, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Digital connectivity in Wales - evidence session 2
Thank you.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Digital connectivity in Wales - evidence session 2
I'm going to be mentioning them in Aberconwy.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Digital connectivity in Wales - evidence session 2
And are you aware of any work that's been done with Pembrokeshire and their digital broadband delivery programme team? I wonder if any other local authorities have thought to themselves—. Are they aware of how well it's—? Because I've always found there's…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Digital connectivity in Wales - evidence session 2
Thank you, Chair. Ogi talk about the benefits of public-private co-operation, for example in Pembrokeshire. How can this good work practice be rolled out more widely?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Digital connectivity in Wales - evidence session 2
Yes.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Digital connectivity in Wales - evidence session 2
Yes. A really simple question: is it as simple as just plugging your phone into the internet, or do you need a different telephone, and are those phones more expensive than a conventional phone?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Digital connectivity in Wales - evidence session 2
Yes. Well, those are the sorts of questions I'll pose to Welsh Government. But the other thing for me that I find quite fascinating is that the last roll-out scheme didn't include any marketing. I felt really that I was doing the job sometimes, because we…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Digital connectivity in Wales - evidence session 2
Yes. Research by the Welsh Government shows that 7 per cent of adults are not online and that access to online services mirrors other inequalities in society. I know in my own constituency, the percentage of people not able to—[Inaudible.]—the internet or…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Digital connectivity in Wales - evidence session 2
What needs to be done by stakeholders, including the Welsh Government, Ofcom and broadband providers to help people get online where broadband options exist?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Digital connectivity in Wales - evidence session 2
Yes. In the last two or three years, I've been fighting for every local community in terms of when BT have tried to take away their little red phone box and things or make it non-workable. Wouldn't you agree that, until this particular system really gets to…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Digital connectivity in Wales - evidence session 2
I have to be honest, I've only learnt today that every authority has a digital officer, so you can bet your life who I'm going to be contacting. Be warned, if they're watching now.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Digital connectivity in Wales - evidence session 2
Because it is difficult when they come to me, even, you know.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Digital connectivity in Wales - evidence session 2
But how do we get that out to those communities?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Digital connectivity in Wales - evidence session 2
So, the question I asked to the earlier panel was: how do we actually get it through to those people who really do feel hard done by because their neighbours have got it and they haven't? How can we empower those few?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Digital connectivity in Wales - evidence session 2
Thank you. If money was no object, which technological solutions are most appropriate to connect that 1 per cent of premises that can't get decent broadband?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Digital connectivity in Wales - evidence session 1
Thank you. Openreach is currently working to connect 39,000 premises to superfast broadband. How effectively do you think Openreach communicate with the communities involved? And there are two points to this question, really. There's the fact that I know at…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Digital connectivity in Wales - evidence session 1
My final point on this is that the Welsh Government's Access Broadband Cymru provides grants to individuals for the installation costs of new broadband connections for homes, and it's about £800. I'm aware that fibre to the premises connections can be…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Digital connectivity in Wales - evidence session 1
I know in the past as a politician, I've called public meetings to grab everybody together with Openreach, BT and so on, and they've worked well. With COVID, we've not even been able to do that. So, there's maybe a cue there.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Digital connectivity in Wales - evidence session 1
Thank you, Chair. From your experience, how empowered do you think people are within these more isolated communities? Because we've almost got to certain schemes, and then it's needed a lead resident, say, to take it forward, and then there's a panic, then…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Digital connectivity in Wales - evidence session 1
I suppose, in terms of parity of access and equality, for me it's about fairness. Some of those 15,000 premises in my constituency are farms, or clusters of three or four houses in some of my most rural and isolated parts. So, I struggle to see how it's fair…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Digital connectivity in Wales - evidence session 1
Diolch, Chair. Ofcom estimates that around 15,000 or 1 per cent of premises cannot get a decent broadband service of at least 10 Mbps download speed from either fixed or fixed wireless networks. Do you agree with me that public money should be used to connect…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Climate Change: Welsh Housing Quality Standard 2
Now, I agree with the core principle that houses owned by associations and local authorities have to be in a good, presentable and habitable condition, but I think some might question whether the Welsh housing quality standard has worked to its best ability…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Climate Change: Welsh Housing Quality Standard 2
Thank you for the statement, and, Minister, can I just say how nice it is to see you back in this Chamber and how you've been in our thoughts in recent weeks?
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
On 29 March, the Minister for Climate Change stated, and I quote: 'Once the Building Safety Bill receives royal assent the task will be to bring forward the necessary regulations'. Well, last month, the Bill received Royal Assent, so I'm sure that you as…
, Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: The Welsh Economy
Fact: poor stewardship of the economy by Welsh Labour has led to Wales having the highest business rates in the United Kingdom, the lowest weekly wages, and the lowest amount of disposable household income in the United Kingdom. The Welsh Conservatives…
