Welsh Labour

Speeches and questions

Speeches and questions in Plenary and in committees, newest first. The Llywydd's and deputies' chairing of Plenary is left out.

943 speeches and questions

4 February 2026Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Minister for Children and Social Care and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Well, it's—. The auditor did say it was required, but it's not something that I would argue with. I think we do want to see that transformation at scale, so that's definitely the Government's objective. If the question is, 'What contribution can the planning…
4 February 2026Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Minister for Children and Social Care and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Chair, I might ask—. Nick, do you want to come in on the overall approach to managing the delivery of the MAG report?
4 February 2026Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Minister for Children and Social Care and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Yes, well, I think there are two things, Chair, that are happening. So, NHS Wales Performance and Improvement are scoping and engaging with the service on how a different framework can be developed—a quality management system. And you mentioned specifically…
4 February 2026Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Minister for Children and Social Care and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
[Inaudible.] 'Too many' perhaps is the obvious answer.
4 February 2026Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Minister for Children and Social Care and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
I don't know.
4 February 2026Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Minister for Children and Social Care and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Can I hand over to Sarah for that?
4 February 2026Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Minister for Children and Social Care and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Well, I'm trying to distinguish between the escalation and the causes for the escalation. So, the answer to your first question is 'no'. The answer to the second question is, probably, 'yes'.
4 February 2026Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Minister for Children and Social Care and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Well, there's a plethora of engagement around escalation, so there'll be a plan that identifies what needs to happen and what needs the organisation has. There's quite an extensive architecture of meetings around supervision and monitoring and support and…
4 February 2026Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Minister for Children and Social Care and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Okay, well, I think it's probably—. I'll try and decouple that, in a way. So, the public accountability meeting for Digital Health and Care Wales took place last week—you and colleagues may have seen that—and obviously is happening against the backdrop of the…
4 February 2026Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Minister for Children and Social Care and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Yes, that's the purpose of this contract. It's not just what you say that's important, that dentists return, but also that those who are already doing NHS work increase that provision. Both things are important.
4 February 2026Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Minister for Children and Social Care and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Well, as I said, in terms of the values of the contracts, those have been coming down, as it happens. So, that's a good sign, I think. The purpose of the new contract is to ensure that patients can get the service that they need more easily. Specifically…
4 February 2026Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Minister for Children and Social Care and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
The regulations are being laid next week. In terms of the reaction from the profession, of course, any change comes with challenges. It's popular with some, less popular with others, but, generally, we see people preparing for that. There was a discussion in…
4 February 2026Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Minister for Children and Social Care and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
I do think that we are doing that already. I will write specifically to you on oncologists, because it's a question that you've asked for information specifically on. But I would say, in general, what we can do, and we have managed to do, is to ensure, as I…
4 February 2026Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Minister for Children and Social Care and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
It's important that we don't make a political point over something that ensures that the NHS works well. You have a Bill going through Westminster that has an impact on Wales—this happens, of course, on a regular basis. What I can tell the committee—and the…
4 February 2026Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Minister for Children and Social Care and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Well, as you know, this is Westminster legislation, so we're responding to a timetable that is going on in Westminster. There is an impact on Wales. Welsh Ministers have powers in the Bill that is going through the Parliament as a result of our requirement as…
4 February 2026Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Minister for Children and Social Care and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
There has been good collaboration between the four Governments around this Bill, so that's to be welcomed. On one level, I'm not surprised at that, because the co-ordination that's happening currently at administrative level is already going on. So, this is…
4 February 2026Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Minister for Children and Social Care and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Well, I don't appoint, it's something for the civil service. Perhaps I could ask Jacqueline to answer that.
4 February 2026Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Minister for Children and Social Care and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Well, just to give you context, you've asked this question to me recently in the Chamber, and I have the same reply for you today as I gave you in the Chamber. It is important that we do fill that role, of course, but in terms of progress in terms of AHP…
4 February 2026Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Minister for Children and Social Care and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Yes, we do have an equivalent one. My main observation in this area, I think, and we see it—. One of the areas where it's been at least most visible to me is in the area of allied health professionals, both in the health service and in social care settings…
4 February 2026Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Minister for Children and Social Care and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Well, I do think we shouldn't regard that as a systemic issue; obviously, it does arise. I would say that, in general, the reason for that, when it occurs—the reason for it is often around sequencing, timing questions. So, if we're talking about doctors, for…
4 February 2026Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Minister for Children and Social Care and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Okay. So, I think I touched earlier on the point that I think this is a challenge that is quite specific, really, so there are some geographies and some specialties. I would say that perhaps the most challenging areas for us are in mental health, learning…
4 February 2026Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Minister for Children and Social Care and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Well, you have to—. I think artificial intelligence is a challenge in all sectors, particularly, isn't it, so I think that will be—. The pace at which developments are occurring in the context of artificial intelligence is dramatic, obviously. My own view is…
4 February 2026Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Minister for Children and Social Care and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Obviously, the health service is its staff, its workforce, isn't it? So, it's a critical question. In terms of the sustainability of the workforce, I think over the course of this Senedd term what we have seen in practice is—. I'm sure we'll talk about…
4 February 2026Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Minister for Children and Social Care and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Jeremy Miles, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care.
27 January 2026Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care: NHS Waiting Times
The Member makes a point about two-year waits. I hadn't said at any point that nobody in Wales today is waiting for more than two years, so there isn't a data question. I've set out the numbers, and they are accurate, they are validated, and they're tested by…