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

Diolch, Llywydd. There are no changes to this week's business. Draft business for the next three weeks is set out in the business statement and announcement, which can be found amongst the meeting papers available to Members electronically.

Minister, could I please request two statements? The first is from the Minister for health on increasing the availability of GP appointments in Wales. I know my colleague Sam Kurtz touched upon this earlier, but one of the biggest concerns of people in my region is the difficulty and frustration they face in making appointments to see their GP. In a move designed to ease pressure on GPs and to leave them with more time to see the most sick patients and those with complex issues, the health Secretary, Sajid Javid, has announced that the law will be changed so that patients will no longer need to see their family doctor to be signed off work. Pharmacists, nurses, occupational therapists and physiotherapists will be given powers to issue fit notes under reforms that will free up many more GP appointments and help alleviate the pressure that GPs currently face. The move has been welcomed by patient groups and the Royal College of General Practitioners, as it will allow more patients in south-east Wales to access more GP appointments. So, may I ask for a statement from the Minister for health on how this will change how we work here in Wales, for the benefit of GPs and patients alike?

The second part, Minister, is that I'd like to request a statement from the Minister for Climate Change about the proposed deposit-return scheme. Several businesses from across my region of south-east Wales and further afield have been in touch raising their concerns about the scheme. All of the businesses that I have spoken to are conscious of their environmental responsibilities; however, they fear that they will be hit with significant trading barriers because the Welsh Government intends to include glass in the scheme and pursue a digital DRS. One brewery told me that the scheme will impose significant costs on businesses, because including glass will require multiple labels and, consequently, businesses will struggle to cover the annual registration costs, producer fees, as well as labelling requirements. They also fear only big global brands will be able to adapt to the new rules more easily than smaller independent businesses, and that many companies will simply choose not to sell their products here in Wales. So, I'd be grateful, Minister, if you could please make a statement about what the Welsh Government is doing to address the legitimate concerns of businesses across Wales. Thank you.

Thank you. With regard to your first question around increasing GP appointments through the way that you suggested—it's not just a general practitioner that does certain things—you'll be aware that the Minister has been working very closely with all primary care professionals—so, pharmacists, for instance, where we have increased the number of provisions that they do. I'm not aware that this is something the Minister for Health and Social Services is looking at. She's obviously in the Chamber and will have heard your question, but, if she has anything further to add, I will ask her to write to you.

In response to your ask for a statement around a deposit-return scheme from the Minister for Climate Change, this is a piece of work that has now been going extensively. When I was back in the portfolio a couple of years ago, the deposit-return scheme, we were working on it across the UK, along with the UK Government and the Scottish Government as well. I appreciate what some companies will have said to you. Those are certainly responses that I recognise, and legitimate concerns. However, the scheme is being worked through. We're also doing a significant amount around extended producer responsibility, and I'm sure, when the scheme has been worked through, the Minister will be happy to do a written statement.

Thank you. Trefnydd, yesterday I visited Rhondda food bank and I have had many headteachers contacting me, gravely concerned about families in the region that I represent, and specifically concerned about what the situation will be over the summer. Clearly, the Minister and the First Minister have announced that there will be support available in terms of free school meals for families that are already in receipt of free school meals, but one of the concerns that has been expressed to me is those who fall between the cracks and those who perhaps aren't going to be able to benefit from the programmes that are run in the schools over the summer because of transport costs. We heard evidence last week as a children's committee that transport is a barrier for people to attend school, and it has an impact on attendance, so that will only deteriorate further over the summer without transport to schools available too. So, I'd like to ask for a statement from the education Minister before the summer for us to understand what the situation is and what provision there will be for families, for clarity.

Can I also draw your attention, please—? You'll also be aware that we, as Members of the Senedd, receive a note letting us know if the Minister is in our constituency or region. These are very useful so that we can prepare for those visits, or let a Minister know if we will be in attendance too, but the details aren't always in these statements. We only find out from some Ministers that they are in a region on a specific date, but we don't have any idea where they'll be in the region. So, can I ask for consistency in this information, please? 

Both the Minister for Education and Welsh Language and the Minister for Social Justice, I know, are doing a great deal of work to support not just schools in relation to food being provided in school holidays in place of free school meals, but also to charity schemes as well. So, I'm not sure if there's any further work to update you upon ahead of the school holidays, but I will certainly—. Both the Ministers are in the Chamber and will have heard your request.

