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

Thank you. I've no changes to announce to this week's business. Draft business for the next three sitting weeks is set out on the business statement and announcement, which can be found amongst the meeting papers available to Members electronically.

Thank you for the business statement. Can I call for two Government statements, please—the first from the Minister for education on the availability or unavailability of examination certificates from the WJEC? I've been contacted by a constituent this week who's very eager to embark on a nursing degree, but has had to put it off twice because he is unable to access the copies of his examination certificates from the WJEC. They say that they're unable to issue them because of COVID and the pandemic, but it does seem to be an extraordinary thing that someone's had to postpone things now for two academic years as a result of the unavailability of these, so I'd be grateful if the Minister could make a statement on that.

Secondly, can I call for a statement on town centre heritage? I took note of the First Minister's comments earlier on, and, of course, we do need to make an effort to regenerate our town centres here in Wales, but that must not be at the expense of local heritage in our communities, and there are some fantastic examples of people in my own constituency in Colwyn Bay with the Imagine Colwyn Bay heritage app, which goes live this week, and in Ruthin with the Peers memorial refurbishment project, which is currently getting under way. The Peers memorial is the town clock in Ruthin, for those who've visited, on St Peter's square, very much a focal point of the town. But these sorts of projects need funding, they need support, in order to keep up the maintenance of these important aspects of our heritage. So, perhaps we can have a statement on these things and how we can complement our town-centre regeneration with heritage in the future.

Thank you. In relation to your first question around people not receiving certificates from the WJEC, I will certainly ask the Minister for education if he or any of his officials have had discussions around this issue, and, if there is anything positive he can come back with following those discussions, I will ask him to write to you.

I think you make a really important point around heritage in our town centres. I was really pleased—with my north Wales Minister's hat on—to visit the museum, which has been refurbished, in Llandudno last Thursday. And I think it is really important that our town centres do keep the amazing heritage that so many of them have.

Thank you, Trefnydd. You'll be aware of the huge growth in the number of cases of COVID in our schools. Over the last week, there have been 9,500 cases among young people under the age of 20—most of them in our schools. A year ago, there was clear guidance for schools in terms of face coverings, ventilation, social distancing, and so on. And indeed, independent SAGE scientists highly recommend that such measures should be reintroduced in our schools today. With children away from school, being ill, without digital learning, many are missing out on their education, and a number of teachers can't attend schools either, and schools are having difficulty in staging classes. Currently, the rules aren't clear to parents as to who should isolate and who should attend school if they are in a class with someone who's tested positive. The system is a mess. It's leading some to think whether the intention is to have herd immunity among children and pupils. Trefnydd, in light of this, will you ensure that the Ministers for education and health bring urgent statements to the Senedd, including clear guidance as to how COVID should be managed in our educational establishments, please?

Thank you. I disagree with the Member that the system is a mess. We obviously understand the concerns that have been raised in relation to issues around self-isolation and household contacts within our schools. Our priority is absolutely to ensure that as many young people are in education as possible, so that we don't have the issues that you referred to in relation to home learning. We're very clear what our current position is, and this has been fed back to all the schools. I did a school visit myself, in my own constituency, on Friday, and asked the headteacher there if he felt the current guidance was clear, and he answered, 'yes'.

I've been contacted by a constituent who lives with ME, a condition otherwise known as chronic fatigue syndrome, and she's concerned about the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence's decision to delay the publication of its new revised guidelines for the treatment of ME. And campaign groups for people living with ME believe this delay has been caused by a small number of professional bodies pushing back against changes in the revised guidance. I wrote to NICE, who responded that they are convening a round table next month, to try and reach a compromise position, but some of the campaign groups are not satisfied and believe that NICE are breaking its own protocols in delaying publication. So, could we have a statement from the Minister for Health and Social Services to provide an update on what, if anything, Welsh Government can do that's appropriate to bring pressure on NICE to publish its revised guidelines as soon as possible, for the benefit of people living with chronic fatigue syndrome?

And I'd also like to ask for a statement on people who are at risk of flooding. I've got constituents who live near a river that is causing erosion at the rear of their properties. We met with Natural Resources Wales at their properties. One resident would be expected to pay £36,000 just to prevent erosion. Natural Resources Wales say they've got no powers to issue any kind of funding for erosion issues. We feel that there's a group of residents who are stuck in the middle. They're not subject to immediate flooding, but must take action now to prevent it in future, but there's no funding available for them to support what would be otherwise unaffordable long-term flood risk prevention. So, please could we have a statement about those people who are stuck in the middle between immediate flooding now and possible flooding in the future?

