23 October 2024 , Plenary
Debate on the Petitions Committee Report, 'A cashless society? P-06-1335: Welsh Government should take steps to ensure vulnerable adults without bank cards can pay with cash'
Thank you to Carolyn Thomas, the Chair, for opening the debate and to Jack Sargeant who was the Chair for the majority of the period that we took evidence on this issue. And the evidence was very powerful from people living with disabilities and owners of…
23 October 2024 , Plenary
Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): Assisted dying
I will be voting in favour today—just. I do have major concerns. I believe that it's an important debate for us to have, and I thank you, Julie Morgan, for bringing forward this important debate. For me, it's mercy that wins the day, but the dangers are also…
23 October 2024 , Plenary
Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): Assisted dying
I don't think the use of the words 'state-sanctioned killing' helps anybody, as some have described it as such. Of course, some here who described it as state-sanctioned killing can justify the state-sanctioned killing of others, including innocent people…
23 October 2024 , Plenary
Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): Assisted dying
I have very mixed feelings regarding this very complex matter. Truth be told, who am I to have a say? I don't have a terminal diagnosis. I don't live every day in appalling pain and I'm not dependent on others for my care. On one hand, medicine ensures that…
23 October 2024 , Plenary
90-second Statements
Twenty years ago, a group of us, led and inspired by Rob Nicholls, assembled in the vestry of Tabernacl chapel in Cardiff to form Côr Meibion Taf. Since then, the choir has been victorious at the National Eisteddfod, local eisteddfods, and in several music…
23 October 2024 , Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
Thank you, Minister. According to the recent Veterans' Commissioner for Wales's report, Veterans' NHS Wales spends around £1,600 per veteran seeking mental health services; in England, the figure is over double that at £3,400. There, veterans receive support…
23 October 2024 , Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
6. What is the Welsh Government doing to ensure that armed forces veterans living in Wales receive the healthcare they need? OQ61744
22 October 2024 , Plenary
Statement by the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery: The Legislation (Procedure, Publication and Repeals) (Wales) Bill
Thank you for the statement, Cabinet Secretary. It might be technical, but I genuinely believe it's an important step forward to give parity to Welsh law, to improve Welsh law, and to make Welsh law more accessible. I'll give an admission now: around 15 years…
15 October 2024 , Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language: Welsh language communities
Minister, Cowbridge Road was a sea of red this morning, not because of last night's football game but because schoolchildren were wearing red to go to school to celebrate Diwrnod Shwmae Su'mae. Some parts of Cardiff now have a greater proportion of Welsh…
15 October 2024 , Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Further and Higher Education: Tertiary education
Thank you, Minister. I like the three Cs, and I'm sure that this was entirely intentional, but the three Cs work in Welsh too: cydlafurio, cydweithio and cymuned. But could I be so bold as—? I agree with Heledd Fychan, there is another C missing. On Diwrnod…
15 October 2024 , Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
As Delyth Jewell reminded us, history is important. It was one of Cardiff's busy docks that was on this site—a dock that was opened to take the coal that went to all four corners of the globe. The historian Dr John Davies told me that the waste from the…
14 October 2024 , Petitions Committee
Updates to previous petitions
Very similar response. Again, I encourage the petitioner here to get involved with the work of the Children, Young People and Education Committee, perhaps respond to what the Welsh Government has said, but, again, thank her for raising this important matter…
14 October 2024 , Petitions Committee
Updates to previous petitions
Thank you very much, Cadeirydd. It's heartening to see the amount of work that is going into this very important area, which needs to be considered properly, and a significant amount of work including stakeholders. By the end of this Senedd term, the…
14 October 2024 , Petitions Committee
Updates to previous petitions
Thank you very much. Diolch yn fawr, Gadeirydd. Of course, the junior department has closed. We've heard a lot recently about the cuts in arts and culture; I'm sure we'll hear even more whilst the draft budget is scrutinised later on in this autumn. We had, I…
14 October 2024 , Petitions Committee
Updates to previous petitions
Thank you, Cadeirydd. We probably all remember why this has come about. This is the second time we've considered this. On the last occasion, the committee wrote to the Llywydd, to seek clarity on what the position was. The Llywydd has very helpfully come back…
14 October 2024 , Petitions Committee
Updates to previous petitions
It's good that this committee has helped Peter with his holiday plans for next year. [Laughter.]
14 October 2024 , Petitions Committee
Updates to previous petitions
A caravanner—did you know this?
14 October 2024 , Petitions Committee
Updates to previous petitions
Diolch, Cadeirydd. This is the seventh time we've considered this petition including, on one occasion, we held an evidence session with regard to this. It's clear that there are some serious gaps in provision across Wales, which particularly hits rural Wales…
14 October 2024 , Petitions Committee
New Petitions
No, not at all, I was happy to do it, Chair—
14 October 2024 , Petitions Committee
New Petitions
Of course, but I think it was on the royal college. Did we agree that I was covering the royal college item?
9 October 2024 , Plenary
Debate on the Petitions Committee Report, 'Freedom to thrive: Free and accessible public transport for young people'
There are several reasons why I support this principle today, but this afternoon I'd like to focus on two in particular. First, as Peredur said, we have to change people's habits. Psychologists say that a habit takes time to develop, and I'm sure that all of…
9 October 2024 , Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language
Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. I have a cousin, as it happens, who was in the same year as you in school in Carmarthen, and although his parents speak Welsh—I don't have any stories—but although his parents speak Welsh, he is quite adamant that he cannot speak…
9 October 2024 , Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language
6. What are the Government's plans to increase people's confidence in speaking Welsh? OQ61642
8 October 2024 , Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education: Welsh-medium education through late immersion
Thank you, Cabinet Secretary, for this important work and for your very natural contribution in Welsh at the start of the statement. I hope that your confidence will only grow from now on. I remember in the early 1990s, in 1990, people calling my mother cruel…
2 October 2024 , Plenary
Debate on the Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee Report, 'Natural Resources Wales—Annual Scrutiny 2023-24'
The new First Minister said on her election that the Welsh Government could tackle many challenges, such as the climate crisis, whilst focusing on health. But, as Llyr Huws Gruffydd said in opening the debate, our environment is essential to our health; there…
