The next item is the business statement and announcement, and I call on the Trefnydd once again, Lesley Griffiths. 

Diolch, Llywydd. There are no changes to this week's business. 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.  

Trefnydd, can I call for a statement from the Minister with responsibility for education in relation to student support during the current cost-of-living pressures? I have raised this in the past, but I haven't seen a statement on the subject. As you'll know, students at the moment—all students—are entitled to a grant of £1,000 per year towards their living costs. That is an amount that has been fixed since 2017, never increased with inflation, and, effectively, it's been cut in real terms now by more than 17 per cent. In addition to that, the household income thresholds at which people have to make a contribution towards their living costs and tuition has remained at £18,370, and hasn't increased in line with inflation, which means that many more people now are having to fork out for a family member who might be enjoying the privilege of higher education. Can you tell me—? It is time that these levels were increased. I think that this is an appropriate time to do so, given the cost-of-living pressures, and I would like a statement from the Minister on this subject.

Thank you. We do have the most progressive student support in the UK, and the Minister for Education and Welsh Language will be making a statement very shortly.

Trefnydd, the Cymru team have succeeded in uniting our nation, and newspapers across the world are telling our story. Even The Washington Post has run an article on the team and the inimitable Dafydd Iwan's 'Yma o Hyd'. It is, though, a testament of shame to FIFA that the tournament is happening in Qatar. I'm proud that the Cymru team have been so open in sharing Wales's values with the world, but the Government here must help ensure that the world cup's legacy in Wales is a positive one. So, I'd like a statement, please, outlining how that will happen. How can we build on the phenomenal success of 'Yma o Hyd' in opening up access and engagement with Cymraeg? How can our sporting success translate into the grass-roots game, and how can we ensure that Wales becomes an even more unashamedly inclusive, equal nation, and loudly proud of being so after this tournament? How can we ensure that hatred will be met with love and with pride for everyone living in Wales? I raise this because constituents have written to me to express their concern.

Thank you, and it is certainly an amazing opportunity, isn't it? I've waited all my life—and I'm a lot older than you—to see Wales in a world cup final. And, you know, it's a global audience—5 billion people—so it is indeed a massive opportunity. And we discussed, in First Minister's questions, the outrageous last-minute u-turn by FIFA in relation to the OneLove armband. But I think it is a massive opportunity for us, and that's why, as a Government, the First Minister is currently on his way back from Qatar, where I know he's had a series of meetings in relation to what we can do from a Welsh Government, to encourage businesses to come here, for instance. The Minister for Economy will be in Qatar next week, and I'm sure that both the First Minister and the Minister for Economy will provide us with written statements on the trips that they've had and the people they have met with, as well as making sure that we use that global platform in a way that we haven't had for many, many years by our fantastic Welsh men's football team.

Trefnydd, can I ask for your annual update on the Welsh Government's TB eradication programme, please? This was last held on 16 November last year and, as you'll be aware, bovine TB has been a continuous negative thread throughout Welsh agriculture over the last decade or so, causing immense pain and heartache to the farmers of Wales. With the winter fair—the Royal Welsh winter fair—next week, today would've been a good and ideal opportunity to bring this annual statement to the floor of this Chamber, so that we as Members, and the wider farming community, can scrutinise you and your Government's record on TB eradication. Therefore, can I ask that your annual TB eradication programme is brought forward before the Christmas recess, so that it can remain annual?

Thank you. As you stated, my last one was in November last year, and I had hoped to be able to do it in November this year. I have to say, there are a couple of reasons why I haven't been able to bring it forward this week. One of the main reasons—and I'm sure that you'll absolutely appreciate it—is that it's the same officials working on TB eradication who are having to deal with the outbreak in relation to avian influenza, so that's put a lot of pressure on my officials. I'm also awaiting—as you know, I set up a particular advisory group in relation to TB—but I do want to—. It's not just an annual TB eradication statement I wanted to make; I wanted to refresh the programme as well, so it's a bigger piece of work. But I want to assure you that I will bring it forward as soon as I can.

