Plenary

The next item is questions to the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution, and the first question is from Carolyn Thomas.

Thank you for your question. I have an introductory meeting with the new Attorney-General soon, and I also hope to meet the Lord Chancellor and Ministry of Justice ministerial team in due course. I will, of course, be making the case for devolution of justice during these discussions.

Thank you for your answer. I have recently been contacted by a constituent who, sadly, lost her son and is now part of a group seeking coroners to be held accountable to a public body. Should justice be devolved to the Senedd? I believe it should. What considerations have you given to this issue? Thank you.

Thank you for that supplementary question. The issue of coroners' courts is an important one, and it's one that I think I've raised in this Chamber several times, but it was also considered in the Thomas commission and is also referred to in 'Delivering Justice for Wales'. Can I say, first of all, in terms of your constituent—and I know as someone who represented many people in coroners' courts over the years—that my heart goes out? I know the impact of such tragedies on people, on families, which stay with them for all of their lives. I suppose the starting point, in terms of accountability, is, of course, as with all processes—and, of course, the coroner's court is a court of record, so it has a rather unusual but historic origin—the importance of independence and separation from Government, so, obviously not about accountability to us as a Senedd or to public bodies, but rather its role within the judicial system.

Bearing in mind also that coroners' courts, the coroners, are, effectively, fully funded within Wales—they're funded by the local authorities; they are publicly funded in that particular way—and I think there is a natural role for those to be within a devolved justice system in their own right, and that is a case I've made and it's a case that I will continue to put. I think it has an unanswerable case for that in its own right, and bearing in mind the particular purpose of the coroners' courts as well.

Thank you for the question. Victims policy remains the responsibility of the UK Government. As a Government, we are committed to improving outcomes for victims in Wales. We believe that every victim should be treated with dignity and respect, and with access to the services that they need.

As you well know, many of the services that victims require are actually devolved to Wales and, at the end of June, when I asked the Prif Weinidog whether he was satisfied with the current system, he said that the

'system has so far served us well.'

Well, in the resignation letter of last week by Dame Vera Baird, she complained about a lack of engagement from the very top in the Ministry of Justice. She complained about the priorities of the Westminster Government. She went on to say:

'It is no exaggeration to say that the criminal justice system is in chaos.'

Does the Welsh Government still believe that victims here in Wales are well served by having a victims' commissioner that is answerable and accountable to a Whitehall that doesn't listen?

Thank you for the question. I'm aware of the letter that the victims' commissioner, Dame Vera Baird, recently sent. Can I just mention just a couple of points? I think the first one is, in terms of my colleague, the Minister for Social Justice, I know that she had met with Dame Vera Baird on a number of occasions to talk about the issues relating to victims, and also with other bodies. I think what is the case is, in the devolved areas, I think there is an enormous amount of very positive and constructive work that goes on within our devolved responsibilities for victims and for the support of victims, and the work that we do we try to do in actual partnership.

But can I just say that the letter from Dame Vera Baird does raise a number of very serious issues? And I think they really relate to those reserved areas of justice that relate to victims where I think it is clear that there has been failure, and increasing failure. There had been promises, in terms of a victims Bill, which may have positive elements to it, but it's very, very early days on that; I think it is in draft form at the moment, but due to be tabled in the not too distant future. We'll obviously look at that very, very closely. So, we will continue with those areas where we have devolved input, and there are many areas. Many of the functions are reserved, but, of course, the consequences come within devolved capacities, and those are the ones that I know the Minister for Social Justice and others have been working very, very closely on. But it is worth listening to what she said. She did say that the victims Bill remains inadequate; she also referred to the British bill of rights, which has been stayed—it has been delayed, not taken away; and she raised serious concerns about the logjams in the justice system.

But, in particular, what she actually does say is that she considers that at the UK Government level there has been a downgrading of focus on the issue of victims. She says that

'the criminal justice system is in chaos.'

The downgrading of victims’ interests in governmental priorities, along with the sidelining of the victims’ commissioner, are particular areas of critique, and those are areas that we would want to see addressed—areas that we'd want to see addressed differently in a devolved justice system.

In terms of where we go from here, we will, of course, work and liaise with the UK Government in respect of the victims Bill. We will particularly focus on those areas that are not reserved and what the impact might be on those. We remain, as a Government, really committed to improving outcomes for victims and to the full exercise of our devolved responsibilities, but also to greater responsibility in terms of support for victims.

Questions now from the party spokespeople. Conservative spokesperson, Darren Millar.

Thank you, Presiding Officer. Will the Minister make a statement on the evaluation undertaken by the Electoral Commission into advance voter pilots in Wales?

Thank you for the question. I have already, actually, made a statement on that—a written statement has been issued. It was a statement that, I think, had quite a number of positives, because it showed that many of the technical issues and problems that would emerge from a digitised electoral system can be overcome and that they can be administered, and those lessons we will learn, I think, when we consider, as we develop the policy in respect of our own electoral reform, legislation. Just to say, on several occasions I've met with the Electoral Commission. We have discussed the report. I have met the new chair of the Electoral Commission as well to discuss that, and the outcome of those discussions, I think, has been very positive.

Thank you for that response. I notice that you didn't refer to the actual impact on voter turnout, of course, which was the whole primary reason for having these advance voter pilots take place in the local authorities where they did. The Electoral Commission report makes it absolutely clear that the voter turnout in each of the four local authorities—Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly and Torfaen—actually went down; there was no increase whatsoever. It didn't only just go down in line with the national average; it actually went down further than the national average in those local authority elections, which took place across Wales. Do you accept, therefore, that the best way to promote advance voting is, actually, through the existing system that we already have, which is postal votes—that we don't actually need these other so-called innovations, which you believe were necessary?

No I don't, and I think your premise is, actually, wrong, because the primary reason was not to suddenly show some significant turnaround in voter turnout, because there have been other, similar pilots around the country from time to time that have also been exploring technological options and so on. You do not change the culture of elections and people's perceptions—not without a massive publicity campaign and not without a whole series of educational processes in something that would be an across-the-board change to the electoral system.

These were pilots, and they were very technical pilots and they were pilots that had a very significant focus on (1) putting the legislation in place to enable them to take place; secondly, in terms of the technology and the challenges with regard to the electoral register and so on. The fact of the matter is, and it's shown in the report of the Electoral Commission, that those were very productive and very positive. For me, that was the main experience; there was no indication, in my view, that this was somehow going to result in some massive turnabout. There are important lessons to be learned, and those will feed into the policy discussions and work that is going on at the moment with regard to the reform of our electoral system.

The advance voter pilots, Minister, no matter how much gloss you try to put on this, were an unmitigated disaster. They cost over £1.5 million, and the cost of each voter, effectively, if you divide the number of voters who took the opportunity to vote in advance, through the new system that you piloted, was £845 per vote. I think that most people in Wales will think that that is frankly a huge waste of money and that you should therefore abandon any of the sorts of approaches to advance voting that you piloted earlier in the year. Given the excessive costs, the waste to the taxpayers' purse and the fact that it did not deliver the increased turnout that you set out when you made a statement about these advance voter pilots that you were looking for, don’t you accept again that the best way to promote advance voter turnout is through the postal vote system?

I think the postal vote system is certainly one system in a whole variety of ways. One of the advantages to digitisation of the electoral register and having different voting systems is of course that it makes voting more accessible. It makes it more accessible to those who have a particular disability—there are far more options there—and it is far more inclusive. And don't forget, at the same time as the pilots were being carried out, of course, there were normal voting systems—traditional voting systems—taking place as well.

I don’t accept your premise. It is the typical sort of Tory response to pilots that are aimed at modernising the electoral system, creating a twenty-first century robust, accessible and modern electoral system. It seems to me that the Conservative approach is to know the price of everything, but the value of absolutely nothing.

Our reform will continue. There will be further debates in this Chamber. You will have the opportunity at that stage to question and to query. But I tell you one thing we will not do: we will not seek to go down the road that the UK Government is going with its elections Bill, which has been to introduce mechanisms that are aimed at actually restricting people from voting, changing voting systems to make them more advantageous to the Conservative Party, as you did with the mayoralties. This is purely about us, taking, I believe, a leading role—an exemplar role—in modernising our electoral system and using technology to make sure that every opportunity is there for those who want to vote and to encourage participation in the voting system.

Plaid Cymru spokesperson, Rhys ab Owen.

Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. On 5 July, the First Minister said that the Environmental Protection (Single-use Plastic Products) (Wales) Bill would be used as a practical example with the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020. It was for that reason that the Stage 1 process was bypassed. On Monday, in front of the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee, the Minister for Climate Change said that it has now been expedited for us to catch up with England and Scotland, and that it wasn't going to be used as a practical example with the UK internal market Act. When I asked her when this reasoning changed, she suggested that I ask you, and now I have an opportunity to ask you, Cwnsler Cyffredinol. So, who is correct: the First Minister, back in July, or the environment Minister on Monday?

Well, thank you for the question. I’m glad you’ve had the opportunity to ask it, and the simple answer is: they’re both correct, because there are two aspects to this. One, of course, is that we want to expedite for all the reasons that have been outlined in terms of the importance of the single-use plastics Bill, getting that through, and of course in terms of the timescale within the World Trade Organization time limit that’s been set. So, all those things exist and are perfectly valid.

But there is also a very valid role that I’m still keeping under very close consideration in respect of our challenge to the internal market Act. One of the difficulties I have in terms of making a very clear position and a very clear decision as to precisely what steps we will take is that my option to refer doesn’t arise until the legislation has actually been passed. There may be the issue to consider as to whether, in fact, UK Government would choose to refer this. There may also be the alternative in fact that, within perhaps the not-too-distant future, there’ll be a change of Government and we’ll have the abolition of the internal market Act, which would save us an awful lot of trouble and inconvenience.

So, I suppose really what I’m saying is that all those options are there and the reasons for the expedition are there, but they are twofold. It’s just that, in terms of the precise step forward that we take once the legislation is passed, it is a matter for me to consider at that time and I will of course make a statement at that stage.

I'm very pleased to hear that answer, Cwnsler Cyffredinol, because that wasn't the impression given at the committee on Monday. I'm sure you'd agree with me there'll always be some policy importance for any legislation—we wouldn't pass any legislation in this place unless it was important. So, reasons could be used to bypass Stage 1, or whatever stage, at any point. But scrutiny is very important, and the removal of the Stage 1 process in this Bill will lead to less stakeholder engagement. The increased use of legislative consent motions in this place leads to less scrutiny. The behaviour of the Westminster Government, and the lack of inter-governmental relations, has also led to a lack of scrutiny. Now, it's correct that Welsh Bills, Bills affecting Welsh people, should be properly scrutinised here. We have seen time and time again knee-jerk legislation, legislation rushed through in Westminster, which is poor law. Less scrutiny leads to poor law. Do you agree with me, do you share with me the concern about a lack of scrutiny of Welsh law, law that affects Welsh people? And if you do share my concern, what are you going to do to address it?

Well, listen, I have said many times, and you've heard me say it as well, about the importance of scrutiny, the importance of the role of your committee, which I think does an incredibly important job in terms of the scrutiny of legislation. You heard me also comment on the constitutional anomalies and dysfunctions that exist in our constitutional relationship with the UK Government, in terms of their legislative programme and the impact that has, and the way in which legislation through the legislative consent process can often bypass, and does in fact bypass, what would be proper scrutiny of legislation. So, we're aware of those particular dysfunctions that exist.

Can I just say, if I firstly just go back to the single-use plastics Bill, that I read the transcript of the evidence given? I don't disagree with anything that is set there. I think the difficulty others have, of course, is that, ultimately, the decision on whether to refer the tactical and strategic issues that are around that, of course, will be within my domain, but don't really materialise in full until I've seen the final version of the Bill, and also until it has come to me for that consideration with regard to whether I exercise, or not, my powers to actually refer it.

And of course, irrespective of all of that at the moment, our position remains completely clear that we do not believe the internal market Act overrides our own devolved powers and responsibilities. We had hoped much, much earlier that that would have been clarified and that the Supreme Court would have taken the option, or the opportunity, to clarify that. It hasn't rejected our arguments; it just basically has said that it needs to consider them when it has a practical example for them. When that practical example comes, we need to be ready to actually do that and to deliver that. But that will be a consideration I'll make in due course, once the legislation has been passed. And I will, of course, make sure that there is a proper statement and debate in this Chamber.

Thank you for your question. A full copy of the Bill, including new policy content on the sunsetting of retained EU law, was only shared with Welsh Government officials less than 24 hours before its introduction on 22 September. We are giving the Bill due consideration to understand the impact on Wales.

I take it that that was said in the positive vein, and that you are actually going to be very positive about bringing more law here that we can all look at. Because as the Counsel General will know, Wales, along with the majority of the British people, voted unreservedly to leave the European Union—I nearly said 'onion' then—and to remove ourselves from the unelected and dysfunctional bureaucracy in Brussels. [Interruption.] The purpose of the Retained EU Law (Reform and Revocation) Bill is to begin to decide, of course, which parts of former EU law should be retained, and which should expire, in conjunction with the devolved administrations, as outlined by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. This legislation was never intended to remain on the statute book permanently. Yet, I do feel that there seems to be some thought by you, Counsel General, that retaining laws introduced by an unelected bureaucracy in a foreign country is indeed preferable to having those laws reviewed by a democratically elected UK Government, of which—[Interruption.]

