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

Diolch, Llywydd. I have no changes 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. 

Diolch, Trefnydd, for your statement. Can I call for a statement on updates to the NHS COVID pass system, please? I've been contacted by a number of constituents in recent weeks, and I'm sure other Members across this Chamber have too, who had third jabs, as opposed to booster jabs, for the extremely vulnerable earlier than the booster jab campaign started, and, as a result of that, they're unable to access evidence of those third jabs on the NHS COVID pass system. That is causing them problems, especially when they want to undertake international travel. I think it is important that that system is updated as soon as possible, and it would be welcome if we were able to get a statement from the Minister for Health and Social Services to confirm that that will be the case. 

So, we are waiting for the UK Government to decide on a change in the definition of fully vaccinated, and once that decision is made, it will enable us to make the digital changes necessary to allow boosters to show on the domestic COVID pass. Unfortunately, that date has been moved a few times. 

You mentioned specifically international travel, and, again, the UK Government is due to consider if the definition of fully vaccinated for inbound international travel should include boosters, and whether there should be a time limit on primary courses, and we're expecting that decision the week beginning 7 February. 

Trefnydd, I'd like to ask for two statements please. Firstly, as you'll be aware, in September 2021, the World Health Organization updated the global air quality guidelines for the first time in 16 years. Could we please have a statement from the Minister for Climate Change, outlining the Welsh Government's response to the new guidelines and how they will be incorporated into legislation here in Wales?

Secondly, can I request a statement from the Minister for health regarding updating COVID guidance for visiting in hospitals? A constituent of mine contacted me from her hospital bed. She recently gave birth to her premature daughter and her husband is only allowed to visit for two hours a day. Not only is she unable to be supported during a traumatic time, but also her husband is missing out on seeing his daughter. She asked me, 'Why is it fair that I can go to a rugby game with thousands of people soon for the six nations but I can't have my husband with me in hospital?' Different hospitals have different policies. Can we have updated guidance please to secure clarity and consistency for these parents?

Thank you. I will ask the Minister for Climate Change to update Members around the World Health Organization air quality new guidance, because, as you're aware, we are looking at an air quality Bill and how it fits in with that. 

In relation to your second point, I think you've just described another harm of COVID-19—we can only imagine, as a new mum, how difficult it is—but, as you say, it is a matter for each hospital and each health board to look at how they wish visiting to take place. 

I would like to ask for two statements from the health Minister. The first one is regarding non-resuscitation in hospitals. I've been told by the COVID bereaved relatives group that non-resuscitation has been used without any discussion with relatives. Whatever your view on voluntary euthanasia, involuntary euthanasia must be a cause for concern. Can I ask the Minister for a statement on the use of do-not-resuscitate in hospitals and the safeguards that should exist?

The second statement I'm requesting is one that outlines the progress made to eliminating hepatitis C by 2030. Can the Minister in the statement indicate the number of patients that need to be treated each year, and how many were being treated each year pre-pandemic?

Thank you. Irrespective of whether a person does or does not have capacity, it remains absolutely essential that decisions relating to end-of-life care are made on an individual basis. It's unacceptable for advanced care plans, with or without do-not-attempt-resuscitation form completion, to be applied to groups of people of any description, and these decisions must continue to be made on an individual basis according to need. I know, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, both the chief medical officer and the chief nursing officer wrote to all health boards jointly to ensure that there was clarity around ethical decision making for people, and I believe a further joint letter reiterating this position was issued in March of last year. So, I will ask the Minister to consider whether a further letter is necessary.FootnoteLink 

In relation to hepatitis C, I think there is a need, and I'm sure the Minister for Health and Social Services would agree, to invigorate the drive to eliminate hepatitis C in Wales. You'll be aware of the unprecedented response to tackling the pandemic and, of course, there has been a shift in resources, but I know the Minister has been working very closely with health boards right across Wales to look at recovery plans, and there was a national workshop held last Ocotber where a range of work streams were under way, looking at how we can prioritise our next steps. I was reading about hepatitis C in Wales, and we were the first country in the UK to achieve elimination in a remand prison, and that's Her Majesty's Prison Swansea, and I know we're looking at a roll-out in HP Berwyn in my own constituency, because we really do want to eliminate hepatitis C in our prisons. 

