The next item is the business statement and announcement, and 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. 

Trefnydd, over the weekend there were pubs across the whole of Wales that were packed with people watching the rugby. Not an enjoyable experience, I know, for many of us this weekend, but that's what many people were doing. Unfortunately, the following day, on the Sunday, there were people who were in churches still required to wear their masks in church in order to participate in acts of worship. I don't think that it's right, and many of my constituents don't think that it's right, that people can shout and yell at tv screens in packed pubs without the need to wear a mask and, yet, people in places of worship seem to be discriminated against in this way. Can I ask you for a statement by the Welsh Government on why places of worship are still facing these very significant restrictions at times when other venues, like hospitality venues, are not?

Thank you. The Member will be aware that this week brings the conclusion of the three-week review of all the COVID protections, and this is something the Welsh Government will be considering ahead of the First Minister's statement on Friday.

I would like to declare an interest that I'm currently a sitting councillor on Monmouthshire County Council.

Trefnydd, could I call for a statement from yourself in your capacity as rural affairs Minister regarding the co-operation and supply chain development scheme? As you may already be aware, the rural programmes team at Monmouthshire council has applied for funding under round 11 of the scheme for a space for a local production project. This involves a number of delivery partners from both Monmouthshire and beyond from across the food supply chain. The team submitted a full application for funding in May 2021 and have still not received any funding decisions from the Welsh Government. This is despite a decision meaning to be received from the Government within 90 days of an application being made. It is my understanding that this is not the only scheme to have not yet received a response. I'm sure you will understand, Minister, that such delays result in uncertainty for everyone involved in the project as well as preventing the benefits of the scheme from being felt in the local area. Furthermore, every month the project is delayed, the delivery time is reduced, meaning the team has to account for an underspend in additional project delivery elements. Any update or assistance, Minister, that you could give would be much appreciated. Thank you.

Thank you. I don't think it's appropriate for a statement, but I will certainly look at the individual case you've just raised with me and I will write to the Member will full details.

I'm asking for a debate during Government time to discuss the implications to Wales of the 'Levelling Up' paper by the UK Government. I'm sure the Trefnydd agrees with me that we've seen consecutive Westminster Governments that have been levelling down Governments—taking money away from Wales. To solve the problem of uneven development within the English regions, the Government states that they will use a devolution deal, with powers at or approaching the highest level of devolution. Unfortunately, this paper says nothing about Wales with regard to the highest level of devolution. When we have asked for devolution of justice, of energy, of Crown Estate, of air duty, it's been denied time and time again. Some English regions have more powers than we as a country do in Wales. 

Turning to another matter, Trefnydd, I'd like a comprehensive statement from the climate change Minister on building safety to answer a number of questions. Firstly, given the UK Government's intention to extend the legal limitation period to tackle defective premises from six years to 30 years, will the Minister take now legal action against developers to recover the costs of remediation of developments in Cardiff Bay? And has the Welsh Government been in discussion with the Development Bank of Wales to see whether they can play a role to provide commercially backed loans to support the residents of these developments to remediate their defective premises? Diolch yn fawr.

Diolch. I don't disagree with the majority of the statement from the Member around levelling up and the 'Levelling Up' White Paper from the UK Government. I think what the White Paper does, for those of us who've had the opportunity to have a look at it, is really trumpet the potential of new devolution deals in England, yet they have undermined Welsh devolution at every turn. They've used the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 to wrestle funding and decision-making powers away from both the Welsh Government and the Senedd. The Government has been heavily criticised—the UK Government—for its lack of strategic engagement with the Welsh Government on levelling up by its own Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy select committee. I think, unless the UK Government changes its approach, they'll simply waste more resources, underachieve and misrepresent what is actually happening. 

In response to your second question, the Minister for Climate Change will be making a statement on building safety before the Easter recess.

