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

Diolch, Llywydd. I have two changes to make to today's agenda. Firstly, the statement on the new learning disability action plan has been withdrawn, and secondly, subject to a suspension of Standing Orders, we will debate two legislative consent motions on the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.

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.

Thank you, Trefnydd, for your statement. Can I call for two statements from the Minister for Health and Social Services, please, in the coming weeks? I'm bitterly disappointed that the Minister made an announcement to extend what we all hoped would be only temporary arrangements for abortions without the need to see a medical professional in person. An announcement was made last week. Obviously, they are significant changes to the permanent abortion regime, and there are many people who have contacted me to say that they are very concerned about risks to women's health as a result of these changes, and indeed the prospect that people can be coerced into taking abortion medication, and not only that, but that the system could also potentially be abused and people could obtain abortion medication and then pass them on to others. We need the opportunity to scrutinise this decision, and I think that there should be the opportunity for a debate or a statement in this Chamber prior to any changes being introduced.

Can I also call for a statement from the Minister for health on mental health services in north Wales? There was another damning set of media reports as a result of two individual reports into the deaths of patients at the Hergest unit in Ysbyty Gwynedd and Tŷ Llywelyn in Llanfairfechan last week. These were appalling situations, heartbreaking for the families of those involved, and they underscore the need for more determined and rapid action from the Welsh Government and others to get to grips once and for all with the crisis in our mental health services in north Wales. This is a board now that is not in special measures—people find it extraordinary that it was taken out—and people want to have some confidence in the future. Now, there was a huge amount of respect for Donna Ockenden, the person who exposed many of the failings at the Tawel Fan ward a number of years ago, back in 2016. Can I ask the Welsh Government to consider working with the health board to appoint Donna Ockenden to undertake a further review to determine what progress has been made and to establish an action plan in order to get this health board back into shape so that people can be confident that when they are in need of mental health services because of acute mental health problems, they can get the care that they need?

Thank you. In relation to the arrangements for early medical abortion at home, as you said, the Welsh Government has already published a written statement, on 24 February, and I can assure Members here, if they haven't had the opportunity to look at that statement, that new guidance in relation to making this a permanent position—as you said, it was a temporary position—has been developed by clinicians, working alongside the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and other partners. So, I don't think there's a need for a further statement. If you do have any specific concerns, I would suggest you write to the Minister for Health and Social Services direct.

In relation to your second point around very, very tragic events, my sympathies certainly go to the families, friends and loved ones affected by the two deaths specifically that you referred to in the report. You'll be aware the health board has now accepted the recommendations of the report, and the Minister for Health and Social Services—I met with her just before half-term recess with my Minister for north Wales hat on, to ensure that she was closely monitoring the situation—reassured me that the health board has taken immediate action, including reviewing and removing low-level ligature points, for instance. There were applications for a ward risk assessments tool, and it was utilising its therapeutic engagement policy. I certainly will ensure that the Minister for Health and Social Services listens and thinks about the suggestion you brought forward in relation to Donna Ockenden.

Thank you very much, Llywydd. I want to ask for two statements, if I may. I want to ask you to ensure that the Minister for health brings forward a statement on the provision of dentistry services. The people of Dwyfor Meirionnydd have the worst access to dentistry services in Wales, and another practice is to close in Tywyn this month, which will make things even worse. The Government has targets in order to ensure access, but these targets have never been reached in north Wales. The board has allocated £300,000 for a new dentistry chair somewhere in Meirionnydd, but we need investment of £900,000 to get to the average level alone. So, can we have a statement from the health Minister as to how the Government is to ensure that targets on access to dentistry are reached, and that Dwyfor Meirionnydd particularly will see an increase in the number of dentists available?

Secondly, I had the pleasure of the company of some pupils from Ysgol Bro Tryweryn on a digital visit to the Senedd yesterday. We had a conversation about the things that were important to them, and this is what was important to the pupils of bro Tryweryn: family, a roof above their heads and food in their stomachs. They were also very concerned about the situation in Ukraine. So, on behalf of the children of Fron-goch and Penllyn, this is what they wanted me to ask of the Government: given the importance of family, a roof above people's head and food in your stomach, can we have a written statement from the Government following your meeting with local government tomorrow as to what steps the Government is to take in order to ensure sanctuary for refugees from Ukraine here in Wales?

