The next item is the business statement and announcement, and I call on the Trefnydd to make that statement. Lesley Griffiths.

Diolch, Llywydd. I've added three statements to today's agenda. The Minister for Health and Social Services will deliver a statement update on coronavirus, the Minister for Social Justice will deliver a statement on EU settled status, and finally, the Deputy Minister for Social Services will deliver a statement on the respite and short breaks fund for unpaid carers. 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.

Business Minister, I'd like to ask for a statement from the Deputy Minister for sport. I'm not sure if you're aware of the seismic change that's happening in women's football in Wales at present, but it is clear from cross-party discussions that I've had with other Members across the Senedd that everybody here has the main sole aim of improving women's football here in Wales and making sure it's both competitive and that it succeeds. I praise the Football Association of Wales for recognising the need for investment and reforming our women's game here in Wales as there is a dire need for investment in our clubs, and we do need to be more competitive in the UK and on a global stage. However, my praise there ends, business Minister, as the administrative relegation process that has been used to try and achieve this aim is both questionable and unfair.

Teams across my region have been left disheartened and baffled by recent FAW announcements of which Welsh clubs are to be relegated. There seems to be not only a lack of transparency in the process itself on how the FAW reached the conclusions of who is to be relegated, which raises many questions in itself, but also an equally bewildering lack of weight given to the sporting merit, the performance on the pitch. The prime example has to be Abergavenny Women, who in my region of South Wales East have achieved fourth in the league, are highly competitive, and are doing very well against bigger clubs in the area. Yet they have now been relegated, not because of their abilities on the pitch, because they've achieved fourth in the league, but perhaps a lack of support from the FAW in just filling out forms. Restructure and investment are needed in the women's game here in Wales, but not in this way. As the FAW, through the sports council for Wales, receives significant moneys from the Welsh Government, it is therefore right that the Deputy Minister now intervenes, and I, alongside many people across this Chamber, will now ask that she asks for clarity from the FAW and that they relook at this process, particularly in this transitional year. 

All credit to Dawn Bowden, the new Deputy Minister for sport, she has already asked for a briefing on this, but it is now right, Business Minister, that she now makes a statement on the process and future of this seismic change in women's sport here in Wales, and how the process, agreed cross-party, has fallen short, falling far short of the standards required of a Government body. Thank you.

My answer will be a lot shorter than the question, I can assure you, Llywydd. 

I do understand that the FAW's restructure of the women's domestic game has resulted in a number of changes, including a smaller league for the next season. It is a matter for the FAW, as the national governing body for football here in Wales, but you are quite right—Dawn Bowden, the Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, has asked her officials to meet with the FAW and to provide her with further information, and I will ask her to make a statement to the Chamber following that further information. 

Good afternoon. If you came through Dwyfor Meirionnydd, you would have seen, unfortunately, a number of public buildings that have closed and are sitting empty, be they chapels or pubs and so on. Can we have a statement about what additional support you can provide to ensure that communities can take ownership of those public resources to develop community plans and schemes that will strengthen the circular economy and ensure that events such as happened in Pistyll, as that community lost Bethania, will not happen again in future?

Diolch, Mabon ap Gwynfor, for that question. You will be aware that we do have the community facilities programme available. That has been our main scheme for many years now, and it's been very good to see the number of public buildings coming back into ownership, communities taking over the running of those buildings. I understand the next round of funding will be available in the very near future. 

Minister, while we await the long-awaited devolution of policing to Wales, could I ask for one statement? And it's on the current approach that we have in Wales to engagement with the public, neighbourhood organisations and elected representatives on the matter of police and community safety. I have some worries that the original framework of PACT meetings—Police and Communities Together—which, even though not perfect and highly variable from place to place, did allow for regular, systematic, outward-facing engagement with the public and setting of policing and community safety priorities—. I'm worried that it's been gradually eroded over time. It may, in fact, need a full reboot, and I've written today to the police commissioner and chief constable in my own area, and my two local authority leaders, for their response on this matter as well. 

So, could we have a Welsh Government statement on this, which could include an assessment of the state of public engagement on policing and community safety, and that very important community priority setting in Wales on neighbourhood and community safety? It could also deal with the matters of whether we have underreporting of crimes and anti-social behaviour at present, as well as the effective deployment of police and community support officers and reporting of local crime and nuisance statistics too. So, that's my one request, and I think it's a reasonable one, because our devolved powers definitely stretch to this area even though we don't have policing devolved yet.

