, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice and Chief Whip
Diolch, Llywydd. For many years, service providers and researchers across the sector have been calling for a coherent and integrated Welsh benefits system for all the means-tested benefits the Welsh Government is responsible for. Last week, you launched the…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice and Chief Whip
Thank you. The Equality and Human Rights Commission has very limited resource to enforce or take legal action on individual cases. But the Equality Act states that direct discrimination occurs when people with protected characteristics, including disability…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice and Chief Whip
1. How does the Welsh Government ensure that the Equality Act 2010 is implemented to benefit disabled people in Wales? OQ60590
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice and Chief Whip: Holocaust Memorial Day
Diolch. Well, Holocaust Memorial Day takes place, as we've heard, on 27 January each year—the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp, on 27 January 1945; remembering the millions of people murdered during the…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
The chief executive of Ofcom made the point that we're sending half as many letters as we did in 2011 and receiving many more parcels, but the universal service obligation hasn't changed since then. Ofcom also noted that many other European countries, for the…
, Plenary
Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): Charitable hospice funding
Back in 2006, I hosted an event here, highlighting the essential role played by hospices in providing palliative care services in Wales, and calling on the Welsh Government to address the growing funding crisis they were facing then, attended by every hospice…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Diolch. Speaking here 22 months ago, I quoted legitimate local north Wales resident holiday let business owners, who stated that Welsh Government regulations allowing local authorities to charge a council tax premium of up to 300 per cent on second homes in…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
6. How does the Minister monitor the impact of policies within the Finance and Local Government portfolio on small business? OQ60545
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice and Chief Whip: The Child Poverty Strategy for Wales
Diolch, Llywydd. Welsh Government data, as you know, shows that 28 per cent of children were living in relative income poverty in Wales in 2022. Loughborough University analysis last summer found that more than one in five children are living in poverty in…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Motion under Standing Order 17.42 to resolve to exclude the public from the remainder of the meeting
Members, I propose, in accordance with Standing Order 17.42(ix), that the committee resolves to meet in private for the remainder of today's meeting. Are Members content? Thank you. I note that the Members are content. I'd be grateful if we could move into…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session: Building Safety in Wales
I'm sure I was in a meeting with somebody on Monday with the same backdrop, actually, but from your area, but there we are.
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session: Building Safety in Wales
Okay. Well, thank you to both the Peters, Peter Keates and Peter Richards. You will be sent a draft transcript of today's session for you to check for accuracy before it's published. But that concludes this session, so thanks very much again for being with us…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session: Building Safety in Wales
Thank you. If Members have no further questions, that brings us to the end of our formal questions. Do you have any additional comments you'd like to add?
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session: Building Safety in Wales
Okay, thank you. Natasha Asghar.
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session: Building Safety in Wales
Okay. And then, finally, do you have any final comments to make on how efforts to remediate existing buildings are progressing and being supported, including what further actions you might like to see being taken?
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session: Building Safety in Wales
In that context, some of these buildings—and I think of Cardiff, for example—incorporate tenants and owners within the same buildings. Would you extend your comments to both sets of residents, whether they're social or private tenants and the home owners who…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session: Building Safety in Wales
Okay. In your view, again, to what extent is the approach taken by the Welsh Government sufficient to respond to building safety risks in existing buildings?
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session: Building Safety in Wales
Yes, to what extent do you consider that councils in Wales have a good understanding of building safety risks in existing buildings?
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session: Building Safety in Wales
Okay, thank you. And again, to what extent do you consider that councils in Wales have a good understanding of building safety risks in existing buildings?
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session: Building Safety in Wales
The second part of your answer included Wales. Obviously the first bit was England.
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session: Building Safety in Wales
Okay, thank you. And what support has LABC provided to its members to help their efforts to understand building safety risks in existing buildings?
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session: Building Safety in Wales
You mentioned earlier that there were four key authorities. I think the other one you mentioned was Wrexham. I think it was Mr Keates who referred to the possibility—or it might have been yourself—of a random property in Powys, for example. So, how are the…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session: Building Safety in Wales
Okay. Thank you. We're going to move to the last set of formal questions, which come from me, relating to retrospective remediation. How, in your view, have councils in Wales supported efforts to remediate existing buildings and improve fire safety?
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session: Building Safety in Wales
Thank you. I'll just ask a devil's advocate question, if I may. You've understandably, as a professional body, promoted yourselves as seeking to obtain a contract for audit for councils, for example. Is there a degree of conflict of interest, of poacher and…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session: Building Safety in Wales
Peter Keates.