You need to ask—. The Member needs to ask the question, and Members need to allow her to ask the question.

Thank you. Of which, whether you like it or not, Wales—

But you do need to ask the question, Janet.

—Wales remains a very integral part. Can you confirm why there is this negativity? Diolch.

Well, can I start by saying that I suppose it's very clear that the Member hasn't read the legislation, otherwise she might have more concerns about the way in which it is proceeding?

The first part of it is to say that I had meetings with Mr Rees-Mogg before the change in Prime Minister, and I've had a recent meeting as well, specifically to discuss the Bill. The issues that I think concern us, first of all, are that what has now appeared—and it appears to be the result of a very unfortunate and ill-thought-out comment that was made during the Prime Ministerial leadership election—is that, suddenly, we would get rid of all this stuff by the end of December 2023, without any real consideration of what the implications of that were. So, that is something that is a major concern because there are 2,400 of these. We could be sitting non-stop, every hour, every second, every minute of the day for the next five years and we would not properly be able to consider 2,400 items of legislation.

Secondly, it does not deal also with the issue of devolved legislation. And, also, what it does not do is actually delineate what the aspects are of those 2,400. All we actually have is a schedule listing all those items. So, firstly, there is an enormous amount of work, which Scotland has also raised, I think, and we have raised, that actually has the potential to derail the whole legislative processes of the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government, and indeed the UK Government. So, it's most unfortunate that it is being presented in that particular way. Nevertheless, we will be looking at that to address how we might be able to deal with it. We have to do that.

The second thing is that there is some provision for an extension of the sunset in certain areas. At the moment, that is only with the UK Government. So, we have made a number of very important points. Firstly, in respect of the power to extend, it should be one that Welsh Ministers should also have. We've also said that the power to assimilate, restate and revoke, clearly, will be something for Welsh Ministers as well. The ability to actually intervene in any legal proceedings where there's the issue of the status of EU law should also be with Welsh Ministers, both in respect of devolved legislation, but also UK legislation that has an impact on devolved responsibilities.

So, I suppose the other point as well is that, of course, we have an approach that is one where we actually want to know what the implications would be of point-blank revocation in terms of standards in so many areas. And the difficulty is, at this stage, that it is impossible to evaluate what all of those are.

So, having had the meeting with the Minister on 28 September, I've sought assurances. I can say that the meeting was very positive. I think there were very positive commitments that were expressed in respect of this not overturning any devolved powers or responsibilities; that we would be in a position to retain the legislation that we wished to retain; that any changes to legislation in devolved areas will remain with us. Now, as we know with the UK Government, I take that in the spirit in which it has been offered, and we'll wait to see what that means in detail.

I apologise.

I thought it was a timely fire alarm.

So, there are very significant implications. With respect to the Member, I just want to say this: what you mustn't do is underestimate the actual impact, the actual challenge, the actual demand that this has. I think there are serious concerns across all the Governments and nations of the UK, in the various departments, even in the UK Government, as to how on earth this can actually be delivered within the timescale that is being suggested. Beware of promises that are made at haste and then repented at leisure.

My approach will be to ensure that, firstly, the promises that have been made in respect of devolved responsibilities are upheld. We will do everything we can to protect the standards that we consider are important within Wales, and this will be a matter that I will, obviously, be making further statements on in due course. Of course, it will engage very much the legislative consent process and also create an enormous amount of work for the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee.

That reminds us all that we need to check our phones are off or on silent before we enter the Chamber. [Laughter.] Huw Irranca-Davies.

Indeed, Dirprwy Lywydd. I don't know whose phone that was that went off, but clearly the Llywydd is going to have a word with them, I'm sure.

Dirprwy Lywydd, can I just check, is this grouped?

Yes.

It is, thank you very much. Counsel General, the assurance you've given following the meeting you've recently had gives some quiet assurance to us that the UK Government is minded to tread very carefully on devolved competences in this area, but I know you've previously said that this Bill, if we get it wrong, could give UK Ministers unfettered authority to legislate in devolved areas, so it shows the criticality of getting that right and having real respect both up and down the M4 corridor.

So, my query is this, Counsel General: you've just mentioned the workload—we like heavy workloads on our committee—with 2,400 pieces of legislation. We don't know which of those yet actually do trespass on devolved areas and which are within reserved competence. We're going to have to deal with them by the end of next year. Have you got any suggestions how we work that into our programme of work on top of everything else we're doing?

Can I perhaps start with the opening of your question, which is your statement that your committee enjoys heavy workloads, because that is something that will be emerging? It is a serious issue and I think we need to give it some very careful thought. We are giving careful thought to whether there are ways in which we can restate, for example, en bloc, legislation and then give us more time that way to do it.

The initial point that I raised, firstly, is that, obviously, we need to have the proper powers. There should be no intrusion into devolved powers. I've been given those assurances. Now, obviously, the devil is always in the detail in legislation, but it is a body of work that could be similar in scale to, and probably even larger than, that we had for the retained EU law in preparation for leaving the European Union. For that, you'll recall Welsh Government made over 75 correcting statutory instruments and consented to over 230 UK Government statutory instruments. Part of the difficulty is that we don't really know, and it is an enormous task just to evaluate those 2,400. The other thing is, of course, the point I've made, and that is the detrimental impact it may have on really important legislation that we are taking through this particular Chamber—Government Bills and also individual Member's Bills as well.

Secondly, the other aspect is that, of course, one of the dangers of a wholesale revocation of legislation is you don't know what the unintended consequences are. Many pieces of legislation have all sorts of interdependencies, and we have to make sure we do our best to try and understand that, but the resource of doing that is basically resource that would be taken away from other areas. There were issues on deregulation. I was given an assurance that although this creates restrictions in terms of issues relating to regulatory burdens, which, I have to say, are defined in a very loose and equivocal way, it does does not actually prevent us from protecting through enforcement and through regulation those areas that we think are important when it comes to maintaining standards.

So, it's an ongoing piece of work. There will be a lot of considerations for your committee. The assurance that I give you is that, of course, I will do everything I can to work as closely as possible with the committee on this process as we go along, and we'll know more in due course.

Thank you for the question. The Welsh Government is committed to working in social partnership with our trade union colleagues. We will continue to do all that we can to support the important work that trade unions undertake on behalf of their members.

I thank the Counsel General for that response. In her campaign for the leadership of the Conservative Party, the current Prime Minister said that she would bring strict rules in for trade unions, extending the notice period for industrial action to 28 days and increasing the threshold that needs to be reached to have industrial action so that it has a mandate—a far higher one than the mandate that she has within her own party. It's clear that she has no understanding of the circumstances and conditions of many of those within the workforce today—look at Amazon, the Royal Mail, the train workforce, barristers and now nurses here in Wales suggesting that they will take industrial action. Does the Minister agree that it's time to devolve employment law to Wales or, even better, to have independence for Wales?

Thank you very much for the question, and you covered a number of areas that we have discussed and debated in this Chamber on many occasions. Would I like to see employment law devolved? I think employment law is moving to a situation where more and more of it needs to be devolved. The struggle we have had in terms of how we actually legislate in terms of those economic areas, trade union areas, and so on, has always been one where we've had to tread very, very carefully. The Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Bill, of course, creates what I think is very innovative legislation. I think it is very important in that we would become the first part of the UK to create a statutory framework, a legal framework for partnership between trade unions, Government and business. And I think the partnership arrangements that we have had and developed over the years are an example of why our relationship with organised labour has been so much more effective, and why, in fact, we've avoided strikes within Wales that have occurred in the UK.

Can I also say that this is a response, obviously, to a number of industrial actions that are taking place at the moment, all of which have been obtained with scales of voting that go way above any of those barriers? So, the question is: what is it really about? It's about the UK Government, which, again, is seeking ways to denude and disempower trade unions, and what has become clear during the COVID period and earlier is, of course, the important role that trade unions have played in maintaining standards and conditions of working people. I think it also has a very significant role in terms of the democracy we talk about, and the role of law that we talk about within our society and that we want to have as a standard within Wales. You want to look around the world at any dictatorship. You can judge the quality of democracy, I believe, in any country by the extent of freedom that its trade unions have—the ability of people to organise and stand up to government. Sometimes, that means organisations taking actions that cause inconvenience to others, but it's a fundamental precept of democracy. And I think any move in terms of this particular direction would be anti-democratic. It would be an increasing move, as we have seen with the Tory Government, towards authoritarianism, and I think it's something that we would want to resist at every opportunity possible.

Thank you very much for your question. We have worked with the criminal justice board for Wales partners to develop the criminal justice anti-racist plan for Wales, which was published in September. This document sets out seven commitments to realise an anti-racist criminal justice system, complementing our 'Anti-racist Wales Action Plan'.

Thank you for that, Minister. Recent data from the Wales Governance Centre paints an extremely worrying picture of racism within the justice system. As this information was not publicly available, they gathered it through freedom of information requests. They found that black and mixed race people are more than four times more likely to be arrested than white people, which is twice as likely as the corresponding figure in England. I’m aware, as you’ve said, that the Government is in the process of developing its 'Anti-racist Wales Action Plan', and the Government, I know, is committed to tackling systemic racism. I’d like to ask you: do you believe there is a need to collect and publish data on this subject in a systematic way in order to ensure that we understand the scale of the problem? Also, what steps can the Government take to reduce the problem? Finally, do you believe that it would be easier to deal with the problem if the justice system and policing were devolved?

Thank you for the question. You raise a number of issues that I know are under very serious consideration and, I know, the Minister for Social Justice has been looking at and addressing and working on for a long period of time. The first thing you raised was in terms of data. Well, of course data has been something that has been a massive concern to us—the disaggregation of data, being able to obtain data within Wales with regard to the criminal justice system, to enable us to assess the sort of policy that's needed. You need that database, and so on. Now, that is recognised by many within the justice system, and, of course, I accept that it is not necessarily that easy to suddenly start converting systems to do it. It has started, and there is, of course, a dashboard of information that the Minister for Social Justice has been very engaged in and responsible for delivering, which is giving us much better information.

But the very examples that the Member raised are precisely the reasons why the criminal justice anti-racist plan for Wales was developed, and which the Minister for Social Justice published on 8 September, because this strengthens our commitment—the commitment from devolved and from non-devolved partners to tackle racism in all its forms. I know the Minister for Social Justice will be continuing that particular work. I’m also reassured that an independent oversight and advisory panel has been established and will feed in individual lived experience and provide advice. I think the crux of it now that we actually have the plan is the evaluation of that plan, how it works, what it actually delivers, and the question that’s been asked today is one that I hope will be a question that continues to reappear as we begin to assess the challenges that are faced within not just the criminal justice system, but the justice system overall in terms of the representation and the balance and presentation of the justice system, all of which are things about the diversity of our justice system overall.

In terms of the devolution of justice, well, it’s precisely because of reasons like that, all those devolved responsibilities, that our case has been put together in ‘Delivering Justice for Wales’. The devolution of justice is actually such an important and natural step, because it integrates the delivery of justice with all those devolved social policies and areas that actually can make the delivery of justice better and more effective. Ultimately, that is what it is about.

Thank you for the question. I am pleased to note the resumption of Welsh representation on the Supreme Court following the reappointment of Lord Lloyd-Jones last month. I continue to raise the necessity for formal, rather than fortuitous, representation of the Welsh judiciary in our highest court with the Lord Chancellor and justice Ministers.

I thank the Counsel General for that response. The Counsel General will be aware of the case in the Supreme Court on historical development plans in Aberdyfi in Dwyfor Meirionnydd. Now, I understand that only a few cases from Wales reach the Supreme Court, and some of these cases relate to devolved issues, such as planning. But of course, as the Supreme Court sits in London, there is sometimes a question as to the understanding of devolved issues. As the Counsel General said, I welcome the recent appointment. When Lady Hale was president of the Supreme Court, she would ensure that cases relating to devolved nations were heard in those nations, but this practice hasn't continued, and the case of Aberdyfi is to be heard in London. Does the Counsel General agree with me that we should ensure that the Supreme Court comes to the devolved nations? What discussions has the Counsel General had to secure that?

Firstly, thank you for the question. Again, it is an important point. Of course, I met with Baroness Hale very recently—in fact, earlier this week. I do welcome the steps that are being taken in the Supreme Court to bring justice closer to the communities it serves outside London. There was a sitting here, as you say, in July 2019, and I look forward to there being further sittings of the Supreme Court in Wales. The point you raise, though, is a particularly valid one, and that is that where issues that relate to Wales or Welsh law take place, and if they go to the Supreme Court, they should be heard in Wales. That's something I very much support and will encourage. I'm prepared to look at that further with a view to perhaps further representations being made. I have read the reports on that. I certainly do agree that we want the Supreme Court to deal with Welsh matters in Wales. I don't think there is a closed door on that with regard to the Supreme Court. I suspect it may be, as much as anything, something to do with the lawyers that were engaged. But, it should be, as a matter of principle, that the Supreme Court hears where is appropriate, and it would be appropriate in cases, I believe, that involve Welsh law to be heard in Wales. I think that is a requirement for the future.