Information further to Plenary

Good afternoon, Trefnydd. I'd like to ask for an urgent Welsh Government statement regarding the upgrade of railway stock and the modernisation of trains in Wales. As we've already heard today, many people across Wales are trying to look at moving to using more public transport, supporting our environment and cutting carbon emissions. Of course, this is a significant part of the Welsh Government's programme for government. Nevertheless, it's clear to me, and from correspondence I receive from my residents, that the quality of rail stock and the age of trains in Wales doesn't always allow for this to be an easy choice. For example, on my way down to Cardiff here yesterday, the train noise on my four-hour journey from Rhyl, which has around 0.5 million passenger entries and exits a year, reached over 75 decibels, which is above the World Health Organization recommended levels for manufacturing workshops, and that was on a four-hour train journey. I'd be grateful if the Minister would provide a statement regarding this upgrade of train stock and the modernisation of trains in Wales. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Transport for Wales are working very hard on our programme for government commitment to deliver £800 million-worth of new rolling stock for our railways and to ensure that 95 per cent of train journeys are on new trains by 2024. And the first of these brand-new trains are already on test across north Wales—you may indeed have been on one—prior to their introduction into passenger service later this year. I did see your tweet, actually, about your journey down from north Wales, and, unfortunately, Transport for Wales did have to use alternative, lower quality stock on the 11.33 a.m. departure from Holyhead yesterday. So, unfortunately, the planned locomotive and carriage stock that they should have used was not available on this occasion.

Minister, I'd like to call for two urgent statements, please, the first on access to NHS dentistry. We've known for some time that there's been something of a crisis in accessing NHS dentistry in communities across the country. But in Ebbw Vale at the moment, there's a real emergency, where NHS dentistry has been withdrawn, there's no access for children, for pensioners, to an NHS dentist, and there are many people contacting me today who really don't know where to turn. The health boards, we know, have a responsibility to deliver dentistry services, and I'd like to have a statement from the Welsh Government on what the Welsh Government is going to do to ensure that health boards deliver on that duty.

The second statement I'd like to ask for is a very urgent statement. We've spoken time and time again in this Chamber about how, during the pandemic, the Welsh Government has sourced personal protective equipment from Wales, from social enterprises across the country—in my constituency, in sir Fôn as well. And those people, who worked so hard, face losing their jobs, potentially even this week, because we are no longer ensuring that those contracts are awarded to social enterprises in Wales, maintaining work and employment in Wales and ensuring that some of the people who are furthest from the labour force have an opportunity to work for delivering for our NHS. It's an absolute emergency for those people, Minister, and I'd like to have a very urgent statement, this week—a written statement if you're not able to produce an oral statement tomorrow—to demonstrate that the Welsh Government is going to take action to ensure the continuity of employment for all of those people.

Thank you. In relation to your second query, the Minister for Finance and Local Government recently made a statement on procurement, and I'm aware that you raised this specific issue during that statement and that you've also been in contact with the Minister for Economy's office. I'll ensure that you're updated on the matter, and I'll ask the Minister for finance and Local Government if there is any further update.

In response to your question around dentistry, you'll be aware that the Minister for Health and Social Services has put significant funding into dentistry—some additional funding—and that she's meeting monthly with health boards to see how we can improve access to NHS dentistry across Wales. The health boards will be able to invest that funding to address those local needs and issues.

Trefnydd, could I request a statement from the Minister for health on the national roster review currently being carried out by the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust? Specifically, I would like an update from the Welsh Government on what discussions officials have had with the ambulance NHS trust on potential plans to downgrade the ambulance stations in both Monmouth and Chepstow. This change has understandably caused concern within my constituency, as it may leave Monmouth and Chepstow with just one ambulance vehicle each. When each vehicle is out on call, this means potentially that there will be no ambulances to respond to a red call from either of these two stations. There is already great concern about the horrendous waiting times for ambulances in the area at the moment, and this threat to the service would make things worse.

Furthermore, it's my understanding that the plans to replace two what are rough old portakabins at the rear of the old ambulance station in Monmouth with a new building have also been shelved, and that doesn't bode well for the future of the service for many people looking in. I welcome that the chief executive of the Welsh ambulance trust has agreed to meet with me and the leader of Monmouthsire council abut the roster review and the trust's attempt to ensure that their resources are best placed geographically. However, I would be grateful, Trefnydd, if your Cabinet colleagues could look into this issue to help provide confidence to my constituents that an adequate ambulance service will still be available to them in the future and that staff will have access to the modern facilities that they need. Thank you. 