I call for a statement on the education of autistic pupils in Wales. Two weeks ago, Swansea University's school of education issued a statement regarding its preliminary report on the education of autistic pupils in Wales. Its findings include that over three quarters of autistic pupils said that being in school causes increased anxiety, three in four said they had been the victim of bullying, over half thought they were not getting enough help during the school day, and a third felt their teacher did not understand them. One in three parents whose children attend mainstream settings said they were unhappy with the school, in comparison to four in five of those in specialist provision being happy with their child's setting. Parents told them that one in three children with a statement of educational need was not given all support or provision detailed within the document. Ninety per cent of educators have experience of working with autistic pupils, and they felt their local authority had been generally unsupportive. And four out of five parents and nearly three quarters of parents whose children currently have a statement said neither their local authority nor their child's school had given them any information about the introduction of the new additional learning needs code and what it means for their child. This reflects my own high case load in this area, with those officers who have previously refused to understand autism continuing to do so, causing pain and blaming the parents. I call for a statement accordingly. 

Thank you. I know the Member does take a very close interest in this topic, and the Minister for education and his officials will look very closely at the report. It's important that a child receives the correct and appropriate education, and it's very important that, as Ministers, we listen to such experts. And the Minister and his officials will obviously consider the next steps from the report.  

Trefnydd, I would like a statement from the Deputy Minister for Social Services on domiciliary care, because the Welsh NHS Confederation has stated that one of the main sources of system bottleneck is the transfer out of discharge to recovery and access pathways to onward packages of domiciliary care. I'm receiving more and more correspondence from relatives of those who cannot be discharged. Private care providers are handing back care packages to local authorities because they cannot find care staff. Powys County Council have told me they're not in a position to guarantee a package of care immediately for anyone who has been in hospital longer than 14 days, due to staff shortages. And I'm sure I and the Chamber would like to know what work the Welsh Government is doing to ensure that domiciliary care is available for those needing discharge, and what positive action Welsh Government is taking to recruit and retain more carers in the care sector in Wales. Diolch, Llywydd. 

Absolutely. The Deputy Minister for Social Services will be making a statement on the real living wage. That is something, obviously, very positive that the Welsh Government is doing, but it's really important that local authorities obviously look to employ the necessary provision for domiciliary services for their local population. 

And finally, Gareth Davies. 

Diolch yn fawr iawn, Llywydd. Three weeks ago, the UK's COVID-19 infection prevention and control cell issued new guidance on the use of respiratory protective equipment for front-line healthcare staff. This led to the UK Government taking the decision to allow all healthcare staff in England access to higher levels of PPE, namely FFP2 and FFP3 masks, to ensure that staff and patients are kept safe from the COVID-19 omicron variant. This new guidance applies not only to the NHS in England but to the Welsh Government as well. Can we therefore have an urgent statement from the Minister for Health and Social Services explaining why she has chosen to ignore this new guidance—she might want to oblige now, given that she's in the Chamber; it seems a bit strange that I'm asking for a statement from the Trefnydd when she's in the room, but I digress—and why she instead continues to leave decisions on higher grade levels of PPE at the door of health boards and individual managers, when she could show leadership and ensure that staff and patients across the whole of Wales are fully protected? [Interruption.] A golden opportunity. 

I think the Minister was almost tempted to make the statement at that point—

I was just going to say—

—but I think we need to allow the Trefnydd to respond formally. [Interruption.]

I don't want to swap jobs, if that's what you mean.

I was just going to say to the Member that that's not the way the business statement works. The Minister for Health and Social Services has already done a written statement. FFP3 masks are available to all staff where a local risk assessment shows a continuing risk of transmission despite other infection prevention and control measures in place.

I thank the Trefnydd. A point of order now to declare an interest, Cefin Campbell.

Sincere apologies, Llywydd, as I forgot to declare an interest, in that I am a county councillor in Carmarthenshire, before I asked my question of the First Minister. So, my apologies. 

Thank you for the apology. There we go, I have called one member from each group over the past three weeks now who have made the same mistake in not declaring an interest. May I ask those of you who are councillors, who own a business, or whatever your interests are, to try to remember that when you do make your contributions, rather than us having to call you later on in the session? I will not allow that further; every group has had one strike, and now you're out.