Thank you. As a Government, we were very disappointed that the NICE guidance wasn't published. It's not a judgment on the content or the proposed treatment, it's simply around the manner in which the publication was then postponed. I know the health Minister's officials did contact NICE to raise Welsh Government's concerns, and try and determine what their next steps are going to be to overcome the issue. There is an independently chaired round-table discussion to be held with NICE and key stakeholders in October, and we certainly look forward to a consensus being reached, and I think that time would be the most appropriate time for the health Minister to make a statement, if she felt it the right direction to go.

In relation to your second question, I would advise you to write directly to the Minister for Climate Change, because it could be that she will be able to advise your constituents around any specific funding that might be available. 

Can I call for a debate in this Chamber on the issue of what can be done to provide safer travel for horse riders in Wales? Equine ownership in Wales is worth over £0.5 billion to the Welsh economy, and is a vital part of the health and well-being of many people. For horse owners, riding and exercising their horses is integral to their lives, and one that needs more protection put into place. Riding horses on the roads has become increasingly dangerous. The British Horse Society has reported, through their Dead Slow campaign, that there have been 1,010 instances involving horses this year; 46 horses have been killed; and 118 horses injured in the UK. Although the Welsh Government has proposed changes to the highway code, this does not change the fact that 80 per cent of instances occur because drivers travel too close to horses.

The debate will also be very timely, because, as some Members will be aware, on Sunday, 19 September, horse riders right across Wales staged a protest to call for active travel plans to include them. They argue that many bridleways have been downgraded to footpaths, which have taken away vital routes for horses and their riders, forcing them to use roads to travel upon. I would ask for this debate as an urgent matter. It would allow Members to present experiences of horse riders from across their regions and discuss proposals that could be put into place to help protect horses and riders. The debate should also discuss including horse riders in the Welsh Government's active travel plans. Thank you.

Thank you. I was aware of the campaign that took place on 19 September, and I know several colleagues attended events in their constituencies around the issue. As you say, currently, as a Government, we are looking at what we can do around the highway code, for instance, and other forms of active travel. So, I don't think a statement would be appropriate at this current time.

Trefnydd, everyone has a right to feel safe in public spaces, be that on public transport, as they walk along the street, or anywhere else. But, unfortunately, time and time again, we hear of cases of male violence against women in these spaces. We are all aware, of course, of what happened in London to Sabina Nessa, a 28-year-old teacher who was murdered whilst walking from her home at around 8.30 in the evening, a five-minute journey, to a local pub. 

Male violence against women is a problem here in Wales, as it is across the UK of course, and we must end it. We must prevent it, rather than managing it. Will the Government make a statement to update us on the work that's being done to strengthen the national strategy on violence against women, domestic violence and sexual violence, outlining the steps to safeguard women on public transport, in public spaces and online as part of that strategy? And can we have a timetable on the delivery of this? Thank you.

Diolch. The Minister for Social Justice will be making a statement this afternoon—a written statement. 

Alun Davies. Sorry, Alun, it wasn't that I was reluctant to call you, it was just that I couldn't find the name on my list. [Laughter.]

I'm sure it wasn't. Not this time, no. [Laughter.] Minister, I asked, last week, for a statement on civil contingencies. Since last week's business statement, of course, we've seen further chaos across Wales, and constituents have been telling me that people who work in the emergency services, people who work in the caring services, are unable to reach their places of work because of the problems in getting fuel. This has been an utter disaster and has been caused by—. We know there have been policy failures from the United Kingdom Government, but the failure to recognise, and to plan for Brexit, is, of course, at the heart of this. The Welsh Government's civil contingencies planning did plan for a number of different eventualities, including these matters, as part of 'no deal' Brexit planning. I would like to have a statement, if possible, about how the Welsh Government can help people across the country who are being faced by the chaos that they are facing at the moment.

I'd also like to ask for a statement on business support post furlough ending, and how we can support people in work, as we see support from the United Kingdom Government ending at the moment. There are a number of businesses that have approached me, in Blaenau Gwent, who are very concerned about their ability to maintain employment, and it is important that we are able to support and sustain businesses, as the United Kingdom Government walks away from their responsibilities and those businesses.

Thank you. I think you're certainly correct in the fact that the UK Government did not have that long-term planning that we should have had, and we have certainly seen chaotic scenes over the weekend. I think it's really important to say there is no shortage of fuel in the UK, and we continue to encourage people to buy fuel as they normally would. The civil contingencies part of Welsh Government are currently having discussions. I'm aware of meetings this morning, and I will certainly ask the Minister at the most appropriate time to come forward with a statement for Members.

I think we all recognise that, again, furlough finishing on Thursday is too soon. We would have preferred to see it continue, because clearly we are still in the midst of the COVID pandemic. Obviously, as a Government, we have limited funding and limited levers in relation to this. So, I know that the Minister for Economy continues to have discussions with the UK Government about what we can do to support our businesses.