Thank you. And, as you say, tackling crime and anti-social behaviour are not directly devolved matters, but, of course, many of the drivers that do impact on community safety are, and we do everything we can to make the people of Wales feel safe. We've protected the investment in additional Welsh Government-funded PCSOs for the 2021-22 financial year; we've got a budget of £18.5 million. And of course, as Huw's aware, we committed in our manifesto to funding a further 100 PCSOs in this next term of Government. We have a very strong relationship with the four Welsh police forces, and we've got regular engagement with the lead police and crime commissioner on matters that do affect policing and community safety. You'll also be aware we have the policing and partnerships in Wales board. That's chaired by either the First Minister or the Minister for Social Justice, and that does provide an opportunity to develop shared strategic priorities to ensure that Welsh communities are safe, strong and resilient.

First Minister—. I do apologise. Residents in Chepstow continue to be concerned about the unacceptable levels of traffic congestion and pollution. This problem has been made worse by householding in the neighbouring Forest of Dean, which has exacerbated rush-hour traffic. An initial engineering report into constructing a bypass has taken place, and for this to progress a second report is required, detailing all options, estimating costs, and consulting with the public. The cost of construction will need to be shared between the Welsh Government, UK Government, Monmouthshire and Gloucestershire county councils. Will you commit to working with the other stakeholders to deliver the bypass that Chepstow so badly needs?

Thank you. I'm sure the Minister for Climate Change, who will have responsibility for this policy area, will continue to have discussions with the UK Government, local authorities, and any other partners.

As we enter a summer of football, I'd ask for a statement on the importance of the game at a grass-roots level. And I would add my voice in asking for the Government's stance on the recent restructuring of women's football in Wales. Two teams in my region—Abergavenny WFC and Cascade Ladies—have been relegated from the Welsh premier women's league. The knock-on effect of the restructuring will also see Coed Duon Women drop to the third tier. Now, these are proud and successful teams—they're part of the community—and the decision has been heartbreaking for players, coaches and supporters. I realise that the reason for the restructuring is meant to be about strengthening the domestic game in Wales, but I've had constituents contact me to question the process, to ask why sporting merit, as has been raised, played such a small part in the scoring system, because surely how teams perform on the pitch should be crucial to a decision like this. And questions have also been raised about whether clubs' finances and whether they happen to have access to good infrastructure counted for more than what they've achieved. Moreover, each club's scores haven't been published, which raises questions about transparency. Now, Trefnydd, I realise that these are questions for the FAW, but this decision will have a significant impact on women's participation in football in these areas. This is something that the Government has to have a stance on. So, could we please have a statement recognising the important role of women's football and grass-roots sports? And can the Government also say whether they would support an independent review of the restructuring process?

Thank you. I hope you heard my answer to Laura Jones at the start of my questions today. And I have committed the Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport to bring forward a statement after she has received further information from her officials. You're quite right—you only have to look on social media to see how much upset and distress this has caused.

Can you guess what I'm going to ask about? [Laughter.] I think the FAW's ineptitude has actually done the service in this Chamber of bringing together the Conservatives, Plaid Cymru and the Labour Party, because we are absolutely united on this. And Delyth Jewell, Laura Jones, Peter Fox and myself and others—and Dave Rees also, for Briton Ferry—have had these conversations. We are deeply concerned. Cascade Ladies YC—it's my hometown, it was where I was born, where I was brought up. We've got grave concerns about the effect that this will have on grass-roots football in South Wales East, which will have no representation in the women's premier league. At the very least, given the investment the Welsh Government has put into grass-roots sport, we deserve transparency, and that is what we are jointly calling for—Delyth, Laura, myself and others are calling for that transparency. And I think the Welsh Government is entirely entitled to ask for the Welsh FA to explain their thinking and reconsider.

Thank you. I don't think I can really add anything further, but I absolutely understand why so many Members have been keen to raise this and to seek a statement from Welsh Government. I also—. Perhaps I could add that I would encourage clubs themselves to ensure that their concerns are raised with the FAW, because I think it's really important the FAW understand the way people feel about this, and, as you say, it has brought a consensus across the Chamber. 