Trefnydd, could I request a written or oral statement, whichever one is more appropriate, on the progress of Big Bocs Bwyd and how it interacts with local community organisations also providing food for those who need it? A number of organisations have approached me, expressing some concern that there is a lack of co-ordination, which has ultimately led to multiple organisations competing for the same funding and food within the same area. Ultimately, this is to the detriment of the shared goal of supporting our communities, and I'm sure that you would agree that ensuring better co-ordination will better serve the very people who this support is intended to help.

Yes, absolutely, I will speak to the Minister for Social Justice and she if she'll bring forward a written statement. I know she's done a huge amount of work, and certainly, we're aware of, obviously, Big Bocs Bwyd. And I think it's really important we don't have duplication, so that better co-ordination of organisations is obviously needed, but I will ask the Minister for Social Justice to bring forward a written statement. 

Minister, last week, I asked for an update from the health Minister on the cancer summit, which took place over a month ago. The lack of commitment from the Government to provide a comprehensive update to the Senedd caused me some concern. The cancer summit resolved that, where possible, health boards should implement straight-to-test pathways and establish one-stop diagnostic clinics. This will reduce the need for out-patient clinics, and reduce the length of time in the diagnostic pathways. Following what has been described as a significant, unprecedented summit, what urgent action and activity has been undertaken, and in what ways are health boards changing their ways of working to meet the commitments outlined, and will the Minister now schedule a statement in Plenary?

Thank you. Well, I am aware there were a number of actions that came out of the cancer summit that the Minister for Health and Social Services is currently considering, but I'm sure, once that piece of work has been done, the Minister will bring forward a written statement. 

Trefnydd, I'd like to request a statement, please, with an update from the Minister for health on changes to the Welsh ambulance service and what this means in practice for patients. Over the weekend, I was contacted by a number of constituents concerned by the changes now being implemented to the Welsh ambulance service, with rapid response vehicles no longer operating from Gelli in Rhondda. These are, of course, part of wider changes to the use of RRV services throughout Wales.

But, only last night, I was contacted by a constituent desperate for an ambulance for a relative who was over 80 years old and had fallen in the shower, breaking their ankle, leaving them in absolute agony. They rang for an ambulance at 2 p.m; this arrived at 12.30 a.m. in the early hours of this morning, with the person deteriorating, and it's uncertain of that person's outcomes at this point in time. Relatives have again been on the phone this morning asking is it now safe to ring for an ambulance when you cannot take a person to hospital yourselves, and connecting it to the changes in the RRV in Rhondda in particular, and affecting nearby areas. 

What assurances are we able to give patients that they will receive that urgent treatment, rather than being left in agony for hours?

Well, I am extremely concerned to hear about your constituent; nobody wants to ring an ambulance and feel that the ambulance won't respond. So, I can say we've brought forward 74 new ambulances, for instance; you referred to the age of an ambulance. So, there is that assurance and that confidence for constituents, and I know the Minister, just last week, met with the ambulance trust to talk about their performance response—their response performance—sorry, I'm getting my words the wrong way around. And I think it's safe to say it's not where it is, but the Minister is bringing forward a few initiatives—and I mentioned the new ambulances—to help improve the matter as a matter of urgency. 

I'd very much like a statement from the Minister for health and the Minister for social care on the number of unsafe discharges from hospital. I'll declare an interest at this point because this example I'm going to give now involves a very close 98-year-old family relative. 

Two weeks ago, this relative suffered as a result of a car accident and was taken into hospital, and suffered a broken shoulder and other mobility issues as a result of this accident. Yesterday, without any notice as such, that person was taken home at lunchtime yesterday by the ambulance. No care provision in place at all, and it was only when I was on my way here to Cardiff, just before 5 o'clock, that that person had been sat in a chair, obviously no access to food, drinks or the ability to go to the toilet. I phoned to be told the care package was kicking in the next day and that I had nothing to worry about. I then phoned the hospital, who could not tell me what care was going in. In short, I just phoned round as many people I knew last night, and we did manage to get some support in, at about 7.30 p.m. So, that individual had been sat in a chair for seven hours. I was advised last night that this was an unsafe discharge and that it wasn't rare, that this is happening on too frequent a basis—and this came from somebody working within that provision. Hence why I would be really grateful if the health Minister, and indeed the social care Minister, would be so kind as to give a statement. I sat here during the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014, where this kind of thing was going to stop—health and social care was going to be more joined up. There is no joined-up thinking in, certainly, the unsafe discharge that affected my family relative. But, as somebody who represents a large number of elderly constituents, I want some guarantees that this won't happen again to either my constituent, or indeed any constituents of any of the Members sat here. Thank you.