Thank you for the question. It is vital that people have the right to have their voices heard and express their concerns freely in a safe and peaceful way. I will continue to impress upon the UK Government that Wales's views must be heard in respect of the importance of the right to protest.

Thank you for the answer, Counsel General. Following the proclamation of the ascension of King Charles III, a number of arrests of peaceful protesters were made. A barrister was even threatened with arrest for carrying a blank piece of paper. These incidents are significant because they demonstrate the draconian limits the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 now places on our freedoms in the UK. Counsel General, do you agree with me that the right to protest peacefully is a vital part of our democracy? What representations have you made to the UK Government since these arrests? Thank you.

Thank you for the question. I saw some of those events; I saw some of the arrests that took place within London that caused me very serious concerns—concerns because at the same time media were standing up and quite rightly condemning the arrest of people standing up in Red Square, standing up in Moscow, in Russian towns, with blank sheets of paper and being arrested. To see that happening on our streets, I think, was most unfortunate.

I think there was an indication of the lack of understanding of a piece of authoritarian legislation that was brought in, which we actually opposed and refused legislative consent for—the police, crime and sentencing legislation. I think it also reflected what I think was confusion and a lack of understanding on behalf of the police officers themselves as to what, actually, their powers were. So, there's an important issue there that needs to be raised, and I will use every opportunity I can to raise it, in terms of the exercise of power, power of the state, which is exercised through the police, but on the basis of the protection of the rights and civil liberties that we all have.

I appreciate the sensitive and considered approach taken by police forces in Wales, because during the recent period of mourning, I'm very aware that they acted with great tact and consideration in order to ensure that the right to protest and free expression was maintained across that period. That was particularly the case during the visit to Wales by the King on Friday 9 September, where the police were able to support a protest site and maintain public safety as part of their approach to the day. So, even at a time of great national sadness, it's still important for people to be able to maintain the right to protest and the right to free expression of their thoughts and beliefs.

And finally, question 9, James Evans.

Thank you for your question. The Welsh Government took the important step to challenge the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 because it purports to undermine the devolution settlement. The costs incurred by the Welsh Government for doing so are £132,283.67.

Thank you, Counsel General—£132,000. A freedom of information request stated that the Welsh Government have spent over £200,000 in court cases against UK Government, which could far better be used supporting the Welsh people. Will the Counsel General put minds at ease and ensure that Labour Ministers won't waste any more money on politically motivated, self-indulgent legal challenges against the UK Government, and focus more of your time and energies on the real problems that Wales faces, with one fifth of the Welsh population on an NHS waiting list?

It really does emphasise that old saying of Nye Bevan that the Tory party know the price of everything and the value of nothing, because one of the functions of any parliamentary democracy and any Government is to ensure that it exercises its responsibilities in terms of its obligations and powers. When it becomes necessary for clarification through the court system, which is the only mechanism for doing so, it is important that that is done. The decision to seek that clarity was absolutely right.

One could turn round and say that the millions of pounds it cost to introduce the internal market Act would have been better spent elsewhere, in which case we wouldn't have needed to challenge it. We have still not got the clarity that we want in terms of the actual functioning of the internal market Act or even the proper rationale and reasoning as to why it was introduced, other than as a sort of backdoor attempt to undermine devolution.

The fact of the matter is that the arguments that were raised were perfectly valid ones. They were ones where legal opinion was taken, legal position was properly considered, the constitutional issues were considered, and it would be irresponsible of us to disregard our responsibilities as a Government. I believe that it is a matter that has, probably, majority support in the Senedd.

I thank the Counsel General.

Item 3 this afternoon is questions to the Senedd Commission. There is only one today. Rhys ab Owen.

As part of our strategy to showcase the Senedd at the heart of Welsh public life, we are discussing plans to celebrate the men's football team at the FIFA World Cup. We have been in discussion with the Football Association of Wales and other partners since the team qualified for the tournament, and we are exploring a number of opportunities. We will be sharing the plans with this Senedd as soon as they're confirmed.

Thank you, Llywydd. I very much look forward to hearing about that. I'm not surprised that you've already been having discussions. It delights me to see children from the Urdd centre, many of them refugees, playing cricket and other games against the wall of the Senedd. It's so wonderful to see all the schools that visit the Senedd. It is so wonderful that we have a Parliament in Wales that is so open to the public. I do very much hope that the world cup can give Wales such a platform and it can give the Senedd such a platform too, to demonstrate to the people of Wales, once again, that we are open to them. Thank you.

Like you, I was delighted last summer watching the refugees from Afghanistan playing football against the walls of the Senedd in the evening. Of course, we all take great pride in the success of the men's team, in terms of qualifying for the world cup. We hope, after tomorrow night, that the women's team for Wales will take an important step towards realising their dream as well. And we as a Senedd are very supportive of that. We want to see success for the national team. We want them to feel that their Senedd, as players, supports them fully, and we'll take every action that we can to do so. I don't want to distract them overly by insisting that they come here to the Senedd before the championship. I want them to focus on the football field specifically. Ultimately, following their success, hopefully we will be able to welcome as many of them as possible, players and management team, here, and that all of Wales will take great pride in the success of our team and the supporters in Qatar, on the field and off the field.

I thank the Llywydd.

No topical questions were accepted today.

Eitem 5 is the 90-second statements, and I call on Gareth Davies.

Diolch, Deputy Llywydd. The annual Denbigh Plum Feast, which takes place on the first Saturday of October, was held last weekend to coincide with the plum's ripeness at this time of year. The Denbigh plum is the only native plum in Wales, dating back to the 1700s, and the event, which takes place at Denbigh town hall every year, is an opportunity for local producers and businesses to show off their products to the public. This year didn't disappoint, with hundreds of people walking through the town hall across the day. It's always a pleasure to go to Denbigh and support local, and the Denbigh Plum Feast provides no better platform to do this.

We are lucky to have so many local food and drink producers and small businesses in Denbighshire. I was so pleased to meet and to sample a few of them, and to see the fantastic turnout of people enjoying themselves and seeing what the area has to offer. Across the day, people have the opportunity to browse the stalls, meet and speak to local producers, sample and purchase the brilliant food and drink on offer, grab a photo or selfie with Peter Plum himself, listen to music from local bands, or even enjoy a tipple at the bar. All in all, the day was a great success, and I wish Nia, Peter Plum, and all the Denbigh plum team and participating local producers all the very best in their future endeavours. And if you, Deputy Llywydd, or any Member of the Senedd, would like to join me next year, I'd be delighted to welcome you to the wonderful medieval town of Denbigh. Diolch yn fawr iawn, and long live the Denbigh plum.

Thank you, Gareth.

The next item is the Member debate under Standing Order 11.21—the impact of migraine on children and young people. I call on Mark Isherwood to move the motion.

Diolch. Migraine is a common, painful and debilitating condition that affects an estimated one in 10 children and young people. According to Brain Research UK, the working name of the Brain Research Trust, migraine is one of the most common neurological conditions. Whilst migraine has a significant impact on the lives of adults who live with it, its early impact on children and young people can be even more severe.

It is a complex condition, with a wide variety of symptoms. For many people, the main feature is a painful headache. Other symptoms include disturbed vision; sensitivity to light, sounds, and smells; feeling sick; and vomiting. The symptoms will vary from person to person, and individuals may have different symptoms during different attacks. Attacks may differ in length and frequency also. Migraine attacks usually last between four and 72 hours. Migraines can have an enormous impact on work, family and social lives.

The cause of migraine isn't known, but it's believed to be a combination of genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors. According to US research, if a child has one parent with migraine, they have a 50 per cent chance of developing migraine headaches. This jumps to 75 per cent if both parents are affected. A family history of migraine is also linked to earlier onset of migraine episodes.

Migraine is the third most common disease in the world, behind dental decay and tension-type headache, with an estimated global prevalence of 14.7 per cent—around one in seven people. According to NHS England, approximately 10 million people in the UK live with migraine. Migraine affects three times as many women as men, with the higher rate being most likely hormonally driven. Research suggests that 3,000 migraine attacks occur every day for each million of the general population. This equates to over 190,000 migraine attacks every day in the UK.

There are different treatments available for children with migraine, and the most suitable one will depend on their medical history, age and symptoms. Further, migraine is protected under the law. As such, if a child's migraine recurs over a period of a year and negatively impacts on their ability to carry out their normal day-to-day activities, they may be classed as disabled under the Equality Act 2010, putting an obligation on schools to make reasonable adjustments for a disabled child to ensure that they're not put at a major disadvantage. And if an affected child or young person does not have an individual healthcare plan, it may be necessary to discuss developing a plan that identifies their needs and to make suitable tailored adjustments for them.

The National Migraine Centre state that, because migraine in children can involve subtly different symptoms to adult migraine, half of those affected never receive a diagnosis. With migraines in children and young people, stomach pains are more frequent. Studies suggest that around 60 per cent of children aged between seven and 15 experience headaches, but a diagnosis of migraine may be delayed because tummy pain, vomiting, travel sickness, limb pain and episodic dizziness can all confuse the picture. Children may experience migraine without a headache, which is less common in adults.

During last month's Migraine Awareness Week, the Migraine Trust launched new research, which found that children often feel left out of their own healthcare and think that their care is poor. The findings also suggest that migraine can limit their ability to take part in education, social activities and other important parts of growing up. Ninety per cent of affected young people report that migraine made it harder to do their school work, whilst 76 per cent of education professionals surveyed felt that their school did not provide information, resources and processes to help these children. It can also be hard for children to understand and explain their pain, and there are fewer treatment options for them than there are for adults. The Migraine Trust report, 'Dismissed for too long: the impact of migraine on children and young people', therefore calls for clearer guidance and training for both health and education professionals on understanding and supporting young people impacted by migraine, and for more resources for the parents and carers of children living with migraine. They suggest that young people themselves need more information about their condition and how to take control of their own care, and that pathways and reviews of local migraine care in the NHS should account for the impact on children and young people.

Key findings of the report include that schools don't have the knowledge or policies in place to help children with migraine. A survey of parents and carers with a child living with migraine found that 70 per cent were concerned about the impact of migraine on their child's education. Asked how often their child had to stay home from school because of their migraine, over half—51 per cent—said at least once a month. And 85 per cent of parents and carers had spoken to their child's school about their migraine, but only 17 per cent were completely satisfied with the support from the school in managing their migraine.

A survey of children with migraine found that 90 per cent said that their migraine made it harder to do their school work. However, when asked if they think that their school has the information about migraine to help them manage it at school, 64 per cent said no. When asked if they had ever been taught about migraine at school, 90 per cent said that they hadn't. A survey of 64 education professionals found that three quarters, 76 per cent, felt that their school did not have the information, resources and processes to help children in school with migraine. For example, school policies were often not geared towards helping children manage their migraine triggers and avoid being unnecessarily sent home. This compares to other common long-term conditions, such as asthma, which schools often have plans in place for.

I thank Mark Isherwood for that presentation to the motion. Of course, fair play to him—he's a very intelligent man; we've heard a great number of statistics relating to people who suffer from migraines. But there is a face for each of those statistics. There are lives being affected that lie behind all of those statistics, and I have loved ones who live with migraines, and who are therefore part of those statistics.

Now, I’m sure that we all hear people making light of migraines from time to time; maybe babbling to someone can bring on a migraine, as some people say, or when someone is suffering from a migraine, the advice is to sit in a corner and take a paracetamol. But it's not only a headache; a migraine is more than that. That does an injustice to the condition and to those who suffer from it, because it is so much more than just a headache, and as the motion states, it has a detrimental impact on people's daily lives, and the lives of children.

I had the privilege of hosting a drop-in event with the Migraine Trust recently—and I thank everyone who attended that event—and having an opportunity to talk to people who understand the subject and who specialise in the area, was eye-opening. From understanding the different things that can lead to a migraine, such as stress or even inconsistent eating patterns, to the fact, as Mark Isherwood said, that a migraine can be in the stomach, and that link between the brain and the stomach coming to the fore once again. But, unfortunately, not many people know why they are suffering from migraines, or what leads to an attack of the migraine. Understanding of the disease is very shallow in the scientific community, let alone among lay people, and if that understanding is so shallow in the specialised world, then how can we expect teachers or colleagues to recognize the symptoms and be able to ensure that steps are in place to help people who are having a migraine attack?

This motion is modest in nature, it's not asking for much. But it's an important first step in the right direction, which will help to increase understanding and awareness. Finally, could I therefore take the opportunity to thank the Migraine Trust for its work in the field and its willingness to collaborate with the Government, health boards and other authorities in order to achieve what it's asking for? Thank you very much.

I want to thank my colleagues for tabling this debate this afternoon. Migraine is a curse for those who suffer from it. In adults, it can be debilitating, but for young people, adolescents in particular, it can have a major impact on their schooling, their families and their social lives.

