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

Diolch, Llywydd. I've one change to today's agenda. Instead of a statement on COVID-19, the Minister for Health and Social Services will make a statement to update Members on Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. 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. 

Minister, may I ask for a statement from the Welsh Government about the Future Valleys consortium and its contract regarding works to complete improvements to the A465 Heads of the Valleys road? In November 2020 your Government confirmed that the Future Valleys consortium had been awarded the contract to take forward improvements to sections 5 and 6 of the A465 Heads of the Valleys road, following its appointment as the preferred bidder five months earlier. It is now reported that one of the directors of the Future Valleys consortium was formerly finance director of Dawnus Construction, a firm that collapsed in 2019, with debts of nearly £50 million.

As well as the hundreds of private contractors from Wales and throughout the UK who were affected by the collapse, some public sector bodies have now lost out, including Powys County Council, which lost £1.3 million, and your own Government, which lost £0.5 million. Legitimate concerns have been raised regarding this appointment, which has resulted in someone involved in one of the biggest corporate failures in Wales now monitoring the expenditure of millions of pounds of public money on a major infrastructure project. Therefore, can we have a statement from the Minister about the appointment process that brought about this situation in the interest of transparency and accountability right here in Wales? Thank you, Minister.

Well, I don't think this is anything to do with a lack of transparency. I'm aware that information was gleaned via the Freedom of Information Act 2000, and I don't think that should be viewed as non-transparent at all. Obviously, Welsh Ministers have worked very closely and have invested equity via the Development Bank of Wales into the A465, and the investment is a key pillar, really, of our efforts to ensure schemes promote the public interest, particularly mutual investment model schemes. 

We are, Minister, this month, marking the fortieth anniversary of the war in the Falklands. And it's important, I think, that, as a Parliament, we recognise the contribution of Welsh servicemen and women in that campaign. I met recently with the Government of the Falkland islands, along with our Conservative colleague Darren Millar, and we spoke there about the contribution and the links between the Falkland islands and Wales. The British Legion in Ebbw Vale will be laying a wreath to remember those who were lost recovering the Falklands, and I'm sure, in communities up and down Wales and elsewhere, other wreaths will be laid to ensure that we do not forget the sacrifice and the loss of people who helped recover the Falklands. 

Would it be possible, Minister, for the Government to ensure that we have time here in this place to remember the Falklands campaign, and to mark the fortieth anniversary of it? I think many of us will want to join Ministers and others at the service in Llandaff cathedral, but, at the same time, as a Parliament, it is important that we mark this anniversary and we remember the sacrifice of people who were lost.

I think Alun Davies raises a very important point, and the Welsh Government has been working with partners right across the armed forces sector to mark the fortieth anniversary of the Falklands conflict, and, of course, recognise the sacrifices that were made by many Welsh service personnel. I know—I think it was last Sunday—that the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership took part in a Falklands 40 anniversary bike ride. That started at the Falklands memorial at Alexandra Gardens in Cardiff, and a group of veterans are making their way by bike, over eight days, to Aldershot, in tribute to all those who served in the conflict. 

Alun Davies mentioned the service that will be held at Llandaff cathedral. The First Minister will lead the Wales Falklands 40 service there, and I know, again, the Deputy Minister is attending the Royal British Legion Falklands 40 service at the National Memorial Arboretum.

In my own constituency of Wrexham, we're having a Welsh Guards memorial service and reunion to mark Falklands 40, and I know that wreaths will also be laid in the Falkland islands on behalf of the First Minister during upcoming services of remembrance. 

Could I call for a single statement, on rail services in north-east Wales? I don't know whether you read in our local press last Saturday reporting of the Wrexham-Bidston Rail Users' Association saying that Transport for Wales appears incapable of providing passengers with a reliable service, that they were operating a reduced service last Saturday on the Borderlands line running from Wrexham, Shotton and Bidston on to the Wirral, with the usual hourly service reduced, with direct trains running at two-hour intervals, and Transport for Wales's own journey planner website making no mention of that day's reduced service, and regular commuters going to catch their usual trains finding that they're not operating.

In fact, the users' association contacted me afterwards and said that the reduced service is also now being shown on the line on Sunday, and there's an intimation on social media that 150s from the Wrexham-Bidston and Conwy Valley lines have been redeployed to south Wales because of the football match in Cardiff. Quote: 'The Wrexham-Bidston line service continues to be perceived in the communities it serves as unreliable, and most of the long-promised service improvements have yet to be realised. This is not the sort of service your constituents should expect from Transport for Wales. Any assistance you could give to seek immediate and sustained improvement to passenger information and service reliability, through the Senedd, would be greatly appreciated.'