Well, I think you've done the right thing in asking for a meeting with the chief executive of the Wales ambulance services trust, who will be able to answer your specific questions. I am aware of the review that's currently being undertaken, and I am sure the Minister will await the outcome of that review before making a statement. 

Good afternoon, Trefnydd. I wonder if I could ask for two statements, please, the first from the Minister for education on the decision of the UK Government to bring forward regulations to freeze the student loan repayment threshold. This will result in a real-terms increase in repayments for graduates on plan 2 student loans. I think it's important that we have clarity about the impact of that decision on graduates and student finance here in Wales.

The second statement I want is from the Deputy Minister for Climate Change on the decision—very worrying—to grant a licence for the extension of Aberpergwm coal mine, which is a huge backward step in our efforts to tackle the climate crisis. Could the Senedd, please, receive a statement about the decision to grant an extension, whether there is any further clarity about where power lies to intervene in this matter, whether the Government would consider a moratorium on all new coal mining in Wales, and what steps the Welsh Government is taking to acquire any powers it believes it does not have to prevent such applications in future? Diolch. 

Diolch. Regarding student loan repayment thresholds, you will probably be aware that Welsh Government officials do work with UK Government officials to look at the threshold in the repayments regulations, and UK Government do not need the agreement of Welsh Ministers to amend the repayment threshold, but they cannot impose that change on Wales. So, the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language will be looking at options in the coming weeks, and if there obviously is anything that he wishes to update Members on, I'm sure he will provide either a letter or a written statement. 

Regarding the Aberpergwm mining licence, we've been very clear that we do not support the extraction of fossil fuels, and we're very much focused on the climate emergency. As the original licence here was issued before licensing powers were devolved to the Welsh Government, Welsh Ministers are not able to intervene in the licensing process and unfortunately, then, appropriately apply our Welsh policy. So, the Coal Authority did inform us on 11 October it is considering whether conditions attached to an existing licence for the mine have been discharged, and then, on 26 January, the Coal Authority updated its website confirming the application to decondition the licence had been approved. 

Let me begin by echoing the calls from Alun Davies today on the need for a statement on NHS dentistry. It's been an ongoing issue for some time, and we do need to understand how Welsh Government will work with the dentistry sector to increase accessibility for our constituents.

But, on a separate issue, it's clear from questions today that I'm not alone in having received many enquiries in respect of the challenges facing immunosuppressed people with boosters and third jabs for the COVID pass for international travel. Now, I've raised this with Welsh Ministers, and I thank them for some clarification, not least that, in relation to the issue of third primary doses for people who are immunosuppressed not showing up on the COVID pass for international travel, this relates to an issue with the way NHS England has been recording the third dose on the system. Now, I know that Welsh Government has been pressing for this to be resolved, with the health Minister, with the Secretary of State for health, and officials behind the scene doing their part, but could you clarify, Trefnydd, when we are likely to hear more on the resolution of this for our constituents, and could we then have a statement immediately when we hear of progress, to see that the matters have been resolved by the UK Government?

Thank you. You will have heard my answer to Darren Millar. The third primary dose for people who are immunosuppressed has not been showing up on the COVID pass for outbound international travel because of an issue, as you say, with the way NHS England has been recording the third dose on the system. You're quite right that the Minister for Health and Social Services repeatedly pressed the Secretary of State for health around this issue and officials have been working very closely with the UK Government officials on this. So, we are continuing to work to push for these issues to be resolved as quickly as possible to enable third doses of the vaccine to be visible on the digital COVID pass, so people who are immunosuppressed can then use the COVID pass for international travel. So, as soon as that is accomplished—and you will have heard me say to Darren Millar that we hope later this month that will happen—the Minister for Health and Social Services will provide a written statement.

I would yet again like to endorse a request from Alun Davies MS and Huw Irranca-Davies for a statement on the lack of provision of dental services. Certainly, in my consistency of Aberconwy it's a big issue and I'm currently meeting with GPs and they're feeling the strain of people requesting appointments when they're in agonising pain. So, really, it's something that—. It's an urgent statement that is required from the Minister.

