided several days ago. But it is important that we address that. So, what is the Minister for the environment doing to ensure that we deal with that matter totally, so that the residents can be reassured that they're not going to have more water flowing through their homes? 

The second one is actually for the Welsh Government as to what is the First Minister doing to discuss with the UK Government about this? It's been mentioned before that these are old mine workings. There are hundreds dotted across the valleys in my constituency, let alone the Valleys in south Wales. I know he had done work already with the UK Government on coal tips. But this is another agenda that needs to be met and how the UK Government should take up its responsibility and work with the Welsh Government to alleviate the concerns of many residents who, at the moment, are worried about the undermining of their properties as a consequence of this. 

This is very much an area where I think that the Welsh Government and UK Government need to undertake joint work, very much so, especially given the fact that, as David Rees sets out, Wales is very much disproportionately affected by the issues of the old mine works, as we are naturally—as follows—with the issues of the coal tips and so forth. The work, which has already been undertaken in respect of coal tips with the UK Government and the Coal Authority, I do think provides some good foundations for that work, but clearly it needs to be expanded to ensure that it does encapsulate all of the concerns that David Rees has described this afternoon.  

Business Minister, may I call for a statement on the Welsh Government's reaction to the devastating news that Debenhams stores will now be closing across our country? Its closure and its plans to regenerate our towns and cities is a matter of urgency now. The closure of Debenhams stores across our country, following their takeover from Boohoo, means a loss of hundreds of jobs and will be a severe blow to cities, such as Newport, where Debenhams is the pivotal anchor store within the Friar's Walk city development, Cardiff and Swansea, where the store also forms part of the heart of the city's Quadrant shopping centre.

This is obviously devastating enough, but obviously during the pandemic the knock-on effect of these closures will mean people are hit even harder. It comes at a time when businesses in Wales remain in a precarious position and are suffering immense damage caused by the pandemic, despite grants. Figures produced by the Welsh Retail Consortium reveal that one in five shops in Wales are now empty; the vacancy rates increased from 15.9 per cent to 18 per cent in the third quarter of last year, the largest jump anywhere in the UK.

Big shop closures, such as Debenhams, have a massive impact on local communities and our high streets will now look rundown and blighted. Friar's Walk in Newport is a relatively new development and it was very welcomed at the time when it was first brought there by the Conservative-led Newport City Council. Since then, it's been diminishing—

Can you wind up, please?

—and now they've lost their jewel in the crown. I urge the Government to release plans on how they're going to work with Newport council to revive the city centre. Many thanks. 

Thank you very much for raising this issue, and it is a real concern to the Welsh Government—the loss of so many jobs and quite iconic landmark stores in some of our communities as well. Yes, the Welsh Government will work very closely with all of the local authorities affected. We'll also ensure that our support schemes, such as ReAct and so on, are in place for the affected workers. And, of course, we made this pledge to people, through the coronavirus, that we will seek to ensure that everybody has the support that they need to either retrain or to find a new job or to undertake self-employment, if that's something that they would wish to do. So, we need to ensure that those support packages are there for individuals, but also that our high streets, nonetheless, do have a healthy and vibrant future as we come out of the pandemic. The work we're doing through our town-centre loan scheme, for example, will be really important in that, and some of the allocations specifically in the budget for next year speak very much to ensuring that we have healthy high streets in the future. I think that there is a positive future for our high streets, but it certainly will require a great deal of work, both with Welsh Government but also with the partners that Laura Anne Jones has described.

May I ask for a statement on financial support for the National Eisteddfod of Wales, the National Library of Wales and Urdd Gobaith Cymru? They are all facing significant challenges and urgent action is needed within the next budget. Could I ask you, therefore, as finance Minister, to give serious consideration to the situation, given that one of your Government's main strategies, namely the creation of a million Welsh speakers, is at stake here? Missing another eisteddfod will have a far-reaching impact on the institution. They are going to have to halve their staffing team in order to survive the ensuing period. The Urdd is also facing a financial crisis and a loss of income of £14 million over the next two years, and the national library needs an additional £1 million to its bottom line. I have been drawing the attention of your Deputy Minister to the crisis at the national library since November, and I'm extremely disappointed that no support has been made available to this important institution. Your Government needs to move swiftly to provide support, and a statement on the situation would be of great assistance to us all.

Yes, I'm aware of the significant challenges facing all of those organisations. With regard to the library, for example, the budget reflects the Welsh Government settlement from the UK Government, of course, and must be viewed within the overall context, but our draft budget for the next financial year, which was announced on 21 December, does show that we've maintained the revenue for next year and that stays the same as 2020-21, and I think that in itself is an achievement, given all of the pressures and the ongoing pandemic and the desperate need for funding across all kinds of areas of Government. But we do very much recognise the particular challenges in maintaining the library's historic building, for example. So, we've provided an enhanced capital budget of £3.2 million for next year, and there's funding available as well to accelerate the decarbonisation and digital priorities of the library in order to ensure that it does have a strong future in those particular regards. I have had some further discussions and I'll continue to have further discussions with my colleague Eluned Morgan in respect of some of these particular concerns that have been described by Siân Gwenllian this afternoon.

I've been contacted by many parents who have children with additional learning needs but who have not been offered a placement in the local hubs. Now, Rhondda Cynon Taf council tell me that they are acting upon Welsh Government guidance, but if children with additional learning needs and, in some cases, statements as well, are adversely affected by home schooling, then surely the guidance has to change. A number of third sector organisations agree that the current guidance doesn't make it sufficiently clear that children with additional learning needs who are struggling at home should be considered as vulnerable for the purposes of accessing face-to-face learning, and the rules appear to be inconsistently applied in different places. So, can we therefore have a statement from the Government about how we can best protect the most vulnerable pupils, with more inclusive guidance during lockdown, before more harm is caused to pupils who would be better served by being able to attend their local hubs?

I'm very grateful to Leanne Wood for raising those concerns, and I will be sure to raise them on her behalf with both the education Minister and the Minister for local government to explore the particular point made about the clarity of the guidance and whether or not we need to issue some further clarification to local authorities in terms of aiding their interpretation of the guidance to ensure that the children who most need to be in those hubs have the opportunity to do so. So, I'll make a point of taking that forward today.

Thank you, Trefnydd.