You should certainly always receive notification—every Member should—when a Minister is in your constituency or region, and I will certainly ask for private offices to be reminded that it is really important that this information goes out, and to ensure officials are aware as well, because consistency is really important. And I think it's also nice for Members to let other Members know when they're in their constituencies also.

The Minister will be well aware of some of the issues pertaining to Bryn Group in Gelligaer in my constituency, which affects the communities of Gelligaer, Pen-y-bryn and Nelson. We had a very effective liaison committee that was established by Caerphilly County Borough Council that ended just before the pandemic began. I'm trying to get the liaison committee re-established, with the cross-party support of local councillors, and I'm finding a lot of resistance from officers of the council, for reasons I can't understand. One of the things they're saying is that a liaison committee would somehow be unlawful. I'd like a statement from the Counsel General on that, because I don't think that's the case. 

Would the Trefnydd support the principle of liaison committees in these circumstances? She knows in her other brief how useful they've been, and would she make it clear that, actually, this is a very helpful way of resolving some of those issues that are affecting those communities?

Thank you. Yes, certainly, from a planning point of view, I absolutely agree such liaison committees are very useful in practice. They help de-escalate community tensions where businesses are operating very close to communities. And I certainly think, where they work well—and they do work well in many places—they certainly help with that. They're certainly not unlawful. I think it's a shame that you haven't been able to get that cross-party support, and I would urge you to continue to do so, but I'm sure there is guidance available to assist you. 

Minister, I would like to ask the Government to schedule a debate on bus services and the important role they play in supporting active travel, with positive impacts on the environment and connecting communities. Recently, the bus operator, Easyway, announced they will cease trading on 31 July, which comes as a huge blow to the communities in Bridgend that have relied on their bus services. We will lose three routes and, according to the council, no other company has come forward to fill the gap. We need a debate about how it is possible to reach our targets for active travel and climate change action when our bus services are so fractured. Thank you, Minister. 

Thank you, and the Member raises a very important point. I'm sure all of us, as Members of this Senedd, receive a huge amount of correspondence regarding bus services from our constituents. As you're aware, the Welsh Government will be bringing forward some legislation around bus travel in this term of Government. 

I'd like to ask for a debate in Government time, please, on the strategic priorities and objectives statement to Ofwat. I understand it will be laid in front of the Senedd next week, but, in the past, there hasn't been a debate on the process, but recently, in Westminster, there was a debate. I'd like to make sure that MSs have the same opportunity to discuss and challenge the process, because it helps to determine how our water systems are regulated, how the environment will be protected, how vulnerable customers will be protected or otherwise in their water bills, if they need it. It's really serious stuff, I'm sure you'll agree, and it shouldn't just be nodded through. We've had debates recently on flooding, on storm overflow systems, and the impact of sewage in our rivers. We know that major investment work is needed to protect that and to protect against climate change, and this is really a matter of public safety and there needs to be investment now. 

So, could we have a debate on this, please, because I fear that making a decision on an England-and-Wales basis won't work and it won't make sense, because Dŵr Cymru isn't a company that just sends profits to shareholders; they reinvest, they support vulnerable customers? The SPS is the only opportunity we have to make sure that the process and the final decision make sense for Wales. Diolch yn fawr iawn. 

Thank you. The Member raises a really important point, particularly around Dŵr Cymru. There won't be time to undertake such a statement in Government business time ahead of the summer recess, but I will certainly ask the Minister for Climate Change to consider a request for a written statement. 

Trefnydd, I've had an e-mail recently from a volunteer in the Cardiff office of the legal charity Support Through Court, which, for the last eight years, has been funded by the Ministry of Justice. This isn't just a Cardiff problem; these are volunteers who support people throughout Wales who are having to grapple with the civil justice system. And it would appear that the Ministry of Justice is planning on changing the way they fund the civil justice system, and they're now going to have a system of competition, which means that the small number of volunteers, supported by a very small sum of money, could simply be forced to cease their activities and close, which means that the 5,000 clients they supported last year, and the 700 face-to-face contacts they've had with individuals so far this year—that service could simply disappear. So, I wonder if we could have a statement from the Counsel General on what the implications would be of the loss of funding for Support Through Court, because this is an incredibly stressful thing for anybody to have to do, and legal aid simply doesn't cover most people. So, I think this is a really serious matter, and I wondered if we could have a statement as soon as possible.