I also believe there's another statement overdue, and that's from the Minister for Climate Change on dangerous cladding removal in Wales. We have so many high-rise residential buildings. Here in Cardiff, Celestia Action Group, owners of Redrow properties in Cardiff Bay, are fighting to get their developer to put right such serious building defects. They undertook a protest outside the Senedd over the weekend and they spoke out last week at the lack of action by the Welsh Labour Government following the positive development that we've seen in England. Just two weeks ago, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, the Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, wrote to the residential property developer industry asking for clear commitments from developers, including that they agree to make financial contributions this year and in subsequent years to a dedicated fund to cover the full outstanding cost to remediate unsafe cladding on 11m to 18m-high buildings, and also he's asked them to fund and undertake all necessary remediation of buildings over 11m in which they have played a role in developing.

I actually agree with the Secretary of State that it is neither fair nor decent that innocent leaseholders, many of whom have worked hard and made sacrifices to get a foot on the housing ladder, should be landed with bills they simply cannot afford to fix problems they did not cause. So, could you please obtain an urgent statement from the Minister for Climate Change, making a statement to this Senedd clarifying whether she is going to take the same bold action as Michael Gove and actually make sure that Wales is not failing and will stay hanging behind on this issue? [Interruption.] It's too important an issue. And the heckling is actually, quite frankly, disgusting.

I think you do need to come to an end now, thank you.

Yes. It's such an important issue—

No, no, you've come to an end now.

Diolch, Llywydd.

Croeso. Minister.

We have made significant strides to improve building safety in Wales following, obviously, the fire at Grenfell Tower, and that includes: we've removed unsafe ACM cladding from the majority of high-rise buildings in Wales at no cost to leaseholders, and the last remaining buildings now have work under way, so that's all the buildings; amendments to building regulations banning the use of combustible materials on the exterior of high-rise residential buildings, hospitals and care homes; and we've also made amendments under the Fire Safety Act 2021, which brought the external envelope of buildings within the remit of responsible persons.

In September, the Minister for Climate Change launched phase one of the Welsh building safety fund, which provides funding for fire safety surveys and the creation of building passports. That essential first phase really takes a holistic approach that goes beyond just cladding and will identify what measures and actions are required for multiresidential buildings, to make them as safe as possible. We've also provided £375 million over the next three years to support the remediation of building safety issues in multi-occupied residential buildings that have got existing defects, and just a couple of months ago, in December, the Minister for Climate Change announced the development of the leasehold support scheme, which is intended to support leaseholders who are experiencing significant financial hardship as a result of these issues. So, a huge amount of work is being done by Welsh Government.

Trefnydd, I'm sure you're aware that winning the UK City of Culture status would give Wrexham a huge boost in confidence and lead to enormous economic, social and cultural opportunities. I know that, as the local Member, you have been giving unwavering support, which is incredibly well valued. Could I ask for a formal message of best wishes from the Welsh Government as the bid reaches a critical moment, and of course as we await the visit by one of the twenty-first century's most iconic pop culture figures, Will Ferrell?

And may I also ask for a statement from the Minister for Economy updating Members on the economic resilience fund, on the Development Bank for Wales's COVID loan scheme, and on other forms of support from the Welsh Government for businesses during the pandemic, which may offer assurance that here in Wales, as a result of the Welsh Labour Government, there are stringent safeguards in place that are preventing the sorts of levels of fraud that we are witnessing in England and across the UK from the UK Government's bounce back loan scheme, which has led to more than £4 billion of taxpayers' money being claimed fraudulently as many taxpayers lay dying?

Thank you. I am very pleased that the local authority that we share across our constituencies is applying for UK City of Culture 2025. I'm very happy to provide a formal statement of support from the Welsh Government. Just last Friday we held a conference, a virtual conference, to support the bid for one of the six visions that Wrexham have, and that was around being the UK centre for play, which of course is so important for our children and young people, and the First Minister opened that conference, so I'm very happy to provide another statement. The rumour about Will Ferrell coming to watch the football team that we both support, I think, is very much out there. We seem to be attracting some very famous people to the Racecourse these days.

In relation to your second, very important request for a statement, I'm sure the Member is aware that when we've been making emergency loans through the COVID-19 Wales business loans scheme, the Development Bank for Wales took steps to speed up the delivery of funding, whilst maintaining identity verification procedures to a very, very high standard, and that robust approach was really needed by DBW to make sure that we safeguarded public money. To be eligible for CWBLS, a business had to be trading for over two years, while the BBLS provided loans to companies that had to be engaged in trading since 1 March 2020, so, very, very quick. The DBW also applied standardised personal guarantees at a maximum of 20 per cent, and they capped the loans at £25,000 also, though they never supported by the applicant's principal private residence, which, along with that identity verification, mitigated some of the risks that were in place in pace of delivery. Therefore, this means that the risk of fraud with ours was far, far lower than compared to the bounce back loans and the coronavirus business interruption loan scheme, as they were audited accounts to scrutinise in the diligence process, and the DBW was not at risk from fraudulent new company registrations.