Minister, a few weeks ago I asked for an investigation into how seven patients at Maesteg hospital died in a COVID outbreak last autumn that affected every patient in the hospital. I understand that patients transferred into Maesteg from other hospitals would have tested negative for COVID before admission. So, this means that someone coming into the hospital from a care home or from the community might have brought it in. Why were they not tested? By last autumn, the dangers of sending people into closed environments like care homes or hospitals were well known, so testing should have been done. I would like a statement by the health Minister setting out how infection control is now being managed so that we avoid such disastrous consequences going forward. Thank you very much.

Well, the Minister for Health and Social Services will be giving an oral statement every three weeks in the Chamber around the COVID-19 pandemic, and it might be the most appropriate time for you to question her then.

Could I ask for a statement on the learner transport review, please, Trefnydd? According to the Welsh Government's own website, it was indicated that the review was due to be published in March of this year. However, colleagues in local government have told me that they have been advised that the review is delayed and will be delivered within the life of this Government. Meanwhile, in my region, specifically in the Llynfi valley, in Caerau, a community that has consistently ranked highly in the index of deprivation, and often in the top five in Wales, there are pupils who face a walk of 45 minutes to an hour to get to school, and scenarios like this are being repeated elsewhere in Swansea and Port Talbot. Does the Welsh Government believe that removing school transport for some of the most disadvantaged communities in Wales is the right way forward?

Thank you. Well, the review to which you referred, as you said, we were expecting to have it at the beginning of this year. I think we got it around March, and obviously in the previous administration, we then ran out of time. And I think what that initial review did conclude was that there were very complex—. We had very in-depth discussions with stakeholders, and engagement with them, obviously, and I think what came out was that there were a lot of complex needs, obviously, for people who need that home-to-school transport. And it wasn't just the Measure that needed reviewing, but I think the whole scope of the legislation. So, this is something obviously this Government will be taking forward, and you referred to it in your opening remarks.

Last week, we learned that, as a result of the disastrous decision not to proceed with the electrification of the main railway line up to Swansea, we now have more pollution on these bi-mode trains that were foisted upon us than they have on the worst polluted streets in central London. This is a really serious issue for my constituents, as Cardiff Central Station is where the electrification grinds to a halt, so they are the biggest victims of this belching diesel pollution. And on top of that, this week, we learned that the decision made by the UK Government back in 2017—. We were given the sop that they were going to produce improvements to the railway lines in other ways, but they haven't even completed the outline business case, and that's nearly five years later. How are we going to be able to go ahead with the excellent recommendations of the Burns commission for the south-east Wales metro if we don't have any idea what the UK Government is proposing? So, I wondered if we could have a statement on how this dithering UK Government is affecting our plans for the south-east Wales metro, given that the spine of the whole business is the way we use the relief lines between Newport and Cardiff, and beyond.

Thank you. I absolutely share your dismay to see that those levels of onboard nitrogen dioxide were the highest on GWR. I think it's absolutely a direct consequence of the UK Government stopping electrification short of Cardiff, rather than electrifying the whole line. I was looking at some figures around electrification, and if there's any other example that the UK Government absolutely let Wales down: England, 41 per cent of the track's electrified; Scotland, 25 per cent of the track is electrified; and Wales, only 2 per cent of the track is currently electrified.

So, the Welsh Government's really doing its bit on our infrastructure, but we really need the UK Government to step up and complete electrification between Cardiff and Swansea as a starting point, and then commit to a rolling programme of electrification across Wales, and that includes the north Wales coastline, so that we can have those electric services. I think the best way, really, would be for them to devolve rail infrastructure to us, but, of course, with a fair funding settlement so that we can prioritise and deliver the decarbonisation of our rail services in Wales.

As climate change spokesperson, I am a passionate supporter of the renewable energy sector. Indeed, my constituency is home to many offshore easily visible wind turbines—one of the largest—so I'm looking for a statement from the Minister for Climate Change and energy regarding Awel y Môr offshore wind farm. This proposal will see 91 new massive turbines off the coast if permissions are granted. These turbines are planned for 10.6 kilometres off the coast of Llandudno, with a height of 332m to their tip; that's the size of the Eiffel Tower. These plans are currently going ahead with very little participation of stakeholders, so could I request a statement on the following: whether Awel y Môr has already been given pre-consent by this Welsh Government, as it is suggested? What measures are in place to protect biodiversity, especially given concerns about the negative marine impacts of the previous, existing Gwynt y Môr scheme in terms of species decline, with bird and marine life disturbance? What protections might the Welsh Government consider for seaside communities where the main tourist attraction is the coastal horizon, so that we can help to protect our valued tourism industry? And also, just how can our residents have absolute confidence in a planning process that apparently currently appears to pay more lip service than hold meaningful and accessible consultation events for those wanting to contribute their thoughts. Diolch.