Also, is there any intention to divest any investments of public funds from Russian assets in Wales? Thank you.

Thank you. I know that the Minister for Health and Social Services is doing a great deal of work around the provision of dentistry at the moment. I think the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted where there are some significant gaps in relation to dental provision, so I will ask her to bring a statement forward. I wouldn't think it would be within the next half term, because I know this is a piece of work that she is currently carrying out, but certainly as soon as she feels able to do so.

In relation to your second point, I think one of the joys of being a Member of this place is welcoming schoolchildren from our constituencies, and, obviously, we haven't been able to do it in the format that we would normally do, but it's really good to hear that you did it in a digital format yesterday. As the First Minister referred to in his question session, the Minister for Social Justice and the Minister for Finance and Local Government will be meeting with the WLGA tomorrow, and I'm sure they will bring forward a written statement as a matter of urgency after that meeting.

I'm asking for a Government statement on diagnosing autism in adults and the information campaign explaining the common signs of autism. It was DSM-IV, released in 1994, that first categorised autism as a spectrum. Anybody born before 1976 would have left school before 1994. We know that some of the common signs of autism in adults include finding it hard to understand what others are thinking or feeling; getting very anxious about social situations; finding it hard to make friends or preferring to be on their own; seeming insolent, rude or not interested in others without meaning to; finding it hard to say how they feel; taking things very literally; and having the same routine every day and getting very anxious if it changes. I think we need to let people know, because anybody who was born before 1976 would have been there before DSM-IV was released.

Thank you. Yes, it's certainly a condition that we have got a far better understanding of, and, when you say those dates, it brings it into very stark reality. You'll be aware of the significant work the Welsh Government undertakes in relation to providing an integrated autism service. That's been operating on a regional basis across Wales since April 2019. That's a partnership between local health boards and local authorities also, and that does provide adult autism diagnostic assessments, and support and advice for autistic adults, along with their parents and carers. We've also published the statutory code of practice on the delivery of autism services, which came into effect on 1 September last year, and chapter 1 of that code of practice deals with autism assessment and diagnosis. And what that code really does, I think, is provide clarity to our health boards, NHS trusts, our local authorities and regional partnership boards regarding the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 and the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006, setting out their responsibilities and the services that they are required to provide to support autistic people in their day-to-day lives.

Good afternoon, Trefnydd. I'd like to ask for a Welsh Government statement regarding the future role of the fire service in north Wales and in Wales more broadly. As someone whose brother-in-law is a firefighter, I know the extraordinary work that the fire service do carry out in our communities. I'm also aware of some of the challenges that are facing them at the moment. Following a meeting with representatives of the fire service, one of the concerns I have is the fire service's ability to sustain itself through recruitment of retained firefighters. In the region I represent in north Wales, of the 44 fire stations, 39 of those are supported by retained firefighters. 

Another issue of concern, I understand from the fire service, is the ability to reach the net-zero targets by 2030, which they would strive to do, but considering the size of the engines they're having to drive and carrying water, the ability to reach net zero by 2030 is certainly a challenge. There are some great opportunities given the skills and experience that firefighters have in supporting our public services and supporting our communities more broadly, which I'm sure Welsh Government are exploring and would want to share their thinking around. So, in light of that, I would be grateful to receive a statement on the future of the fire service in north Wales and in Wales more broadly. Diolch yn fawr iawn.

Thank you. Obviously, it is a very important aspect of the Minister for Social Justice and her Deputy Minister's portfolio, and I am aware particularly that the Deputy Minister does a great deal of work with our fire service to ensure that they are able to meet the very significant challenges that they have. Their work has changed very much, hasn't it, to much more of a prevention role at the moment and supporting other public services? And I know, as Ministers, we work right across Government in relation to ensuring that any organisations within our own portfolios are able to meet the net-zero challenge. I'm not aware of anything specific that the Deputy Minister would want to bring forward at the moment, but I will certainly keep an eye on that and, if need be, we can bring forward a statement.