Thank you. And again, I'm very concerned to hear of the experience of your family member. I think it is fair to say we do have real problems in social care—we spoke about those during First Minister's questions. And we have lost a huge number, a significant number, of social care workers, going forward, and we do need that flow from health to social care to improve. It's not unique to Wales. I know that's no comfort to your family member, but it is something that the Minister for Health and Social Services, and the Deputy Minister for Social Services, are working on.

We've heard already today, of course, many references to Qatar's wholly unacceptable record on human rights, reflected in the way that many football supporters have been treated in the last 24 hours. Human rights abuses perpetrated by the Iranian Government, of course, are ones that we must also highlight and condemn, and, given that Wales is playing Iran on Friday, and given now that Welsh footballers aren't able to make their own stand, it's up to all of us to make a stand on their behalf, and on behalf of the men, women and children in Iran who are being persecuted and killed by the abhorrent regime in that country. So, can I ask that the Welsh Government, before the match on Friday, issues an unequivocal statement of condemnation of the Iranian Government for their human rights violations, for their systemic prosecution of minorities, and for their increased use of arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, and, of course, the death penalty? Will you, as a Welsh Government, make that stand?

Thank you. I thought the Iranian football team were incredibly brave in their comments and statements in their press conference following—I think it was following the match yesterday, or before. I will certainly speak with I think it would be the Minister for Social Justice regarding your request.

Could we have a statement, please, from the Minister for Economy on what financial support is available to businesses who find themselves in financial difficulty? There are relatively major employers now in contact with many of us talking about their concerns that they will have to make their workforce redundant over the next days and weeks. To date, there's been no real financial support provided by this Government. It appears that there isn't an understanding in Government of the gravity of the situation for many of these businesses. They don't need long-term advice, they need money—money to help them with their cash flow in the short term, and they don't know to whom they can turn. So, a statement of what support is available and where these people should turn to would be very useful for businesses in Wales at the moment. Thank you.

Well, I disagree profoundly, that you don't believe there's an understanding in the Welsh Government of the difficulties and the challenges that our businesses are facing—of course we do, and Business Wales is there to provide that support. But, as I've said several times in the past hour, our financial settlement doesn't allow us to give huge amounts of funding. But I absolutely recognise the point you're making, and certainly, in relation to energy costs, I think there's a significant number of businesses that have contacted the Minister for Economy. So, if there's anything further he can do, that support will be available via Business Wales.

Could I ask for a statement from the Minister for Finance and Local Government this afternoon regarding the second home and holiday lets levy in Denbighshire specifically? I've been contacted by many people in my constituency recently who are, quite frankly, aghast at the 50 per cent additional council tax levy on their properties and feel put off from investing in the area. They and I believe that the 182-day threshold is far too high and unrealistic of reality. In my brief time so far as a Senedd Member I've only come across one person in my constituency who made the threshold, on just one year only, in 2012, and you could argue that that was an abnormal summer, due to the hot weather, London Olympics and Euro 2012. So, could I have a statement from the Minister explaining what discussions she has had with Denbighshire County Council in regard to this levy and reassure me and my constituents that Denbighshire is open for business and that local people can feel safe in investing in their properties? Thank you.

I think the Minister for Finance and Local Government has been scrutinised many times on the policies that you refer to, so I don't think there's a need for a further statement.

May I make a request for a regular series of statements with regard to the work that is being done to strengthen and reopen Pont y Borth? I've written to the Deputy Minister today. We've heard that work is to start soon on the bridge. We've heard that the bridge will open with a weight restriction early in the new year. We hear that there are issues being considered to mitigate traffic. We hear about considerations with regard to support for business. But we need clear communication with people with regard to what exactly is happening and when. So, can I ask the Government to build into their timetable regular statements to communicate with those people who live on Anglesey and in the Menai area with regard to the nature of the work and the timetable of the work to move towards reopening the bridge, please?

I will certainly ask the Deputy Minister to provide an update before Christmas.

I thank the Trefnydd.