Joyce Watson took the Chair.

Thank you. You've certainly raised a very important issue, and I know it's a real matter of concern to the Welsh Government that the service provided by Support Through Court in Cardiff civil justice centre does really appear to be at real risk of being withdrawn. There's no guarantee it would be replaced. I am aware that the Counsel General did raise this issue directly with the new justice Minister, Lord Bellamy, about the uncertainty of future funding, to press home how important this was. The Ministry of Justice advise that voluntary sector future grant funds for helping litigants in person understand court processes when attending court will be the subject of open competition, as you said. So, what is not clear at this stage is what it will mean for the provision of services in Wales. The Counsel General has committed to continuing to engage with the Ministry of Justice and will consider the request for a statement.

In mid May, James Evans asked a topical question about the Government's purchase of Gilestone Farm in his constituency. In response, the economy Minister stressed the importance of protecting the Green Man brand, and emphasised that the purchase was to do with keeping the Green Man festival in Wales. The Minister underscored the importance of the brand and the festival. However, in his response a week later, the First Minister said that it was about developing other elements within the Green Man business, and not the festival. So, I and many others have been wondering which is it: is the proposal to lease it to the company for festival purposes, or is it to lease it to the company for other purposes, and what are those other purposes? Finally, I note that the Minister said at the time that the Government didn't pay above market value for Gilestone, and the amount paid was £4.25 million. However, this sales brochure here shows it for sale for £3.25 million—£1 million less than what the Government paid for it. So, can I ask that the economy Minister brings an update to the Senedd regarding the business plan for Gilestone, and also clarifies what the Government did to verify that the property value was correct?

Thank you. So, the Welsh Government is still awaiting the business plan, and what the Welsh Government will require and expects from that business plan is for Green Man to set out the activities to be undertaken throughout the year on the site. And that will include also how the land will continue to be farmed. So, as I say, we are still waiting for that business plan. 

As everybody heads out for the summer to make the best of the great outdoors that we have here in Wales, could we have a statement on Welsh Government support, past and going forward, for Adventure Smart Cymru? It's a brilliant website, platform, social media presence that seeks to promote safe, healthy outdoor activities—hill walking, mountain biking, paddle boarding, canoeing, boating, open-water swimming, and more—by providing people with safe, up-to-date, reliable information about how to make the most of the outdoors, but to do it safely and to minimise, I have to say, the impact on mountain rescue or the coastguard service, or anybody else, not getting themselves into trouble as well.

Could we also have a statement on the extended review of the learner travel policy in Wales? It's been extended, for good reasons, to take in more thoughts on a slightly extended remit as well. I met with parents last night in my own constituency, keen to feed in their views around the 3-mile criteria for secondary schools and how this has to relate to safe routes to schools as well. I'm keen to say that, in their thoughts, 2 miles would be more appropriate, particularly for some of the younger children. So, an update on that and when we'll hear back from that review would be very, very helpful.

Thank you. I think you've just reminded us that, despite many benefits to individuals, and of course to Wales, we should be very keenly aware of the potential risks associated with outdoor recreation, and informing and educating visitors on enjoying the outdoors safely is a really important aspect of what we do to promote the great outdoors here in Wales. Welsh Government have supported NRW in the development and promotion of the countryside code and a series of activity-specific codes, as well as funding campaigns promoting responsible recreation, such as Visit Wales's Addo campaign.

In relation to learner travel policy, as you mentioned, an initial review of the Measure took place back in 2020-21, and that concluded at the end of the previous Government term, a year ago. So, from the initial review it was very clear, I think, that a more detailed and more thorough review of the Measure was required. So, I know officials are presently putting in place a comprehensive engagement programme that will ensure all relevant stakeholders to the wider learner travel Wales review do have that opportunity to fully input and be engaged. So, stakeholders will shortly be invited to a range of engagement events that will look in greater detail at the Learner Travel (Wales) Measure 2008 in its form currently, and I think it's really important that we have constituents—if they too want to put into that review, it would be very welcome.