So, I call for a statement from the Minister for Climate Change, or her deputy, to explain what happened and to answer the concerns raised by the rail users' association regarding the service last weekend again being faced with such circumstances. 

Thank you. Well, you will have heard the First Minister saying in answer to Andrew R.T. Davies that there had been some disruption in relation to Transport for Wales. And I agree with what the First Minister said around a lack of information. It doesn't cost much to make sure that information is out, and I think Transport for Wales will be able to learn from the lack of information that they gave to passengers over the weekend. I should just say that Transport for Wales, they're the first operator—they're the only operator, actually, in the whole of the UK—to restore their full pre-COVID level of services, and I think they deserve recognition for doing that. But, unfortunately, we have seen some disruption, not just in north-east Wales, but across all parts of Wales over the past few days. 

Good afternoon, Trefnydd. To continue the transport theme, could I please request a statement from the Deputy Minister for Climate Change on discussions in relation to the renewal of the north-south air link? I understand that the value of the contract with Eastern Airways totalled almost £3 million between 2018 and 2021; subsidy ended up being about £142 per passenger in 2019. I'm aware that the contract for the north-south air link is due for renewal in 2023. And obviously, the public subsidy comes on top of our commitment to climate change and the need for a reduction in air travel, particularly short-haul flights. Thank you. Diolch yn fawr iawn.

Thank you. There will be a Welsh Government statement before the summer recess.

Trefnydd, can I ask for two statements from the Welsh Government this afternoon? Firstly, I'd be grateful if the Minister for Health and Social Services could bring forward a statement on ophthalmology services, following an increase in representations that I've received from people waiting urgently for treatment. Some of those patients have wet macular degeneration and, while there is no cure, it can be treated of course with eye injections to try to protect their remaining sight. However, these injections must be given, of course, in a timely manner, and, sadly, that's not the case at the moment. So, I would be grateful if you could encourage the Minister for Health and Social Services to bring forward a statement on the matter as soon as possible, telling us what measures the Welsh Government are now taking to address this issue.

Secondly, can I also request a statement from the Deputy Minister for Climate Change on speed reduction schemes across Wales? The Welsh Government initially committed to reducing the speed limit on the A40 in Scleddau in my constituency at some point in this financial year. However, I've now received a worrying response to a written question, confirming that current capital budget allocations for trunk road network operations in 2022-23 require all projects to be re-evaluated. Now, I did raise this with the finance Minister, who didn't comment specifically on this matter. And so, in light of that lack of clarity on this, could you implore the Deputy Minister for Climate Change to bring forward a statement on speed reduction schemes across Wales, so Members can understand exactly when many of these schemes will now take place?

Thank you. In response to your first question around ophthalmology services—and, particularly, you mentioned wet macular degeneration—obviously, it's a matter for the health board to ensure that treatments are given in a timely manner. I absolutely recognise the importance of that.

I will certainly ask the Deputy Minister for Climate Change, if he has any further information he is able to give you on top of the answer to your written question, to write to you.

Minister, I wanted to raise the issue of the length of time it takes for replies from Ministers in terms of receiving correspondence back from Members of the Senedd when they write to them. Some Ministers reply in a very timely manner, other Ministers do not, and I give the example of the Minister for Climate Change. I sent a correspondence via e-mail in January, and I've yet to receive a reply, despite sending chase e-mails in February, March, April and again last week. Can I ask, Minister, what do you believe is a reasonable timeframe in which correspondence should be received back from Ministers to correspondence from Members? And can I also ask, Minister, if you would discuss this matter with your colleagues to ensure that Ministers do indeed send timely responses to Members of this Chamber?

I think you raise a very important point, and, clearly, not having a response from January is unacceptable. It's the biggest portfolio, obviously, in Government; however, I do absolutely accept your point, particularly if you have chased it up. I personally—. I think it's 17 working days at the moment, and I think that is about the correct time. However, I also appreciate it depends how detailed and how complex some of the responses have to be, and they can take a little longer. But I go back to what I was saying before, just a holding note is helpful, I think, so I will certainly raise this, both with my ministerial colleagues but also with the Permanent Secretary.

I thank the Trefnydd.