, Local Government and Housing Committee
Social housing supply: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Diolch, Cadeirydd. We published that new approach to the LHMAs in March 2022. They have come a long way, but I do recognise there's still a long way to go. We've seen huge improvement in the consistency and quality of the LMHAs to date, but we are on a…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Social housing supply: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
There's a lot of work that has gone on, and there's a lot more to do. I remain committed to using every means possible to deliver much-needed homes for the people of Wales, both in the short and long term.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Social housing supply: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Diolch, Cadeirydd. And thank you very much for the opportunity to set out a few remarks, as I am very new in post. I'd like to thank the committee, first of all, for the opportunity to give evidence here today. I'd also like to put on record my thanks to…
, Plenary
Nomination of the First Minister under Standing Order 8
Eluned Morgan.
, Plenary
Plaid Cymru Debate: Mental health and learning disability services at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
As I said, I'm going to see the health board next week and I'll be meeting with the vice-chair and I'll be seeing for myself and being able to speak with the health board and the vice-chair. And, as I said, this will be the first of many quarterly meetings…
, Plenary
Plaid Cymru Debate: Mental health and learning disability services at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I want to start by apologising to everyone who has received care from Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board that falls below the high standards we set for the NHS in Wales. We take this very seriously and are continuing to work with…
, Plenary
Plaid Cymru Debate: Mental health and learning disability services at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
Formally move.
, Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Mental Health and Early Years
Diolch yn fawr. And thank you for your work.
, Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Mental Health and Early Years
Yes. Thank you, Sam. I know how passionate you are, working in this area and the work that you've done on that. This is an area where social prescribing really does help and does work, and I'm very happy, perhaps, to join a cross-party group to hear as…
, Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Mental Health and Early Years
—that could help.
, Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Mental Health and Early Years
Thank you, John. First of all, just following on from the point around early years, I just want to say again, this is something that I'd really like to see what opportunities are around in this area. So, it's still early for me in this post, but this is where…
, Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Mental Health and Early Years
Thank you, John. Absolutely—again, this is an area that I would really like to focus on in this portfolio. As I mentioned earlier, early years really is the key to so much, isn't it? And I think the attachment, parent-child attachment, is something that we…
, Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Mental Health and Early Years
Thank you, Joyce. I’ll just say on that, yes, absolutely—you've highlighted football as an example, and it seems that you can bet on so many things within that now, and you can do that from your phone. I can assure you that I will work with whichever…
, Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Mental Health and Early Years
Thank you, Joyce. I fully agree that we need a comprehensive system-wide approach to tackling gambling. We asked Public Health Wales to undertake a health needs assessment in order for us to understand the needs of people in Wales experiencing harms from…
, Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Mental Health and Early Years
Absolutely, yes. Thank you, Joyce. With tackling substance misuse in that area, our approach is rooted in harm reduction, which I think is really important. Addiction is a health and care issue, as opposed to one that is in the criminal justice system, and I…
, Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Mental Health and Early Years
Diolch, Heledd. Absolutely, our mental health workforce is crucial. They do an incredible job under a huge amount of pressure. I met with Health Education and Improvement Wales and Social Care Wales on 22 May for an update on the implementation of the…
, Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Mental Health and Early Years
And just to say, the JCC will report on progress of their work through the joint ministerial assurance board, which I'll chair. I haven't had that opportunity yet, but I look forward to doing that.
, Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Mental Health and Early Years
Diolch, Heledd. The committee aims to simplify and streamline those previous arrangements by creating one central point of NHS commissioning expertise in Wales. This will also strengthen arrangements for mental health. Officials have had a strong working…
, Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Mental Health and Early Years
Absolutely. The points and cases that you refer to, Heledd, are incredibly tragic, and I feel that that's something that we have to acknowledge, and it's in terms of how we learn from those cases. Some of those points are around ensuring that learning is done…
, Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Mental Health and Early Years
Diolch, Heledd. Prevention and early intervention is a priority for me to ensure that specialist services better meet the needs of people with severe and enduring mental health illnesses. Our draft strategy sets out our commitment to ensure access to quality…
, Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Mental Health and Early Years
Yes, absolutely. I think it's really important how we discuss suicide, and I think that is all ages, really, and if we're able to do that in a sensitive way—. And I think, again, it's how things are reported and if we don't talk about it in that way, with the…
, Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Mental Health and Early Years
Thank you, Sam. I think, you know, it's—. It is an issue. I don't know if Alex, perhaps, has some specifics on the data around social media. I think the way we discuss suicide and talk about suicide is really important, and that's how it's reported, whether…
, Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Mental Health and Early Years
Yes, absolutely. I just want to say 'thank you', Sam, and every death by suicide is a tragedy and we must be doing everything we can to prevent that. I think that's why the strategy's really, really important. Again, in a previous role, I was chair of the…
, Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Mental Health and Early Years
I think this surveillance data is a real game changer, again, with the data from the ONS. I don’t know if, Alex, you want to come in on that.
, Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Mental Health and Early Years
We can share with you the annual report. We use that alongside the publication of the Office for National Statistics data. Overall, rates are broadly in line with pre-COVID rates in 2018. For example, over the last 10 years, there was an average of 330…