Deputy Presiding Officer, I am not entirely sure what the current Welsh Government guidance is for schools on managing migraine. I could not find anything on the Welsh Government website; Public Health Wales is also light on this subject too. There's a brief reference to migraine at work, but nothing I could see on schools and how to respond. My feeling is that the motion is right to call for strengthening of the guidance, and I believe that we should consider how to support schools and their teachers in addressing a range of issues that would positively impact on those who suffer with migraine.

In particular, I would like the Minister to consider: what can be advised around the nature of the school environment, especially the lack of ventilation; individual pupils being supported to eat and drink to address the risks associated with a lack of nutrition and dehydration, which could be a cause of migraine; and the development of school policies for those with enduring conditions, such as migraine and how the school can manage this, especially in supporting any treatment that a young person might be on. We should also attempt to learn more about the numbers of young people with migraine—what data do we have, what does it tell us, and what else do we need to know?

I'd like to think that some relatively straightforward steps might remind our schools about the challenges that young people with migraine encounter, and support ways in which the risk of a migraine attack could be mitigated. This is an important issue. It is not one that has had much attention, and I am pleased that we are considering this today. Thank you.

I was very pleased to co-submit this debate today. It's clear to me and to other Members, as we've already heard, that there is far more that needs to be done in order to assist the high number of children and young people who do suffer migraine regularly in Wales. It's a huge problem that's been ignored for too long, if we're honest, and, too often, it is treated like any other short-term illness, but it's more than that.

The truth is that migraine is a neurological condition that can have serious consequences in the long term on a child's educational performance, never mind their self-confidence and their social lives. Children who suffer migraine can miss up to three months of school per year—we see that in statistics. We need to do more to tackle that issue, clearly, and that's what we're calling for today.

The Migraine Trust and other organisations offer a way forward, including providing the right support, not just to those who are suffering, but also to teachers, parents and the carers responsible for those children.

Research also shows that teachers are uncertain when it comes to helping individuals with migraine, but simple steps can be taken in order to alleviate the pain—drinking enough water, having access to a dark room, possibly. But, at the moment, schools and teachers aren't adequately trained to help pupils through these experiences. Almost 17,000 unnecessary trips are made to hospitals every year because of migraine. By providing better training, I'm confident that that number could be reduced, reducing the stress on the health service, and of course ensuring that children don't miss school too, which is key.

There are examples of good practice in Wales. In north Wales, for example, patients have seen benefit from the opening of the Walton Centre in Holywell. It's reduced waiting times for patients with serious neurological conditions. But, unfortunately, the same services aren't available in all parts of the country, and that's a well-rehearsed story, of course. And, generally speaking, there are huge problems in terms of waiting times, the resources available to patients, including children. People can be waiting up to two years for treatment in certain cases. At the moment, only three of the seven health boards, I believe, have the resources to treat the most serious neurological cases. Simply, we need a national plan to enhance services for migraine, to correspond to the fact that so many people are suffering as a result of migraine.

But there are other practical steps that can be taken too to improve the quality of life of children and people who do suffer: improving training for teachers, as I've mentioned; sharing guidance with children and young people as to how to manage their own care; and, yes, improving the provision of care through the health service for those who suffer most. The Government needs to tackle what is the country's most common headache, but, as we've already heard, which is far more than that too, and that is to ensure that it doesn't have too great an influence on the educational and social lives of our children and young people. And that's why we're asking the Senedd not only to note the motion as it appears before us, but also to support the principles underpinning what we've brought forward today.

I call on the Minister for Health and Social Services, Eluned Morgan.

Diolch yn fawr. And I'd like to thank Mark Isherwood for raising this really important issue. Mark, I can always rely on you to teach me something new in these debates—you always have so many facts and figures at your fingertips, and they're always very useful for us to take note of, and certainly I'll be making sure that we take note of those and follow up some of those issues. Forgive me for not being in the Chamber today.

Migraine is, as we've heard, one of the most common neurological conditions, and yet we very rarely speak about it and its impact in this Chamber. Many of us will have had first-hand experience of migraine, or some insight into the enormously debilitating impact it can have on sufferers and their quality of life. And as we've heard this afternoon, migraine is a severe and painful long-term health condition—so much more than just a really bad headache. And unfortunately, for the majority of children and young people with migraine, this will follow them into adulthood.

And perhaps the cruellest aspect of the condition is its ability to strike with little or no warning, and with no rhyme or reason, disrupting and upsetting really special occasions and everyday events. And the potential for disruption to children, as many of you have noted, and young people's education, their ability to learn and their ability to take part in all other aspects of school life, can be clearly understood. And I understand this, as my eldest brother was someone who suffered migraines and took literally months off school, affecting his education considerably.

Now, in the time I have this afternoon, I want to highlight some important measures that are already in place to support children and young people in a learning environment. Now, under section 175 of the Education Act 2002, local authorities and governing bodies must make arrangements to ensure their functions

'are exercised with a view to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children'

in school or other places of learning. This includes supporting children with healthcare needs.

Now, to support this, our 'Supporting learners with healthcare needs' guidance contains both statutory guidance and non-statutory advice to support learners to ensure minimal disruption to their education. This emphasises the need for a collaborative approach from education and health professionals, placing the learner at the centre of decision making, and of course it's important also to involve parents.

It's further supported by quick guides for staff, parents and young people. Health professionals would be involved in the preparation of an individual healthcare plan to address any health needs that impinge on the child's or young person's time at school. We've got some good examples of where requirements and the spirit of the Act and its guidance are being put into practice. Aneurin Bevan University Health Board has developed a recovering from illness paediatric service, designed specifically to meet the needs of children and young people who are coping with illnesses. The team works with children, young people and their families to support them in coping with the very real challenges of having a health condition and aims to help them manage symptoms that can get in the way of doing things that really matter to them.

Almost all of the children and young people referred to the team have difficulty in reaching the required attendance rates in schools. A crucial element is collaboration with schools and primary care practitioners to help these young people to access education in a way that is appropriate to their needs. That includes having discussions with parents, of course.

The team have planned a support pack which includes guidance to be used in school to help to identify, understand and support children and young people who may be having difficulty in accessing education and who need support or additional intervention. And although this was originally planned for children with symptoms related to long COVID and other illnesses that cause chronic exhaustion and pain, the package can be used with many of those children suffering with symptoms that can interrupt their education.

Legislation, advice and guidance are important, of course, but the work developed by colleagues at Aneurin Bevan health board gives us an example of how to translate this into something practical that makes a very real difference to people and their outcomes. The work developed within Aneurin Bevan has been peer reviewed across all health boards, and plans are in place to develop this in a 'once for Wales' support plan.

Dirprwy Lywydd, any interruption to a young person's education can have a life-long impact, but with the right support this can be mitigated. Together, we all have an important role to play, and we must play our part together to create the necessary environment to allow this to happen. Measures are already in place to allow professional and agency collaborations with organisations such as the Wales Neurological Alliance. We as a Government are supportive of the work of the Migraine Trust, but it's important that our partners that deliver services on the ground can be flexible in the way they create their own partnerships.

Migraine is one of over 250 neurological conditions, many of which are supported by third sector organisations, which do excellent work, of course. But it would be impossible for us as a Government to work with each and every one of those individually. Representatives of the Migraine Trust could ask to become members of the Wales Neurological Alliance, and this would create a mechanism whereby they could work closely with the Welsh Government.

Children and young people who have any healthcare needs, including migraines, must be supported to deliver their full potential, and that is what we will be doing within Welsh Government. Thank you.

I call on Sam Rowlands to reply to the debate.

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and in closing today's important debate I ought to thank my colleague Mark Isherwood for submitting today's Member debate and also my fellow co-submitters Tom Giffard, Rhun ap Iorwerth and Mabon ap Gwynfor. I also thank the Minister for her response in appreciating today's points. As outlined by Mark Isherwood in opening today's debate, amongst a number of statistics that Members have commented on, one that really struck me was the simple fact that it's one in 10 children and young people who live with migraine. And, of course, this has a significant impact on their day-to-day lives, along with their time in school. I'm sure many Members—and it's already been mentioned—in this Chamber know of family members or friends on whom migraine has such a significant impact and suffer from it greatly.

As outlined by Rhun ap Iorwerth, if a child suffers from migraines, this can often lead to children struggling to complete to their schoolwork, showing that, without proper support, migraines can severely impact educational attainment. And one thing that struck me during this debate this afternoon, as mentioned by Mabon ap Gwynfor, is the fact that research by the Migraine Trust has suggested that education and health professionals, regretfully, don't often understand migraines, and, as Altaf Hussain outlined, it's those professionals perhaps who sometimes don't have access to the training and resources to effectively support children and young people who are impacted by migraines.

Of course, there are actions that can be taken to help those children and young people who are suffering, and these have been eloquently outlined by Members during today's debate. Minister, whilst you outlined some of the current work and shared a clear understanding of the concern around migraine, I'm not sure we'd be having this debate today if we felt that all those actions were working, and working well right across Wales. As today's motion outlines, now is the time to see Welsh Government working with organisations like the Migraine Trust and representative bodies for schools, health services and parents and carers in whatever forum works best. Minister, you outlined that there's perhaps an opportunity for the Migraine Trust and others to come alongside other forums to understand this issue more clearly; I'm sure that would be welcomed.

But it's clear to me—and in the motion today it's outlined—that we need to see the migraine guidance strengthened, we need to see training provided to support and accommodate young people impacted by migraines, but also provide resources for parents and carers of children living with migraines, and also enable children and young people to learn how to take control of their own care at the same time as well.

The proposal is to agree the motion. Does any Member object? No. The motion is therefore agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

Item 7 is next, a debate on the Local Government and Housing Committee report on second homes. I call on the Chair of the committee to move the motion. John Griffiths.

Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. I’m pleased to open today’s debate on the Local Government and Housing Committee’s report on second homes, and I would like to start by thanking all those who contributed to our inquiry.

As we all know, these issues are contentious in many communities across Wales. Although not all areas of the country are affected, many of our coastal and rural areas have high numbers of second homes. Combined with formerly residential properties switching to short-term holiday accommodation and a more widespread shortage of affordable homes, many communities feel their sustainability is under threat.

Second homes, of course, are not a new phenomenon in Wales, but, as house prices and the cost of living increase, coupled with more people taking holidays in Wales during the pandemic, people who have grown up or lived in affected communities are often unable to buy or rent homes in those areas. Some areas have seen such a reduction in permanent residents that public services are no longer viable, including the closure of schools. The seasonal nature of the visitor economy has also turned some communities into winter ghost towns, with many amenities closing during those quieter months. Of course, other parts of the UK have experienced similar problems due to high numbers of second homes, particularly Cornwall and the Lake district. In Wales, we also have to consider the impact on the Welsh language, especially as many of the affected communities are located in the traditional Welsh-speaking heartlands.

As second homes are impacting many communities in Wales, we decided that this would be the focus of our first inquiry as a committee. One of the main aims of our work was to examine the recommendations made by Dr Simon Brooks in his report, 'Second homes: Developing new policies in Wales', and the Welsh Government's response to those proposals. We made 15 recommendations in our report, and we are pleased that 14 have been accepted in full and one accepted in principle by the Welsh Government.

We know that addressing the issue of second homes is a priority for the Welsh Government and that a lot of work is already happening. During our inquiry, the Minister confirmed that a phased pilot scheme would be run in Dwyfor, Gwynedd, in order to test a number of interventions. We welcome that pilot and think that a proper evaluation of the measures being trialled there will be key to understanding whether these measures should be rolled out to other parts of our country. We are pleased that the Minister has committed to updating the Senedd every six months on the pilot and its effectiveness. We also welcome the Minister's confirmation that the pilot will be subject to a robust independent evaluation.

We believe it's important to be able to distinguish between holiday lets and second homes for personal use. We therefore welcome the Welsh Government's new use-class definitions, as we believe these provide an opportunity for greater consistency. Combined with a registration or licensing scheme for holiday accommodation, this can ensure a clear distinction is drawn between property types.

We heard a lot of evidence on the economic benefits of tourism to Wales, particularly in rural and coastal areas where many people rely on the tourism and hospitality industries for their livelihoods. However, it is important that the economic benefits are not outweighed by the negative impacts of second homes and short-term lets. The visitor economy is vital to Wales. It is therefore important that interventions aimed at protecting communities are targeted correctly to prevent unintended consequences.

We recommended that the evaluation of the Dwyfor interventions should include assessing the impact on tourism. In response, the Minister has said that, where feasible, the independent evaluation will include that impact, and that further exploratory work will take place to determine how this will be done. I would like to re-emphasise the importance of assessing the impact on the visitor economy to ensure that the many jobs reliant upon it are protected.