Minister, children in my constituently as young as 11 and 12 are having to walk 45 minutes to school and back from Cornelly to Cynffig Comprehensive School in Pyle. I have met over 20 parents who have told me that they would not normally allow their children to leave the village without their supervision, and so they are very worried about their safety as their children have to walk to school alone. Since having held two public meetings in Cornelly, I have been made aware of two incidents of bullying of year 7 pupils: one child had a bottle of Lucozade tipped over her head and another was chased by older children all the way back to their home. Children have been calling their parents crying from school because they're having to sit there in wet clothes all day, and some pupils have had to give up musical instruments as they can't carry them to and from school. Could I therefore request that the Deputy Minister for Climate Change provides a statement on the review of the learner travel Measure, and echo what the Children's Commissioner for Wales has also called for in this respect? And I would also ask that it is considered by Welsh Government that we revert to the two-mile rule for public access to school transport and consider prioritising younger children for bus passes in schools too.

Thank you for raising that very important issue. There is a review under way and I will certainly ask the Deputy Minister to bring forward a statement at the appropriate time.

Can I start by reminding Members of my interest as a Bridgend County Borough Council councillor? Trefnydd, can I call for a statement by the Deputy Minister for Climate Change on the Welsh Government's strategy for transport in the Brackla area of Bridgend? A number of local residents in the Brackla, Coity and Coychurch areas have repeatedly raised with me the dangerous junction that lies between Simonston Road and Coychurch Road just outside Brackla. It's been an accident black spot for a number of years and is incredibly busy during peak times. And in response to a written question I submitted a number of weeks ago, it transpired that Bridgend County Borough Council, despite having funding for the survey and design work, has never actually submitted a further application for the funding to undertake any of the work on the junction.

Meanwhile, whilst the Welsh Government strategy appears to be to take people out of cars and onto public transport—and I think that's a noble aim—the Welsh Government has promised a railway station to be built in Brackla. There's even been a turf-cutting ceremony to start building work on the project. The problem is that that turf-cutting ceremony was in March 2001, 21 years ago this month, and today the land lies vacant. And despite it continually being considered as part of the south Wales metro, there's no firm timescale around when or even if any work will actually go ahead. Whether it be by road or by rail, residents in Brackla are being short changed when it comes to transport, so can I ask for a statement from the Deputy Minister for Climate Change on the Welsh Government's strategy for transport in Brackla so we can correct some of those wrongs?

I would think it would be better if the Member writes directly to the Deputy Minister. You raise a very specific point on which I have no information to hand, and, obviously, as a member of Bridgend County Borough Council, I think that that would be the most appropriate way forward.

First of all, I'd like to very much welcome the recent announcement by the health Minister that telemedical abortions are going to become a permanent service. This is a fantastically important issue, particularly for women living in rural areas, or women who don't have childcare or have other caring responsibilities. And it's very much supported by all the professionals in the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and by GPs and nurses. So, I very much want to put that on the record.

On another matter, as it's St David's Day, this morning, I went and bought a leek from my local fruit and veg stall, because I was very interested to find out from him where had he got it, where it had come from. He sources all his produce from the wholesalers in Cardiff. Well, it comes from Lincolnshire. So, I wondered if we could have a statement on how many leeks are actually produced in Wales—this is our national symbol along with the daffodil—and what plans does the Welsh Government have to increase the production of leeks and other vegetables in Wales?

The leek can join the sunflowers and daffodils, Llywydd.

I did think I probably should know the answer to how many leeks are grown in Wales when you asked me, but I don't think we keep that information. But it was really good to enjoy Welsh leeks on the menu in the canteen here in the Senedd at lunch time. As you say, we've got a very long and proud association with the leek, and I think we've seen an increase in people who want to source Welsh food—you will have heard me say that many times here in the Senedd. The horticulture sector is such a small part of the agricultural sector here in Wales—0.1 per cent—and I'm very keen to do all I can with my rural affairs portfolio hat on to support Welsh producers. It may be of interest to everyone in the Chamber that we are currently supporting Welsh producers with an application to secure accreditation under the UK geographical indication scheme—that's the new scheme since we left the European Union—for protected geographical indication Welsh leeks. And it's currently—. The application is currently being scrutinised.

The Welsh Government is also supporting horticultural farms through funding for Tyfu Cymru and we're also looking at controlled environment agriculture, which is often referred to as vertical farming, to see what we can do to encourage an increase in the production of crops such as leeks.

Thank you, Trefnydd.