I call for a Welsh Government statement on support for wedding venues in Wales. When I questioned the First Minister about wedding receptions two weeks ago, contrasting the UK Government provision in England with ongoing Welsh Government restrictions, the First Minister replied, 

'I have huge sympathy for those many families who have arranged and rearranged wedding receptions.... But I make no apologies at all'.

However, the struggling owner of one wedding venue in Flintshire e-mailed that 'new grants are so low they're offering me approximately £7,000 top line to cover the end of March to date. I understand the risks with COVID, but we either need a realistic grant offer or to open up fully, as, at this rate, it's only a matter of time before we'll have to close.' And the general manager of a wedding venue near Llangollen e-mailed yesterday, 'Last week, Mr Drakeford's comments during the update have had a catastrophic result on weddings due to take place this summer. They—Welsh Government—have told us that we won't receive any further news until the next review on 21 June. Wedding venues, suppliers and couples just cannot wait that long. Welsh businesses will suffer. We've all experienced bookings cancelling and moving their bookings to England for weddings in late July and August. It's just another devastating blow. Is there anything you could do, or anyone you can speak to to help us?' Well, that's what I'm doing, and I call for an urgent statement from the Welsh Government accordingly. 

Thank you. Obviously, the First Minister made an announcement last Friday on the latest review of COVID regulations, and the next review will be on 25 June, as Mark Isherwood referred to. The First Minister has said that, as we obviously open up more sectors and more parts of society, we will need to look at what other parts of the sectors are closed and whether we need to do specific funding for them, because we still have some funding available, and obviously wedding venues is an area that we can certainly look at. Obviously, there was an announcement on Friday about the number of people who can go to a wedding inside and outside, and that has to be risk assessed. So, if you have an organisation that's organising the wedding for you then obviously they can undertake that risk assessment. But this is something that the Cabinet is keeping under review. 

Trefnydd, you'll be aware that, as we've heard today, the plans for the Swansea bay and west Wales metro have recently been out for consultation, and today being the deadline for the receipt of comments. Plaid Cymru has long argued for a metro in South Wales West, of course, but we believe that the metro must include rail and light rail services to our Valleys communities and cannot just be centred on Swansea and other major towns. I believe that we must give serious consideration to the potential reintroduction of passenger rail or light rail services into the whole of the Swansea and Amman valleys. There are also gaps in terms of transport options into other valleys, such as the Dulais, Neath and Afan valleys. Can you ensure that the relevant Minister updates the Senedd on its policy and plans to ensure the linking of these Valleys communities to towns and cities in south-west Wales? And what commitment can you give that this will form part of the Welsh Government's agenda over the next five years? Diolch. 

Diolch. You may have heard the First Minister say that the Minister for Climate Change, who will be the Minister with responsibility for this area, will obviously make a statement following the consultation. Usually the first process, after a consultation of this kind, is to publish the responses, and I am sure the Minister for Climate Change will do that. 

Can I call on the economy Minister to make a statement on the financial support that the Welsh Government is making available to organisers of music festivals, agricultural shows and other outdoor events due to the impact that the 2m social distancing rule has on capacity? Many events are facing a second summer of disruption, and some have already made the difficult decision, once again, to cancel this year. The Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society, who run the second largest agricultural show in Wales, have taken the tough decision last year to make their staff redundant to safeguard the future of their show, and are currently running their operations through volunteers. Events such as this are key to the local rural economies and we must ensure that they have the support needed to restart when the pandemic allows. 

Thank you. Again, you will have heard the announcement the First Minister made last Friday in relation to outdoor events, and this is certainly one of the sectors that we have supported over the last 15 months. In relation to agricultural shows, obviously that sits within my portfolio, and so I'm very well aware of the decisions taken by the Pembrokeshire society. Again, I commissioned a piece of work to look at how we do fund the agricultural shows—this was ahead of the pandemic, but clearly that has had an impact. But we hope, certainly next year, that those shows will be able to be held. 

Thank you, Trefnydd. 

We will now suspend proceedings briefly to allow some changeovers in the Siambr. 

Plenary was suspended at 14:45.

The Senedd reconvened at 14:56, with the Llywydd in the Chair.