Much of the evidence we received placed second homes within a wider discussion about the availability of affordable housing. That is a problem across Wales, but coastal and rural areas have the additional issue of second homes to contend with. It is clear that a lack of affordable homes is an issue making some people, particularly young people, move away from the communities where they have grown up, and live further from their families and support networks. With fewer people of working age living in these areas, we are concerned that a dwindling workforce is impacting the ability of employers across public and private sectors to fill essential roles. Communities need people in order to survive. If high numbers of homes within towns and villages lie empty for large parts of the year, it is inevitable that a lack of customers will force businesses to close during the quieter periods, leaving remaining residents without those amenities.

I refer Members to my own declaration of interest in terms of property ownership.

Now, all the way through, I know that the Welsh Labour Government started off by wanting to tackle the shortage of affordable homes in our communities, and it's fair to say that this group actually supports that endeavour. However, I have been very concerned, and I'm not alone; people within my own community and other communities across Wales have been corresponding with me, and they've now said that the slant has been directed in the wrong direction, because it's now seen to be, 'Let's go after people with second homes; let's go after people with holiday lets.'

Reading this report, alarm bells should be ringing for all of us who rely on tourism, when recommendation 4 says,

'The Welsh Government should commission further research on the impact tourism has on the sustainability of communities.'

Interestingly, the Home Owners of Wales Group suggested that second home owners contribute £235 million per year to the Welsh economy. Barmouth Town Council is critical of Dr Brooks's report, commenting that,

'There is no data in the report into the economic impact of holiday lets.'

The UK Short Term Accommodation Association has highlighted the economic contribution of short-term lets, referring to a study by Oxford Economics on behalf of Airbnb, which estimated that guests using the platform had contributed a total of £107 million to the Welsh economy in 2019.

But, let me say here and now that there's a big difference between second homes, Airbnb properties and bona fide holiday lets. As the committee report states,

'We realise that there is insufficient data on the benefits brought by tourism compared to the detrimental impact of affected communities'.

Tourism is one—. I shouldn't have to tell you this, but tourism is one of the most fundamental economic backbones of Wales. In some constituencies, it’s the only industry. Plaid Cymru and you seem to have launched a major policy and legislative attack on the sector in an effort to try and justify why we haven’t had the houses built over the last 23 years.

You’ve accepted recommendation 1, requiring the Welsh Government to consider a definition of second homes, and pointed towards the introduction of three new planning classes: C3, primary homes; C5, secondary homes; and C6, short-term lets. However, there is a loophole that could undermine this. Anybody now living in Manchester could legitimately state that his house in Aberconwy is his primary home, and that his house in Manchester is his second home. So, bingo—it won’t affect him at all. So that means there are ways around this.

I do welcome the acceptance of recommendations 2 and 14 that we will now, Minister, be receiving six-monthly updates. I believe that what residents in Dwyfor and other crisis communities want to see is a good number of affordable homes available to buy and rent. Does this pilot achieve it? No.

You are going to need to bring your comments to a close now. I’ve been very generous.

I am, thank you. It is a really big issue. We’ve all said, Minister, that this is a multifaceted approach. However, targeting second home owners is a retrograde step. Both properties will just end up back on the market with Airbnb, people who can afford them more, and we’ll end up as Airbnb. Thank you.

I also declare an interest that’s on the public record as well.

Colleagues, I’m delighted to have the opportunity to contribute to this debate. It was a pleasure to be part of the inquiry, and I thank the Chair for his leadership during this inquiry.

It was a timely inquiry, and it demonstrates a cross-party consensus. There is a recognition here that our rural and coastal communities are in the midst of a housing crisis, and that second homes contribute significantly to that. There is also acknowledgement here of the need to take action to tackle this, and of the action that should be taken.

And I see that crisis daily in my constituency in Dwyfor Meirionnydd, from Aberdyfi to Abersoch, from Beddgelert to Llandderfel. Good people have been campaigning and drawing attention to this issue for half a century, and now, at last, the issue is receiving the recognition it deserves and the Government, by working together with us in Plaid Cymru, is presenting solutions.

The sad truth, of course, is that many of our communities have lost a large part of their character; they have become soulless and empty communities, with public services becoming more remote and people moving away. There is hope, however: look at the small village of Rhyd near Llanfrothen, which was once a village full of holiday homes, but has now been regenerated. We should not, therefore, give up on hope.

I think that the committee's experience in this regard is quite unique for the Senedd, because we started our work before the Government announced its various consultations and then the changes that are in the offing. But, this action by the Government, as part of the co-operation agreement with us in Plaid Cymru, is very welcome, and it was interesting to follow the trajectory of the proposals by the Government as we undertook our consultation.

Consider the steps now in place: increasing the land transaction tax; modifying the planning system in order to introduce a change of use for these homes, which will mean that authorities can control the number of second homes in our communities; a licensing system for short-term holiday lets. All of these and more are things that we in Plaid Cymru have been advocating for years, and now they are being implemented. Thank goodness for that.

This report from the committee talks about the work that is going on in Dwyfor and in the Gwynedd area. But, I would like to know from the Minister what plans there are to ensure that these plans continue into the long term, in view of the economic challenges facing local authorities, and also what steps are being taken to ensure that other areas, such as Pembrokeshire, Anglesey and Swansea, can implement these actions.

There is a dire shortage of properties to buy and rent. Everyone should be entitled to one. Everyone should be entitled to a home, and yet 25,000 properties in Wales stand empty. The reality of the impact of second homes was clear to me whilst visiting a village in north-west Wales, seeing the amount of unlived-in two and three-bedroom properties that would have made really good starter homes. Some, I was told, were holiday homes, but some—well, quite a few—were in a state of disrepair and just left. One was an extremely useful bungalow, which are in scarce supply in the community, and the community had tried to buy it from a resident who didn't live in the village, but he said he was keeping it as a retirement investment, even though he was of retirement age.

Previously, I was aware of the term 'land banking', but what I saw was 'property banking' on a mass scale. To have so many empty properties wasted when there are so many people needing a roof over their head, a place to call home, is truly shocking. A right to a decent home, a proper education and healthcare is fundamental to well-being and what every person needs and deserves. Solutions, however, are complex and vary depending on areas, but there is no one size that fits all. And the definition of a second home is important. There is a difference between someone letting out a property as a holiday let, or someone having a property as a second home and just visiting occasionally. This must be balanced with the benefits that tourism brings, as we found.

But, our focus must also be on the cost-of-living and housing crisis that will impact the vulnerable the most. The Bevan Foundation reported that the local housing allowance only covered 4 per cent of properties in Wales. It was frozen in 2016 and again in 2020. This is shameful of UK Government, who want to cut public service funding and benefits further. Some landlords are flipping to Airbnbs, as according to a Bevan Foundation report, in some areas, they can earn more in 10 weeks than they would on a full-time rental through the local housing allowance. And that is a central issue we face—the idea that homes are an asset for the wealthy to make a profit from rather than a right that everyone should be entitled to. There are many actions that need to be taken to reverse the damage that has been done since Thatcher.

Tackling the number of second homes is just part of this. Rent controls, more social housing, and council house building—returning back to that again—will also be needed to protect tenants, while increasing the supply of housing. UK Government public sector funding over the last 12 years makes this much harder. Officers are overworked and overstretched, meaning planning takes longer. This goes back again to public service funding, to ensure that those that work in councils that have to deal with planning applications can actually get on with the job. I know the Minister is well aware of the challenges we face, and I trust that the Welsh Government will do what it can to address them. Thank you.

Firstly, can I put on record my thanks to John Griffiths for his chairmanship in producing today's committee report on second homes, and also to my fellow colleagues on the committee, and the Minister, clerks and the committee support team who have come along and given evidence and supported us as a committee through this process? Of course, the issue around second homes has been a contentious issue for a long time in Wales, for a number of years, and that's why it's really important, as a committee, I believe, that we got stuck into this very early on in our formation as a committee. As we know, a lot of the Senedd's best work comes from committees and, in light of this, it was really encouraging to see, Minister, you accept 14 of the 15 recommendations, and accept one in principle as well. So, thank you for your engagement in this process as well.

In my contribution today, I'd like to put on record also my acknowledgement that it's certainly a challenge with the proportion of second homes in some communities in Wales. This came through clearly in the work we carried out as a committee. But also what came through clearly was that this challenge is by no means evenly split across Wales. The example that struck me during our work as a committee was that, in Abersoch, you're looking at around 50 per cent of the properties there that are either second homes or holiday homes, whereas a few miles up the road in Caernarfon about 0.5 per cent of the properties there fall into that category. So, the differences across communities are vast in places that aren't that far apart.

During our committee’s work, we found that some of our coastal and rural areas have some of the highest numbers of second homes, and combined with formerly residential properties switching to short-term holiday accommodation and some of the issues around affordability of homes in communities, those communities were certainly feeling that their sustainability is under threat. It was data from August last year that showed that Gwynedd had the highest number of second homes—about 9.5 per cent of the properties there. Anglesey was at 8.1 per cent and Ceredigion at 5.2 per cent, certainly highlighting those rural and coastal communities having to deal with this challenge the most across the country.

I was really grateful again to receive the amount of correspondence that I did from residents and from interested parties around this issue in their communities. I'm sure this is what also partly led us to recommendation 7 of our report, which states that

'The Welsh Government should clarify how local and national strategies will ensure a sufficient supply of housing that is of the appropriate type to meet local requirements and affordable in the context of local earnings.'

Thank you for the opportunity to participate in this important debate today.

As the report indeed notes, second homes are not a new phenomenon. Plaid Cymru has been pushing for action to combat this issue for decades. The issue of second homes has become worse and worse for many of our communities across Wales, whether that's in our rural Welsh-speaking heartlands or indeed in our urban centres. The present housing crisis facing communities across Wales, driven in part by second homes and short-term holiday accommodation, is characterised by the inability of those who live in or have grown up in a community to buy or rent homes in said areas. The crisis means that many public services become unviable. Schools close, shops close, community facilities close. Communities erode and ultimately disappear.

Let's be clear: this is not just a rural issue. The effects of second homes on our rural heartlands are disastrous, for the rural economy, for our culture, for our language, for people. It goes without saying. But the housing crisis is just as prevalent in urban regions, such as the one I represent. Gentrification is tearing the fabric of these communities apart. Today, in my capacity as Plaid Cymru's spokesperson on communities, I'd like to take some time to also concentrate on the eighth recommendation, as we heard from Sam earlier, in the committee's report, and the Welsh Government's response to it. Recommendation 8 states that

'The Welsh Government should provide an update to the Senedd on how it intends to achieve its target of building 20,000 new social homes within the term of this Senedd. We would like the update to include a breakdown of where it intends these new homes to be built, according to the demand and need of communities.'

Now, the Government has accepted this recommendation, at least in principle, but questions still remain regarding the housing target. Given the scale of the housing need in Wales, many have questioned whether this target is sufficient. I welcome the Government's ambition to deliver 20,000 homes, of course I do, but is the target ambitious enough? Minister, how do you know whether you're actually fully meeting the nation's housing need? We're in the midst of one of the worst cost-of-living crises in living memory. Combined with the effects of Brexit, we have a perfect storm for our supply chains and our construction workforce. In the light of the increased costs of construction materials, the costs associated with construction and the effects of Brexit on the workforce, how is the Welsh Government going to reach their construction targets?

Moving on, over the summer, I was fortunate to visit Vienna to study their policy on social and affordable housing. It was an eye-opening experience to say the least. Vienna has been world-leading in the provision of social and affordable housing for over a century. Today, 60 per cent of Vienna's—

Can I just cut across? I can see that Mark Isherwood is requesting an intervention. I don't know whether you're prepared to take one.

Yes, certainly.

Okay. This is all being done very politely. Mark Isherwood.

Diolch. Thank you very much indeed. I think it's about 18 or 19 years since I first highlighted to the then Welsh Government the fact that there would be an affordable housing crisis in Welsh communities if the then cuts to social housing weren't reversed. But do you share my concern that the latest published figures for quarter 2 of 2022 show that, once again, new home completions in Wales went in reverse, and it's the only nation or region once again in the UK where they actually reduced?

That's certainly a very good point there by Mark, and maybe the Minister can pick up that point when she comes to respond.

As I said, I was in Vienna and over 60 per cent of those citizens live in social and affordable housing. But in Vienna, it was clear that the construction efforts were about more than just housing; they were about building communities—real communities, where people's needs were met, where communal facilities, green space, medical centres, transport links, childcare and more were integrated seamlessly into residential areas. If Vienna could achieve this over 100 years ago, why can't we do it today? I guess my question here in relation to housing targets is: how are you ensuring that we're not just building houses but that we're actually building functioning communities, with all the facilities that communities need? Diolch yn fawr.

The Minister for Climate Change to contribute to the debate—Julie James.

Diolch, Llywydd. I would like to start by recording, also, my thanks to the Local Government and Housing Committee, particularly the Chair, for their in-depth and considered inquiry into the complex issue of second homes. On behalf of my Cabinet colleagues, I responded to the committee's report and recommendations, all of which we have accepted. We are, and were in many cases, putting those to practical effect through our cross-Government activity and our close working with Plaid Cymru on this matter.