I endorse the comments about the Wrexham city of culture bid and the will-he-won't-he Ferrell visit, but I also call for an oral statement on mental health services in north Wales. On 29 September, the health Minister told the Senedd that a piece of work to ensure that the recommendations of the 2013 Holden report, documenting the failings of a north Wales mental health unit,

'provided assurance that action was taken and remains in place against each of the recommendations of the report'.

This, despite a Healthcare Inspectorate Wales report the previous week confirming that the recommendations had not been met. On 8 December, the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Well-being told the Senedd that

'The health board took action at that time to address the issues raised, and commissioned work to ensure that the Holden recommendations had been implemented.' 

However, a Healthcare Inspectorate Wales report on 23 December confirmed that the issues raised by whistleblowers in 2013 were still in existence, including the profile beds used by patients to commit suicide in December 2020 and April 2021. The next day, North Wales Community Health Council's chief executive e-mailed me stating that,

'in the light of the recently released Holden report, we can be sure that Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board cannot be left to implement recommendations without close oversight.'

The ministerial code states that,

'It is of paramount importance that ministers give accurate and truthful information to the Senedd, correcting any inadvertent error at the earliest opportunity. Ministers who knowingly mislead the Senedd will be expected to offer their resignation'.

I call for a statement here from the Ministers identified accordingly. 

Thank you. Well, the Minister for Health and Social Services is in the Chamber and will have heard your statement, and if she has anything further to add, I'm sure she will write to the Member.FootnoteLink I do think it's also an opportunity to mention, obviously, this Thursday, it's Time to Talk Day. It takes place, as we all know, on the first Thursday in February every year, and asks everyone to have a conversation about mental health. So, I just want to remind Members that it would be good if we could all think about that on Thursday.

Information further to Plenary

Finally, Jenny Rathbone. 

Thank you very much, Llywydd. I'd like to ask for a statement from the Minister for health on the diagnosis and treatment of women with endometriosis. You will recall that, back in 2018, the recommendations of the endometriosis task and finish group were published. It seems like a million years ago, given all that's happened since, but I believe that the Welsh Government sought assurances from all the health boards that they were in a position to be compliant with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance on the treatment of endometriosis. And, we had a subsequent debate on endometriosis in the Chamber in October 2020. But, tomorrow, I'm going to be meeting Beth Hales, who will be handing in a petition with nearly 6,000 signatures, which paints a deteriorating picture of the situation, not least that the only accredited specialist endometriosis centre, which is in Cardiff, has lost one of its three endo specialist consultants. And, according to the petition, there are no plans to fill that vacancy. So, I'd be extremely grateful if we could have an update from the Minister on exactly how health boards are approaching the backlog for women who need diagnosis and treatment for endometriosis, and I'm sure that will help inform the Petitions Committee, who are going to have to provide a response to these petitioners as to how we in the Senedd and the Welsh Government are going to address what is obviously a very painful situation for many, many women. 

Thank you. We know, don't we, that endometriosis is a condition that affects a significant number of women. And, as the petition you referred to highlights, the impact on quality of life can be huge—really significant—and the diagnosis can take, unfortunately, a significant period of time. And I think, sometimes, there's a lack of understanding amongst the health profession around the condition.

I note that the women's health implementation group was set up back in March 2018; that was a ministerially directed group to consider reports into what could be used in relation to the condition. And, since it was established, it has been allocated £1 million a year to support its activities, and this funding has enabled a network of pelvic health and well-being co-ordinators to be in place in each health board. And, more recently, there's also been the recruitment of a network of specialist endometriosis nurses in each health board to develop national pathways. So, that could help to reduce diagnostic times across Wales, make sure women are supported, and make sure they get a timely diagnosis as well. You will have heard me say in an earlier answer around dentistry, and it's the same with endometriosis, the Minister is working very closely with the health boards to look at how we can clear the backlog as quickly as possible.

I thank the Trefnydd.