I'm very pleased you clarified you're in support of renewable energy, because certainly the rest of your question didn't give me the impression at all that you were. Clearly, renewable energy is part of our solution in mitigating climate change, which I do think you share our ambition around.

I'm not going to ask the Minister to do a specific statement about the project that you refer to, because I don't think that would be appropriate, but, obviously, at certain times during Government business, we do update Members in relation to our plans for renewable energy. And you're quite right—north Wales is absolutely a prime spot, and certainly, when I was the energy Minister, we had many, many developers and companies who wanted to come and capture the great potential that there is in north Wales.

Could I ask for two statements? One of them is actually echoing the point made earlier on—it would be great to get a statement on the timing of the outcome of the extended consultation on school transport. It's been extended to look at this issue over the free travel aspects and the distance. Bridgend traditionally provided more generous than most local authorities in Wales transport in Wales, but it had a decade of austerity funding. I noticed that, when this was debated in the council chamber, no alternative was put forward by any politician in the chamber to actually move into the statutory minimum. However, I'm looking forward with high expectation to the outcome of the Welsh Government consultation to see whether it puts forward any new proposals in Wales. I know my constituents are looking forward to that as well.

Secondly, could we have a statement on the issue of HGV class 1 testing and training? I've got constituents who are ready to actually go through, to leap through, that final hoop to drive articulated lorries, but the cost can be up to and in excess of £2,000, plus the test fee on top of that as well. I wonder whether there is UK Government support or Welsh Government support, or whether there are companies in Wales that can be spoken to by Welsh Government, as I know there are in England, who will actually sponsor candidates now to go through this to fill in some of that backlog in the absence of hauliers that we currently have. 

Thank you. You will have heard my answer to Luke Fletcher around the review of the learner transport Measure, and I mentioned that we need to look at the wider issues that that review threw up at the end of the previous term of government, and whether we need to have a look at the scope of the legislation more widely to ensure we do have those effective services. 

In relation to support for HGV drivers to be trained to a class 1 level, there is the ReAct programme, which you will be very aware of, and certainly there is grant of up to £1,500 available that will cover all aspects of training, testing and licensing. So, there's that funding, which has been available now for about six years, I think. Also, Jobcentre Plus is running a pilot programme across the UK, and that does include Flintshire and south-west Wales, in collaboration with local authorities and local transport companies. That answers the second part of your question around working with, particularly, unemployed people who are looking to be HGV drivers. 

I would like to call for an urgent Welsh Government statement on GP services in Wales. Although the COVID pandemic has shone a light on these, warnings to the Welsh Government of a GP crisis in Wales long predate this. In 2012, both BMA Cymru and the Royal College of General Practitioners relaunched campaigns warning that Wales faced a GP crisis, that 90 per cent of patient contacts were with general practice and yet funding as a share of the NHS cake had fallen, and that they had relaunched their campaigns because the Welsh Government didn't listen.

At a 2014 BMA Cymru briefing in the Assembly, the chair of the north Wales local medical committee said general practice in north Wales was in crisis, several practices had been unable to fill vacancies, and many GPs were seriously considering retirement because of the currently expanding workload. Jump forward and, last Thursday, the north Wales community health council said that people were facing a crisis of access to GPs. The chair of the Welsh GPs committee at the BMA, representing doctors, said problems were developing before COVID, with more GPs being lost to early retirement. I call for an urgent statement accordingly.

I really wish Members would perhaps be a little bit more measured when they use the word 'crisis'. Whilst of course we have seen our GPs asked to so much more work, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic—and we're extremely grateful for the amazing roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccine programme—as you will have heard the First Minister say, we're now asking them to do the winter flu vaccination programme, and we're asking them to do the COVID booster vaccination programme, too. So, our GPs are absolutely out there working with our populations and patients to ensure they have that protection.

Of course we see GPs retiring, just like we do in any other sector across Wales, and it is really important that there is that planning, which perhaps we haven't seen as much of in the health service. But, of course, GPs are self-employed, and I know from my own discussions, working with GPs, it is really important that they have that planning within their own practice to make sure that there isn't that gap.

It's also really important that we continue to work very hard with our health boards, because they are responsible for ensuring that their populations have access to GP services. 

And finally, Jayne Bryant.

Diolch, Llywydd. Trefnydd, children's hospices in Wales provide an absolutely invaluable service to the children they care for and their families. The vast majority of the funding that children's hospices rely on comes through donations. In the spring, the Welsh Government gave encouraging news that they were working with the end-of-life care board to review funding for hospices. Please can we have an update on the progress of that review, and how children's hospices in particular, and the children with life-limiting conditions themselves, will be considered within it?

Thank you. Yes, that review is due to be completed by the end of next month, i.e. October 2021. I know that recommendations will be coming forward to the health Minister, and I will certainly ask her to update Members when that review is complete. 

Thank you, Trefnydd.