As you know, responding to the challenges set by large numbers of second homes and short-term holiday lets requires a holistic and integrated response. We set this out in my statement on our cross-Government three-pronged approach, and it is also a key feature of our co-operation agreement with Plaid Cymru. We are committed to immediate, radical, effective and balanced measures to ensure that we tackle the challenges head on and provide further support for people to be able to live affordably in their home communities. This challenge has undoubtedly been made significantly more complex due to the cost-of-living crisis and the market turmoil, and particularly turmoil in the housing market caused by the Government's—I don't know what they call it any more—mini budget I think they've now accepted it was, and the withdrawal of so many mortgage products from first-time buyers in particular. How the Conservatives can stand there and criticise us for what we're doing, given the complete and utter misery and turmoil they've created in the housing market, I fail to understand.

Anyway, we have worked with pace and vigour to take a number of significant steps over the course of the year. Llywydd, I will rapidly set out the range of activities that is being undertaken today, as it is extensive and I have very little time, and I will outline then how we continue to move forward. Last week, as promised in the First Minister and Adam Price's 4 July statement, we laid regulations affording local planning authorities far greater control over future numbers of second homes and short-term holiday lets in their communities where local evidence demonstrates that there is a problem. This will allow local authorities to take much more account of local circumstances.

We have been and we will continue working with local planning authorities in Gwynedd and Snowdonia National Park as part of the Dwyfor pilot. We're supporting them to build a common evidence base that can be used to inform all local policy interventions. I've also committed to supporting operating costs, as we draw lessons and make an assessment of cost and impact. This learning will be of national benefit. Although I will say there, in direct response to Mabon, that, of course, the rules apply to everyone now, but we're particularly working with the pilot areas to understand their resource significance. So, that's not to say that other places can't continue to do it, but we're particularly looking to gather data on what the resource implications to the local authorities are—just to make that point really clear.

Of course, we'd already introduced a range of measures, including changes to the upper limit for discretionary council tax premiums and second and long-term empty homes. The changes will have effect from 1 April next year and local authorities are able to consult now and then act on their decisions—I know that Gwynedd is already doing this—to make balanced choices about an appropriate premium to reflect local circumstances. We've also made changes to the letting criteria for self-catering accommodation to be classified as non-domestic, and liable for non-domestic rates, rather than domestic and liable for council tax. These measures, aligned with the changes being made to the planning framework, provide us and local authorities with a toolbox to manage more effectively future numbers of second homes and short-term lets.

Of course, we recognise the contribution that fair tourism has to make, but we cannot continue to see communities being hollowed out. This balanced and robust package of interventions is unparalleled in the UK context and demonstrates how seriously we have been and are taking the situation. More broadly, we're working on a number of complementary actions, working with local authorities in terms of options and possible local flexibility on land transaction tax for second homes and short-term holiday lets. This would help us respond further to uneven distribution of second homes across Wales and indeed, within authority areas as well.

We are continuing to explore options to bring more empty homes back into full-time use. We've also delivered training to local authorities in the use of their compulsory purchase powers and we have a number of schemes to bring empty home properties back into beneficial use, including a system of grants and the lease scheme, and so on, for which, Llywydd, I refer many Members who've raised that today to my many previous statements on the subject, where we've outlined a large number of interventions that we're taking.

The First Minister and Adam Price also confirmed their commitment as part of the co-operation agreement to introduce a statutory licensing scheme for all visitor accommodation, and we will be bringing forward a consultation on our proposals in the coming months. The scheme will make it a requirement to obtain a licence to operate visitor accommodation, including short-term holiday lets, and will help raise standards across the tourism industry and improve data supporting future planning decisions. And just to address directly the contribution made by Janet and more extensively by Sam, obviously, we want people to come on holiday to Wales. Obviously, we want them to have second homes and to take advantage of holiday lets here, but what we want is a sustainable community. If you speak to people who come here who do have second homes or holiday lets, they don't want to come to a place where there's nobody living and there are no shops and pubs; they want to come to a thriving community and to experience that. So, this isn't about driving them out; it's about spreading them out and to make sure that we have sustainable communities in every area. So, I just want to make that abundantly clear. This isn't about not being welcoming; it's about making sure that the experience that people have when they come to Wales is a good one and it's a good one because we have a sustainable, thriving community using the Welsh language and bringing all of the cultural benefits that that brings. So, this isn't an anti agenda at all; it's a pro agenda—pro our effective communities and pro our cultures.

John Griffiths, the Chair to reply to the debate.

Diolch, Llywydd. May I thank everyone for their contributions to the debate today? I think everybody understands that this is a very important, but complex area, and that much is happening, but much needs to be done.

I would just say to Janet Finch-Saunders, who was the first to contribute, following my opening of the debate, Llywydd, that we do recognise, obviously, the tensions around tourism, the importance of tourism to these areas, and that was mentioned by others in the debate as well. Obviously, it is a balance, but our recommendation that there is proper evaluation of the impact on tourism, I think, is very important. But we do have to recognise—I think you said, Janet, that second home owners are using local services, using local businesses. But we do know that some second home owners may be in those properties for, perhaps, a weekend, a week or two weeks in a whole year, and we heard from the Minister that that can lead to a hollowing-out of communities. They may be ghost towns in the winter, because those businesses and services are not able to operate during those months because there aren't enough people around to use them, and they're not living, sustainable communities, which we've heard is so important, if that hollowing-out takes place.

I think Mabon ap Gwynfor has clearly shown his commitment to these issues, and, obviously, they're very important for Mabon in his own local area, and I commend Mabon on that commitment and his work on the committee on this matter. Obviously, that co-operation agreement between Labour, the Welsh Government and Plaid has been very important in terms of additional focus. And I think we now are in a position, aren't we, where we've got, as the Minister described, a whole range of actions taking place, really important actions to get to the absolute heart of these matters in terms of what will move the dial, as we say, and what will make a real difference on the ground.

It's absolutely right that there should be that pilot in Dwyfor so that we properly evaluate, monitor and make sure that, when we move forward for the whole of Wales, we've got a really solid evidence base that tells us what works, what might not work and what unintended consequences there might be. So, that evidence-based approach, through that pilot and the other work that we've recommended and Welsh Government has accepted, I do think is absolutely crucial.

That stark contrast that Members drew between Airbnb properties and those that might think about the local housing allowance and the revenue that would bring is just incredibly stark, isn't it? It really does show, through the work of the Bevan Foundation and others, what needs to be addressed in terms of the relative attractiveness of particular uses of properties and what will deliver those liveable, sustainable communities. And those points were made by Carolyn Thomas as well. And Carolyn also mentioned the right to housing, and it is a basic right, isn't it? And we had a very important event in the Pierhead just the other week where housing organisations, housing associations and others, talked about the importance of that right to housing and what might happen in Wales if we had the legislation in place that would really make that right a reality right across our country. And that's a campaign that will go on and build.

The proposal is to note the committee's report. Does any Member object? No. The motion is therefore agreed.

We'll now move to the Welsh Conservative debate on major events. I call on Paul Davies to move the motion.

Diolch, Llywydd, and I'm pleased to move the motion, tabled in the name of my colleague, Darren Millar.

As Wales's football team heads to Qatar later this year, and following the publication of the Welsh Government's major events strategy in July, it's wholly appropriate that we consider the economic significance of major events, both home and away.

In developing a refreshed major events strategy, the Welsh Government has had the time and opportunity to learn lessons from the previous strategy and set a new direction for how major events are handled to ensure that we receive the maximum economic benefit from these events. And whilst we know that the Welsh events sector makes a significant contribution to our economy, we perhaps sometimes forget the cultural and linguistic significance of these events in our communities. For example, events like the Hay Festival, the national and Urdd eisteddfodau, the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod and the Royal Welsh Show are all examples of events that are integral to our culture and to our language.

Therefore, we on this side of the Chamber believe that the Welsh Government should rethink its major events strategy and ensure that there is much more on the cultural significance of major events. We also believe the Welsh Government should have much more of a focus on aspiration, creativity and innovation in attracting major events to Wales, as stated in our motion.

Of course, underpinning the Welsh Government's current strategy is the need for alignment and integration within the events sector, particularly in relation to workforce and planning. We need to develop an innovative, collaborative workforce that is focused on shared objectives, and, in order to do that effectively, the Welsh Government must invest in the growth of skills, knowledge and capability within the industry. Therefore, perhaps, in responding to the debate, the Minister will take the opportunity to tell us a bit more about the level of investment being made in the sector and the steps being taken to develop it even further.

Now, I'm pleased to see that the Welsh Government strategy accepts the need to maximise the geographical and seasonal spread of events across Wales. It's vital that all parts of Wales have the opportunity to benefit from a major event in one part of the country, and we need to see much more infrastructure investment take place outside of the capital city in order for that to happen.

Hosting a major event is important, not just because of the money spent whilst the event is taking place, but also because it focuses the world's attention on Wales and provides us with an opportunity to market the whole of Wales to visitors. And so we need to use that window to promote everything that Wales has to offer, not just the location of that event. For example, the recent WWE event in Cardiff was an opportunity for us to put Wales on the map internationally, to encourage visitors who came to Cardiff for the visit to explore outside the city centre and see other parts of Wales too.

Of course, a strong strategy for major events must draw together expertise, including partners in local government, the transport industry and even the private sector. The Welsh Government's strategy is right to say that:

'Understanding where stakeholders fit, regardless of size or tier, creates buy-in and operational efficiencies.'

And so I'm pleased to hear the Government accept that it's the private sector that is at the forefront of events delivery and can most directly realise the delivery aims of this strategy. Indeed, perhaps, in responding to this debate, the Minister will update us on how the Welsh Government is strengthening its relationship with the private sector in Wales to ensure the strategy is absolutely successful.

Now, key to the successful implementation of the Welsh Government's strategy will be tracking the resources it's allocated and ensuring that those resources are used effectively. Now, of course, I'm conscious that the Minister doesn't have a magic money tree by which to support the sector. Nevertheless, where funding is allocated, taxpayers must be convinced that those resources are being used to genuinely deliver economic benefits for our country. There needs to be transparency in relation to Welsh Government investments, and Ministers need to be bold enough to accept when things aren't working and change direction.

My colleague Tom Giffard has been asking questions regarding the Welsh Government investment in the WWE ahead of their event in Cardiff in September and, whilst he's received a response that the funding package is subject to stringent, post-event monitoring, there is no information on what exactly that post-event monitoring looks like. It's not outrageous to want to understand exactly how much money the Welsh Government invested in this event and the criteria that was used to decide how much to invest. The taxpayer should know whether the criteria set has been met, and so perhaps the Minister will also use this opportunity to confirm whether or not that post-event monitoring has now taken place and what outcomes have been realised.

The Welsh Government must also learn from its previous strategies and also from other countries across the UK and further afield. Scotland has used a portfolio approach to events and festivals, which allows for a variety of large and small sport and culture fixed, recurring and one-off events to be identified and supported, and we need to see more of that innovative approach here in Wales. We need a similar portfolio approach to help spread the benefits across the year and the country, as well as to encourage and nurture innovation and entrepreneurship.

I have selected the amendment to the motion. I call on Luke Fletcher to move amendment 1, tabled in the name of Siân Gwenllian.

Diolch, Llywydd, and I move the amendment tabled by Siân Gwenllian. We have a unique opportunity this year to learn from Wales's participation in the world cup and to build on Wales's growing presence on the global stage, as well as honing our ability to effectively reap the economic benefits of major events like this to Wales.

We also have some amazing Welsh-born events, such as the National Eisteddfod and Llangollen international eisteddfod, which I believe we have not fully realised the potential of to further promote Wales's culture, heritage and language. We must go further and we must provide that investment for events like the Eisteddfod to continue to evolve.

Wales has its own culture, its own language—one of the oldest surviving Celtic languages—and its own history. It's a powerful selling point, and one that we can't underestimate. That is our advantage, our hook, unique to this corner of the world—the story of the land of our fathers, a taste of which has been given via the world cup, and should happen with every global event where Wales is present. Putting our identity as a country front and centre is how we succeed in promoting Wales, and putting more of a focus on this to promote the Cymru brand can and will bring a form of sustainable heritage tourism to Wales, as it has for other places, like Scotland and like Ireland. That is the crux of our amendment today: to put Cymru at the heart of this strategy.

But, of course, what needs to follow is the addressing of the systemic problems that exist here in Wales today—our infrastructure, for example, which limits our ability to host major events and limits aspiration, creativity and innovation in Wales that comes with hosting and growing major events. Traws Link Cymru, the west Wales rail campaign group, pointed out in July this year how current transport infrastructure around Tregaron was not adequate to cope with the Eisteddfod. The chair of the group, Professor Mike Walker, noted the irony of the proximity of the National Eisteddfod to the disused railway route. Investing in infrastructure will unlock Wales and it will help to provide new forms of employment in these regions, and help to retain young people in the area whilst strengthening the language, culture and heritage. Without improvements to infrastructure, we would be hard pressed to meet any strategy, no matter its ambition.

To close, Llywydd, vital to this strategy will be our culture and heritage—pride in our culture, investment in its promotion, and access to it. I hope Members across the Chamber would agree.

