The next item will be 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 on the business statement and announcement, which can be found amongst the meeting papers available to Members electronically.

Trefnydd, I note the health Minister's recent comments regarding her inability in law to dismiss executive members of Betsi Cadwaladr health board, and there seems to be or there may be an implication that the Minister would have dismissed them had she the powers to do so. So, can I ask, Trefnydd, will you confirm whether the Senedd will soon be considering any business relating to giving Ministers the power to dismiss executive members in conjunction with health board chairs?

Obviously, this is a developing situation, and the Minister has meetings, and I'm sure she will update us in due course.

Trefnydd, I'd like to ask for two statements, please. Firstly, I'd like to ask for a statement of clarification about the clean air Bill. Last week's business statement refers to the Minister for Climate Change making a statement on the Environment (Air Quality and Soundscapes) (Wales) Bill. Now, the First Minister and the Minister for Climate Change have consistently referred to it as the 'clean air Bill', so I was a bit confused. The First Minister promised a clean air Bill specifically when he became leader of the Labour Party. It was included in the governing party's manifesto. Indeed, it was announced in the legislative statement and was mentioned again in March. So, can I ask why the change of name now? Is it still a clean air Bill? Is clean air still a Government priority, because, Trefnydd, could you explain why the Bill has been renamed at this late stage?

Secondly, I'd also like to ask for a statement, please, from the transport Minister, regarding the maintenance of trains in the Transport for Wales fleet. I understand a significant proportion of TfW's class 175s had to be pulled from service last week on Wednesday and Thursday because a number of them caught fire within a month. This resulted in over 100 services being curtailed or cancelled, including all services to Treherbert and those services west of Carmarthen. Now, as I understand it, the enclosed engine of the trains requires regular cleaning to prevent fires. This has been managed by the maintenance teams at Canton depot, but apparently the maintenance contract was recently transferred to a new provider. Minor repairs at the Canton depot have now stopped. Could a statement please give us assurance that the class 175s will continue to be properly maintained to avoid a situation like these fires occurring again?

Thank you. With regard to your second question, the class 175 trains are planned to be withdrawn from use here later during this year, 2023, once enough brand-new 197 trains are available to replace them, and at the moment TfW are only operating six of the brand-new trains. So, that was planned anyway. As you say, they have taken a number of their long-distance class 175 trains out of service, just for a short period at the current time, to carry out safety inspections following some concerns, and there have been some recent incidents with those trains. There was a fire in the engine bay of a class 175 train—I think that was last week—and it was the third time that there had been such an incident in a very short period of time, and I know that Transport for Wales have apologised for this disruption caused to passengers. But I think it is the right decision. I think it's really important that those necessary safety inspections are—. You've got to consider the balance, haven't you, of safety risks?

With regard to your first question, the reason for the change in the title is because the Bill has been extended.

Could I have a statement, please, from the Minister for Climate Change on building safety? My colleague Andrew Davies raised the issue today about the shocking situation in Grenfell, with hundreds of residents in Wales still living in fear that they could be caught up in a similar horrific event. We put a question in, asking how many flat fires since Grenfell there have been, since 2017, and there have been 367. So, you can imagine how people are feeling very scared.

Last Wednesday, around 100 individuals participated in the Welsh building safety crisis meeting held here, and it was disappointing—and I'll put in on record—that whilst we did have Rhys ab Owen and Jane Dodds, there was not a single representative from the Government or any of its elected Member. As a few residents put it to us, 'Labour's absence of representation last night is evidence of the lack of empathy and willingness to help leaseholders.'

Llywydd, there are numerous issues that need addressing, but I've put them into a small amount: private leaseholders treated less favourably than social housing and housing association tenants, and financial carnage, with leaseholders left stuck funding measures such as a waking watch. And for those who don't know, a waking watch is where, in some of these blocks, residents have to pay towards somebody being present in the building 24 hours a day, so that if there was a spark or anything, they would be on watch to ensure that it didn't actually turn into a fire. There have been concerns about a lack of mental health support, failed communication with affected residents, building safety surveys arranged by the Welsh Government, and yet, one lady in particular had been waiting 18 months for £75,000. So, there are many aspects to this shocking crisis and I do feel that the Minister should, through you, Trefnydd, provide a statement to this Chamber. Diolch. 

Well, as you know, there is a significant piece of work ongoing regarding building safety, and there isn't a statement timetabled at the current time, but I will ensure that the Minister for Climate Change does update Members, probably in the Easter to summer term. 

