2. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:41 pm on 13 July 2021.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Mike Hedges Mike Hedges Labour 2:41, 13 July 2021

I'm asking for two statements by the Government. The first one is on how health will be improved and how life expectancies will be increased by improving the overall health of people in Wales, as opposed to intervening when people are seriously ill and need hospitalisation. Take type 2 diabetes—the number of cases can be reduced by diet and exercise. We need to do more in prevention, instead of spending millions and millions of pounds, or hundreds of millions of pounds, on intervention when people actually get ill. 

The second statement I'm requesting is an anti-poverty strategy. I'm one of those who really was very unhappy that Communities First was ended. I thought it was a huge mistake made by the previous Government. But it's been made, so there's no going back. But I am asking for a Government strategy to reduce poverty, especially in some of the most disadvantaged communities, because we have an awful lot of very poor people in Wales, and we need to do something to try and support them.