Can I say what a pleasure it is to speak, again, in today's Welsh Conservative debate on major events, tabled, once again, by my colleague, Darren Millar? Today's debate is so important because, as we know, major events, as a whole, do so much in supporting our economy here in Wales and, of course, in our local communities. That's why, today, I'd like to start my contribution by clearly outlining the benefits of investment in major events.

First of all, they boost local economies from increased visitor numbers and increased spending; they extend the tourist and visitor season by providing a programme of events in the winter months; they can act as a platform for providing positive publicity in local and national media about an area; increase the area's profile locally, nationally and internationally by having such significant events; they can encourage economic growth opportunities by developing the local supply chain; provide opportunities for the community to get involved by volunteering to help develop skills and employment opportunities; and, of course, provide local entertainment for the community and additional recreational opportunities for residents across the area.

On top of these measurable benefits, there is of course the feel good factor. Having a lively and dynamic locality brings immeasurable benefits to communities, businesses and, of course, our health and well-being. I’m sure, Members, like me you were delighted to read the Federation of Small Businesses' 'Welcoming Communities: Developing tourism in Wales' report, which was published in August. This report highlighted again how important tourism and visitors are to us here in Wales, showing that 17.6 per cent of our gross domestic product is related to tourism, and over 12 per cent of our residents are employed within tourism. The link between tourism, visitors and events is significant for our thriving economy.

When looking at some of the previous major events held in my region, in north Wales, it’s clear to see why they’ve been so successful in boosting the Welsh economy. One example of that, of course, has been the Wales Rally GB, which took place in north Wales in the past. That was calculated to have an annual impact of around £10 million on the economy in north Wales—that’s £10 million of new money and new jobs.

But, of course, these types of events need a host, and need skilled people to organise and work together. The example of the world rally championships was an event hosted by Conwy County Borough Council, which, over the years, had built up expertise and in recent years has hosted—and I’ll rattle some of these things off—the Commonwealth mountain and ultra distance championship; the trail running world championships; the world shore angling championships; the world masters mountain running championship; the cycling Tour of Britain finishing team presentation; and annual concerts hosting legends such as Sir Tom Jones, Sir Elton John, Lionel Richie, Bryan Adams and the world’s biggest girl band, I’m told, Little Mix. They had BBC Proms in the Park for the first time in north Wales as well. Conwy County Borough Council helped to have Red Bull Unleashed and the UK pro surf challenge at Surf Snowdonia; they had the village for the world rally championships and the penultimate round of the world rally championships. All of this, as well as things like the Llandudno Extravaganza, which the Member for Aberconwy is always very keen to support, and the Conwy food festival, which all Members are always keen to support.

I’m really delighted to take part in this debate, and 'thank you' to the Conservatives for moving this debate today. My focus, I hope, will interest the Chamber. I’m going to start with a quote from a theatre group that organises theatre that is based on our history and our culture—very much the heritage aspect that my colleague Luke was talking about. They title themselves Contemporancient Theatre, ‘Heb Hanes, Heb Hunaniaeth’—without history, without our identity, we don’t know where we’ve come from.

Now, there’s a pertinence to that, Minister, that I’ll come to in a moment, because I met last week with playwright, actor and director Vic Mills and the poet, novelist and academic Professor Kevin Mills, who head up this theatre company. Because what they’re doing next year is they’re creating theatre in the Garw valley, in my constituency, celebrating the tercentenary of the birth of Dr Richard Price, who I’ll come to in a moment in some detail. Because if we wanted a classic icon of Wales, an icon who’s known better, actually, beyond our shores, including in places like America, where we want to build links globally and internationally, then Richard Price ticks all the boxes, and I’ll explain why in a moment. But they, along with Huw Williams, senior lecturer in philosophy at Cardiff University, are putting together not only the play that will be touring next year through schools, through community centres and so on, but will also be hopefully coming to the Senedd to talk about what they're doing and also to the UK Parliament as well.

Richard Price is a man of significance. Now, the reason I mention that is that within the national events strategy we have here, it talks about some really interesting focuses. So, the economic return on investment and international profile of events—I agree entirely; it talks about the international reach and targets of events, so we should measure them by how much they generate international profile, in turn supporting and positioning Wales as a destination to inspire future visitation; it talks about international media coverage, generated specifically by events in markets of interests; brand awareness of Wales; and events delivered in the tourism off-season and so on. Dr Richard Price, philosopher, et cetera, extraordinaire, ticks all those boxes, Minister.

So, the point I'm going to come to at the end of my brief words here today is to try and seek a meeting with you, because we're trying to do local events here next year, within the Garw valley, within the Bridgend area—supported, by the way, by Bridgend County Borough Council as well, who have put some money behind this—but we need to look at what we can do with icons like this of Wales to actually develop that international reach as well. So, there's a chapter in your strategy that deals with authenticity, events that are good for Wales, that reflect and celebrate those things that are authentically Welsh in all aspects, and it talks about ensuring that Welsh culture and language will be represented at events in Wales, helping to tell the stories of Wales to residents and visitors alike, and it talks about delivering a greater sense of Welshness for events, through, for example, landscape, coastline, history, culture and so on—celebrating Welsh icons to develop strong event propositions.

We all know the benefits that holding major events here in Wales can bring. Major events create opportunities for individuals, communities, businesses and organisations, all across Wales, to share in the economic benefits generated and provide an opportunity to showcase Wales on an international platform.

Wales already has world-class venues in place, including the Principality Stadium, the Celtic Manor Resort, Venue Cymru, and the new Swansea Arena, but sadly the Welsh Government’s record in bringing major events to Wales is patchy, to say the least. This is because the Welsh Government’s approach to holding major events in Wales is characterised, sadly, by a lack of ambition. By failing to capture the full economic potential of holding major events, the people of Wales are being let down over and over again. One of the most successful major events, the Ryder Cup, held at the Celtic Manor Resort in 2010, injected over £80 million into the economy of south Wales. A large number of spectators were attracted to the host venue, and the event was watched by millions of people on television here and abroad, ultimately raising the profile of Wales. In 2014, the same venue hosted the NATO summit, an event about which the then First Minister, Carwyn Jones, said the value of the publicity the event brought Wales was literally incalculable.

Sadly, major events like this held in Wales are the exception rather than the rule. My colleague Paul Davies, in his contribution, has referred to the failure to bid and hold the Eurovision Song Contest here in Cardiff. We on this side of the Chamber have repeatedly called for Wales to make a bid to hold the Commonwealth Games in 2026 or even 2030. The Commonwealth Games were last held in Wales 1958. Bringing the Commonwealth Games to Wales once again will enhance our reputation for staging international events. In July 2016, the Welsh Government published a feasibility study into holding the games. It concluded that a bid was technically possible if the logistical challenges could be overcome. These challenges include the games and events being held over a wider geographic spread. But, surely, this would be an advantage, delivering economic benefits across Wales and not just to one small region.

An ambitious major events strategy may even give the Deputy Minister for Climate Change an incentive to finally sort out Wales’s chronic transport problem. Recent concerts in Cardiff by Tom Jones, the Stereophonics and Ed Sheeran clearly have demonstrated the deficiencies of our transport systems. We all witnessed the complete chaos when Ed Sheeran staged three concerts in the Principality Stadium. There were 15-mile-long queues on the M4, motorists were trapped in their car parks because the city centre was in gridlock, and many people were left stranded on train platforms for hours on end because our crumbling rail network couldn’t cope with the sheer demand. Cardiff and the surrounding areas were brought to a standstill. It’s a really sad state of affairs when people were being urged not to take the train because the rail network isn’t fit for the twenty-first century.

My colleagues have highlighted some of the deficiencies. I'm going to talk about some of the positives, I think, across Wales. Do you know, I'm actually very pleased with the major events that have come to my constituency? I look at the Hay-on-Wye literary festival that brings £70 million into the local economy. I know many people on these benches and others enjoy the Royal Welsh Show, the agricultural show, which does highlight the economic benefits of agriculture to Wales. Yes, I will take an intervention, Huw, if you put your hand up for that.

Yes, thanks, James, for giving way. Sorry, it's a subject I used to lecture on years ago. Noticeably, it's not the mega, mega events that earn the big bucks for Wales plc or UK plc; it's the regular, annual events, just the ones that you were mentioning. Those are the bedrock, not just of our local communities, but actually driving repeated economic gains. It's not the one-offs; it's the regular, annual events.

That's very true, Huw. I know 13.2 per cent of people in my constituency are employed within tourism. A lot of that tourism in Hay-on-Wye, Crickhowell, Builth Wells and other parts of my constituency rely on that regular tourism, year in, year out, to promote economic growth, so I do take that point and take it on board.

But we do have music festivals in Brecon and Radnorshire. We also have stages of the Tour of Britain come through on the cycling. I know that recently the young farmers organisation did their Breconshire young farmers club tour, which I took part in. I count it as a major event because I was there. [Laughter.]

But one of the greatest loves of my life is golf—not you, Tom Giffard—and darts. And I was very pleased that we had the Premier League Darts in Cardiff last year, really highlighting to the people of Wales and the world that Wales is a place that loves its darts. I know the Llywydd loves her darts, and I know many people in this Chamber, as well, also enjoy darts.

I think you're slightly over-egging it there.

Having that regular event coming back and forth to Wales is fantastic. I would like to see more major darts events in Wales, because I think it's very, very important that we highlight that. But golf is probably my No. 1 love in life, I would think—[Interruption.] No, I won't tell my girlfriend. [Laughter.] I spend much of my time on the golf course, and she isn't very happy about that either. But as Natasha Asghar did say, the 2010 Ryder Cup really did put Wales on the world map in terms of golf, and now Wales is seen as one of the top golfing destinations around the world. Things have flowed out from the 2010 Ryder Cup. We've seen the senior men's open come to Wales, with the best men golfers from around the world coming here, and we had Bernhard Langer win at Royal Porthcawl, with all the best golfers coming to Wales.

But something I would like to see, and maybe the Minister could pick this up in his closing speech at the end, is the Solheim Cup, which is the women's equivalent of the Ryder Cup. It's been here once before, and I know they are looking for a venue, so I'd like to know what work the Welsh Government is doing to try and get the Solheim Cup back to Wales, to really promote women's golf, and the value that that brings to enhancing women's sport around the world. I'd also like to know what discussions you've had with the Royal and Ancient to actually bring the Open Championship to Wales. It's been in Scotland, it's been in England, it's been in Northern Ireland. So, I do think it's about time Wales hosted the men's open golf tournament.

I can't help but remember the First Minister mentioning not so long ago his love of cricket. We had the Hundred come to Cardiff, which I went to watch, and I'm sure we'd like to see more major cricket events coming to Wales and more tests, so maybe the Minister can comment on that. Major sporting events are very, very important for Wales. They highlight just how much of a sporting nation we are. It's not just about the rugby, it's not just about the football, but, as Huw said, it's about the smaller events that really do mean the most to the Welsh people and the Welsh economy.

The Minister to contribute to the debate—Vaughan Gething.

Thank you, Llywydd. I'd like to thank the Conservatives for tabling this debate today, as it gives me the opportunity to highlight the importance of events to Wales, and how we are supporting our vision as set out in the new national events strategy. Our ambition is that Wales stages outstanding events that support the well-being of our people, place and the planet. It should surprise no-one that I won't support the motion and, indeed, the amendment.

Before going into some more detail, I think it's been an odd series of speeches from the Conservatives, on the one hand saying we have all these great events that turn up in Wales, and almost all the events that have been mentioned have been supported by the Welsh Government, and then they say the Welsh Government isn't doing enough. And at the same time, we have this big challenge of the reality of our financial resources, and it means you have to choose. You have to prioritise. You can't do everything. And what we're looking to do is to maximise the return on each of the events that we support.

On Eurovision, I should clarify that no other facility in Wales, apart from the stadium in Cardiff, would have been big enough, and it of course has a very strong track record of hosting major events. The challenge, though, was that actually due to the complexity of staging the event, the demands of doing so, and also the staging of a significant number of scheduled events in the Principality Stadium, those events would have had to have been cancelled, including the European wheelchair rugby championships, for example; a major international artist who was contracted to appear; and other events. Alongside the council and the stadium, we explored a range of options, to see if we could accommodate the event alongside the existing schedule, but it wasn't possible. So, we did everything that we practicably could to try to land Eurovision, and I would have been delighted to have attended myself, as a cast-iron Eurovision fan, much to the annoyance of my wife.

But we do, of course, have a thriving events industry, as a number of Conservative speeches highlighted. We're always open to discussions around bringing major events to Wales, and indeed maintaining a balanced portfolio of local events. We all know that a full range of cultural and sporting and business events are a vital part of our broader economy. The Welsh Government supports, for example, events across Wales through Event Wales that help to drive a positive economic impact. We also showcase world-class venues, spotlight our cities, our towns, our communities, and, as has been said, highlight our wonderful landscapes in different parts of the country.

Sorry to interrupt you. I just wanted to say, Minister, don't you think that we need to capitalise as much as we can, particularly on major sporting events, by also investing then in grass-roots sporting facilities? Because if we're stimulating all this interest in a sport—for example, football, or whatever it might be—it's a real shame that some people across Wales are unable to take up that sport in their local areas because the facilities are so poor.