I would like a statement, please, on the practical work that will be done by Betsi Cadwaladr health board now that it is under special measures. Particularly, I want to see progress in providing improved primary care in Holyhead and the area. There is a crisis in primary care in Holyhead; there has been ever since two surgeries came under the direct control of Betsi Cadwaladr in 2019. We've won the long-term argument for a new health centre in Holyhead, but, of course, that's going to take some time to deliver. 

But what the two surgeries managed by Betsi Cadwaladr had intended to do was to bring their services together on one site. The hope was that that one site could have been developed by the end of last year, so that there was more flexibility in terms of staffing, and an opportunity to provide better care. It didn't happen, because Betsi Cadwaladr hadn't given it sign-off. We need an assurance that that can happen as a matter or urgency, for the sake of the people of Holyhead, who have suffered for far too long in terms of the level of healthcare available to them, and a statement from Government would be a means of showing that things can hopefully progress slightly quicker. 

I'm not aware of the specific case that you mention in Holyhead. I would think that, probably, the most appropriate way forward would be for you to first either contact or speak to their new director of primary care, Rachel Page, to see what work is being undertaken, rather than having a Government statement. 

Good afternoon, Minister. You wouldn't find me often saying that I support Michael Gove, but I'm afraid, on this particular issue, I can see that, in England, Michael Gove has actually moved the agenda on for those people trapped in buildings that are unsafe. With Janet, and with Rhys, I attended the meeting last Wednesday. We heard very emotional stories. These are very human stories. We heard of a father of an 18-month-old who is terrified of staying, living in his own home. We heard from older people that they had made these flats their investments for life. One pensioner, £500 out of her £800 pension goes on service charges and the waking watch night staff. These are real human stories and, coming up to six years after Grenfell, it feels like the Welsh Government is really well behind the curve on being able to help these people financially, but also in terms of their mental health. So, I would like to ask for a statement from the Minister around the timescale of us actually putting in place remediation action that is going to help these people trapped in buildings in Wales. Thank you. Diolch yn fawr iawn.

Thank you. You will have heard my answer to Janet Finch-Saunders—that I will ensure a statement is brought forward between Easter and summer term. Again, you will have heard the First Minister's answers to the leader of the opposition, and also he referred, I think, to the fact that the Minister for Climate Change will be attending the next meeting of the building safety strategic stakeholder group. So, I do think it's good to let this work continue, and then bring a statement forward.

I didn't actually refer to this in my answer to Janet Finch-Saunders, but there is certainly no lack of empathy or sympathy on behalf of the Welsh Government towards these people. I think you're absolutely right, and I'm sure that a lot of the stories were very emotional. Everybody's entitled to peace in their own home, and, clearly, there are a lot of residents who are very upset and distressed.

I call for a single statement from the health Minister on raising awareness of diabetic ketoacidosis, or DKA, a complication of type 1 diabetes. Yesterday, I met with Dee Pinnington, to discuss her raising-awareness campaign, following the death of her son, Alastair, or Ali, Thomas, in 2018 from DKA, as a complication of his type 1 diabetes. Ali was a singer and musician from Flint, who had two young children, and died of DKA aged 35. He'd been diagnosed at 21. DKA is a life-threatening problem that affects people with diabetes, resulting from increased levels of a chemical called ketones in the blood. It causes excessive thirst, frequent urination, fatigue and vomiting. Although deaths from DKA are preventable, people with DKA need to be seen immediately for treatment. Dee Pinnington has produced a bilingual leaflet with the health board to raise awareness of DKA, which is now in every hospital in north Wales, but she told me that she's trying to get the word out more widely. So, I call for a statement on how the Welsh Government can assist with this accordingly. Thank you.

Thank you. You obviously describe a very distressing situation. I personally have never heard of DKA, so I think it's really good that leaflets have now been made available in every hospital, to ensure that people are aware of this condition. I will certainly ask the Minister for Health and Social Services if there's anything we can do as a Welsh Government to perhaps help with that campaign, and make sure that those leaflets perhaps are even more widely available across Wales.

Trefnydd, I'd like two statements, please, on housing issues, and I'm glad you've indicated already the willingness to give one. But firstly, could the Welsh Government provide an oral statement on the impact of the local housing allowance in Wales? The Bevan Foundation recently found that there's a significant gap between local housing allowance and rent, this leading into poverty and homelessness. And in Wales, 70 per cent of the private rental tenants who get help with their housing costs from local housing allowance do not get enough to cover their rent; 70 per cent, that's the highest proportion in Britain. So, could we look into that, please, Trefnydd?

Secondly, to reiterate the points raised by my colleagues Janet Finch-Saunders and Jane Dodds, could we have a debate, please, on fire safety in our high-rise flats, and the effectiveness of the Welsh building safety fund? I was struck, like Jane Dodds, by some of the comments in that meeting, especially young families, like my own, worried about bringing up their children in their homes, and also retired people, who are struggling financially when they really should be enjoying retirement. There was a real sense of frustration and, at times, anger at that meeting, and, rightly or wrongly, Trefnydd, they really do feel ignored. So, another debate at the Senedd on the effectiveness of the Welsh building safety fund, I think, would go a long way for them to feel heard and feel appreciated. Diolch yn fawr.

Well, I don't think I've got anything further to add to your second question that I haven't already said to both Janet Finch-Saunders and to Jane Dodds. In relation to your first request, I am aware of the Bevan Foundation report, and I believe that the Minister for Climate Change is currently considering that.

Could I ask for a statement from the Government regarding care home provision in Denbighshire? As I've mentioned a couple of times in the Senedd Chamber now, I'm undertaking a programme of care home visits in my constituency, and the common theme that's currently emerging is the fact that care homes that run at, say, for example, a 40/50 capacity, are actually only operating at half of that sometimes, and that's mostly due to the lack of recruitment and retention of staff within care homes, and it's becoming a real issue, obviously with patient flow and discharges from hospital. Part of the issue that care home providers are talking about is the actual care home fee in Denbighshire. And I know I've mentioned it before, and I know the leader of the council gets a little upset with me when I mention it, but it would be remiss of me not to bring it up, because, where there is a slight increase in the care home fee for this financial year, comparatively against other counties—sorry, neighbouring counties—it's the second lowest care home fee provider, only behind Flintshire. Given the density of the population in Rhyl and Prestatyn, together with the amount of elderly people, and, indeed, the care homes that go with that, it's becoming a problem and it's not reflective of the demographics in Denbighshire. So, could I have a statement from the Government outlining some of the training opportunities and what more we can do in Denbighshire and more widely to attract people into care home careers, and to reassure people that it is a rewarding career, and it could be very successful, with the right training and provision in place? Thank you. 

Thank you. I think the Welsh Government have certainly always put forward the very strong case, I think, that it can be a very rewarding career—working in the care home and social care sector. I'm aware that Care Forum Wales—gosh, I think, it's about 12, 13, 14 years ago now—it was a programme that they started to make sure there was professional development for people working in care homes, and the Welsh Government certainly supported that. Recruitment is a real issue. I think we all recognise that. I passed a very large care home, not far from here, the other evening, and there was a big banner outside saying, 'We are recruiting.' It's not an issue just in Wales either, and we certainly saw—. We ask a great deal, don't we, of our staff in our are care homes and social care, and unfortunately we have seen many leave the profession and also issues with recruitment. You will be aware the Welsh Government brought forward the real living wage, which we implemented for social care workers, earlier this year, to deliver on our commitment to introduce it to all social care workers, and we made £43 million available this financial year. 

Trefnydd, I'd like a statement from yourself, in your role as the rural affairs Minister, about the attacks that we're seeing on sheep by dogs in our communities. I've seen on Facebook in my own patch this week two sheep that have died from poor owners letting their dogs off leads in fields where there are livestock that are heavy in lamb. So, can we have, please, a statement from you about what the Welsh Government is doing to tackle this issue to make sure that our farmers do not lose livestock to dog attacks during this very busy period for them? 

Thank you. It's something I take very seriously, and unfortunately, particularly this time of year, when we have lambing, we do see a number of the cases that you refer to. One thing I always encourage is responsible ownership by people with dogs. You'll be aware that we fund—the Welsh Government funds—the rural crime and wildlife commissioner, and it's a piece of work we specifically asked him to look at too. I've also had discussions with DEFRA, because I think the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill is an area where we could improve on the legislation. I'm not sure that all the legislation that we have is fit for purpose. Some of it is very, very old. And, just yesterday, I was in an inter-ministerial group with my counterparts from across the UK and raised the stalling of the kept animals Bill, because we've put a lot of effort into that—and unfortunately, as I say, it is stalled—to encourage them to restart, because I do think it will help with this issue. 

I thank the Trefnydd.