That's why we're investing £24 million of capital into grass-roots facilities. It's why it's such a shame that we saw a cut to our capital budget from the spending review. We, of course, want to do more, but it does mean we need the resources to do more and not to have our resources denuded and taken away by the UK Government. I will take an interest in Huw Irranca-Davies's spotlighting of Dr Richard Price. I'm due to have a meeting with Huw Irranca-Davies on a number of subjects, so I'll add another one to the list. [Laughter.]

We are, of course, well versed in successfully hosting major events, from WOMEX to NATO, the Ashes test, the Ryder Cup and the UEFA Champions League final, to name but a few, in all of which the Welsh Government had a key role in landing and putting on. You wouldn't have thought that from half of the Conservative speeches. But, most recently, of course, we did help to land the WWE Clash at the Castle. That was a major event—a US-based but international sports entertainment extravaganza for the first time in the UK in 30 years. And actually part of the reason they came to Wales was because, despite what the Conservatives are saying about our ability to land large events, they had confidence in our ability to do so and had noticed Wales on the world stage because of what we had already done in the past.

And of course that event gave us the opportunity to use WWE promotional platforms to gain further exposure for Wales. So, tourism locations, personalities, food and drink and the language were all featured in advance of the event and during the event as well, and they were broadcast live worldwide during the event itself. And it wasn't just the stadium and Cardiff that were profiled, as west Wales, north Wales, mid Wales and south Wales outside the capital as well were all featured. And I think that's part of what we've been able to do by working with them. It's part of the reason why we supported the event, because of the huge exposure that Wales got as a result of it, and not just for the 62,000 people who came to Wales from 42 countries for the event itself. It's worth noting that, on the night of the event, it was the top trending item globally on Twitter. And I will be happy to publish more information on the post-event monitoring, including the economic impact assessment, which is not yet complete. And indeed, post Qatar, we will of course update Members and the wider public on the impact of our activity around the men's football world cup to promote Wales. I'll also be happy to provide a further update to Members in advance of the tournament kick off.

Another one of our supported events, not quite such a major event in the sense of the world cup or WWE, is the World Rowing Coastal Championships and Beach Sprint Finals, which I know everyone is looking forward to. It's actually—[Interruption.] I knew that there would be an interest from this side, because it's another example of our ambition and innovation right across the country. The event has become one of the first rowing events of its type globally to have achieved International Organization for Standardization 20121. That may not mean much to people here, but in the events sector, it's a coveted certification on sustainability. It recognises the event's commitment to reducing its economic, social and environmental impacts in all aspects relating to event planning and execution. The organisers sought at all times to benefit and boost the local economy whilst being sensitive to the important nature reserves and geology in the area. I could go on and on and on talking about what we can do and have done within the events sector here in Wales, but I think we have a track record to be proud of here in Wales, with real ambition in the new strategy, and I look forward to reporting on more success from major events, local events, right across Wales. I hope that people will support those, not just in the Chamber, but in their local communities and across the country in the future.

Tom Giffard to reply to the debate.

Diolch, Llywydd. Can I thank all Members and the Minister for their contribution to today's debate? Llyr Gruffydd told me in the tea room earlier that this debate would be a major event in and of itself, and I think he was proven quite correct. [Laughter.]

To summarise some of the contributions, Paul Davies in his opening remarks referred to the magnificent achievement of team Cymru, and I want to repeat my well wishes to them ahead of their world cup campaign in Qatar. And on the world cup, I have to say I'm still disappointed that grass-roots-level campaigns have not been able to get involved with the world cup partner support fund when it was announced last week. I'd hoped that we would have had the ability to involve people all across Wales. It's also disappointing to hear that official fan zones are not taking place to commemorate the event, and I would urge the Government to work with councils across Wales to make sure that that does happen.

Paul also went on to mention the major events strategy and how we can maximise the economic benefit from these events. As has been mentioned, there are many major cultural events that take place each year, and we can capitalise on those events that take place—not just in Cardiff, but in Swansea, in north Wales, in mid Wales, in west Wales as well. I'd like to echo his call that the strategy should be rethought with an additional focus on how we can look at more aspiration and innovation in it. And through that aspiration and innovation, my colleague Natasha Asghar mentioned the recent events that unfortunately brought Cardiff to a standstill during the Ed Sheeran and the Stereophonics concerts, which caused absolute havoc to our transport networks, with some people, as she illustrated, stuck for hours, only to end up missing their concert, or arriving very late home.

There needs to be a joined-up approach throughout all of the major events strategies to maximise revenue for the whole city, the whole town, or the whole area to benefit from that major event when it comes to Wales. We need to make sure that we tap into people's interests when they're travelling to our cities and our towns and sell other parts of our country whilst they are here. That could not have been more relevant than when the recent WWE Clash at the Castle event took place in Cardiff last month. Here we had an opportunity to galvanise people's interest in our cultural wonders and not just concentrate them in Cardiff.

Also, my colleague Paul Davies mentioned the fact that the Welsh Government seemed to be hiding behind the figures that brought the event here in the first place. I heard the Minister in his response talking about maximising the return on the events we support, which sounds like a noble ambition, but you haven't told us how much you spent on it, Minister, in the first place. How would we know that you've maximised the return on such an event? Taxpayers' money being used to bring such a global brand to Wales is something to be welcomed, but it's really concerning to see the obfuscation from the Welsh Government to release those figures, so we as Members of the Senedd can scrutinise that investment and ensure taxpayers were getting value for money.

Would you give way?

Absolutely.

I am enjoying a lot of what you're saying—

I'd expect that. [Laughter.]

But it just does strike me that some of the criticism around the support given to events—. When the Olympics came to London—I was Parliamentary Private Secretary to Tessa Jowell at the time—it was universally derided by many Conservative Members as a waste of money, waste of investment, waste of time; we'd never get it. Then when we got it, everybody celebrated and said what a wonderful thing this was for Britain to have. So, I'd just ask for some latitude that when a Minister decides to actually support an event and bring it here to Wales, normally, they're doing it with the best intention, not because there's some grand conspiracy.

I never said that there was a grand conspiracy, but what I thought was very important was that the Welsh Government is open when it spends taxpayers' money so that we can decide whether that money was well spent. I don't think that that's a novel concept.

Luke Fletcher spoke excellently, I thought, about the culture, heritage and the language being the most powerful selling points, and putting our identity front and centre is absolutely crucial. I'm happy to give way to the First Minister if he'd like to come in, as well. [Laughter.] Huw Irranca-Davies spoke about the importance of regular, annual events, and I was genuinely interested to hear what he had to say about Dr Richard Price, as well. James Evans, I think, will be in trouble when he gets home when he talks about the true love in his life, but he mentioned a great deal about the local events in Brecon and Radnorshire. Finally, Laura Anne Jones made an excellent point about the wider legacy left behind by major events as well; how we leave a footprint that genuinely benefits the people of Wales.

And Paul Davies, finally, spoke about a can-do attitude in Welsh Government when it comes to major events, and that lack of ambition has also been prevalent when the Welsh Government failed to even co-ordinate a plan to bring the Eurovision Song Contest to Wales. We have arenas that can hold international events across Wales, and that lack of ambition has been clear for all to see. The question has to be asked whether the chaos on our transport system and gridlocking an entire city played a part in that decision not to bring the event here, which was backed in our debate, to Wales. We want to bring these events to Wales and bring with them further opportunities to develop our country as one that can attract the very best events, talent and culture from across the world.

In conclusion, Llywydd, I hope that Members can unite behind our motion before us today, and I firmly believe that this motion can show to Wales and the rest of the world that we are relentlessly optimistic about what our country can achieve. Thank you.

The proposal is to agree the motion without amendment. Does any Member object? [Objection.] There are objections, and we will defer voting under this item until voting time.

I'm now going to suspend the meeting as we prepare for voting time.

That brings us to voting time, and this afternoon's vote on item 8, the Welsh Conservatives' debate on major events. And I call for a vote on the motion, tabled in the name of Darren Millar. Open the vote. Close the vote. In favour 14, no abstentions and 38 against. The motion is therefore not agreed.

We'll move now to amendment 1, tabled in the name of Siân Gwenllian. Open the vote. Close the vote. The result of the vote is as follows: 26 in favour, no abstentions and 26 against. And therefore, I exercise my casting vote and vote against the amendment. And therefore, the final result is that there were 26 in favour and 27 against, and the amendment is, therefore, not agreed. The amendment is not agreed, the motion was not agreed, and therefore nothing is agreed.

And that concludes voting time for this afternoon.

That doesn't conclude the meeting. We will now move to the short debate. And I will ask Members to leave the Chamber quietly.

If Members can leave the Chamber quietly, those leaving, I'll ask Sam Rowlands to propose the short debate. Sam Rowlands.

Diolch yn fawr iawn, Llywydd. This evening, I'm delighted to have the opportunity to bring forward my short debate. It's my first short debate, actually, on an extremely important issue, which is sport in north Wales, ensuring opportunity for all. And I've agreed—generously, of course—to give at least one minute of my time to Tom Giffard, Carolyn Thomas, Gareth Davies and Ken Skates, to whom I'm grateful. I'm going to approach this in three parts this evening. First of all, I'm going to talk more broadly about the importance of sport; secondly, I want to talk about the challenge in north Wales specifically; and then, thirdly, some of the opportunities that we could look at to see these challenges resolved.

A key reason that I wanted to have a short debate on sport is due to the fact that sport is so important, as I'm sure we know, to our health, our well-being, our sense of place and our sense of community. It really has the power, as we see from time to time—more often than not, actually—to unite our local communities and the power to unite us as a country as well. As a relatively small country of just over 3 million people, we certainly punch above our weight on the world's sporting stage—and that wasn't an intentional pun, actually, but there was one there, and I promise it will be the last one.

But, despite our smaller population, we see some fantastic results. Our men's football team is currently ranked nineteenth best in the world and is going off to the world cup, as we know, next month; our rugby team is ranked at No. 7 in the world; we have the world's best darts player, who is Welsh—I know that James Evans will be very pleased about that; and at the recent 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, Wales won 28 gold medals, which is a fantastic haul for us and we should all be very proud. If we look at women's sport, we continue to see women's sport growing and thriving, along with audiences, with, most recently, 12,000 people attending a Wales women's football game against Slovenia last month. Of course, we're all very excited to see that the Wales women's football team is on the cusp of qualifying for the world cup.

I'm sure that Members from across the Chamber will enjoy a wide range of sports, whether it's the more mainstream sports of football and rugby, or, perhaps, some of the less mainstream sports of mud snorkelling or foot golf. But, in addition to this, these sports are a really important part of our community, with social clubs, bars and a genuine place for people to come together. They have fantastic mental health and well-being benefits. These are often much better, of course, when we are winning, which, for me, doesn't always happen, but it helps from time to time. Along with this, we know that sport also delivers clear physical benefits and is one of the best ways of staying fit and healthy, or at least trying to. Sport can be played by all ages or demographics and by all communities.

A second part, and the bit that I want to focus most of my time on this evening, and the main reason for my short debate, is to highlight that many people across north Wales simply don't have enough of these opportunities. We don't see the same access to sporting opportunities that other parts of the country enjoy, and we need to highlight this inadequacy and take urgent action to rectify it. Some examples of this: with a population of around 700,000 people in north Wales, we have just one professional sports team in Wrexham Association Football Club. In Wales, we have, of course, as we know, four professional rugby teams, but all of those are concentrated in the south. And in north Wales, we have no Olympic-sized swimming pool.

Can I thank Sam for giving me some time to contribute to this debate, and for tabling it in the first place? I think what speaks in abundance, I think we can all agree, is that Sam Rowlands has a clear passion for north Wales and for the area that he represents. You’re a really strong advocate for it, and I really think that came through in your remarks on behalf of the people of Wales’s second best region [Laughter.] But I think the point he was making was true—the rest of Wales outside of Cardiff has so much to offer.

But I wanted to use this opportunity to mention the recent report, 'Levelling the playing field', which was released by the committee that I sit on with responsibility for sport. It looked into participation in sport and physical activity in disadvantaged areas. We know that the World Health Organization in 2020 said that, globally, one in four adults did not meet the global recommended levels of physical activity, and, before the pandemic, only 32 per cent of adults participated in sporting activities three times a week, whilst over 40 per cent did none at all.

During the inquiry, we heard from a range of stakeholders that there are a number of barriers facing those in disadvantaged areas from participating in sport and in physical activity. They range from the suitability of facilities, a lack of safe spaces for doing exercise, reductions in time allocated for sport, and stereotypes that frankly belong in the past. Therefore, I'm keen to hear from the Deputy Minister in her response how she intends to tackle those barriers across Wales by working with Sport Wales and other stakeholders to ensure that sport is something that's accessible to all, regardless of health, background or where you live.

Thank you to Sam Rowlands for giving me a minute of his time and bringing forward this debate today. Beautiful north Wales is the home of outdoor sport and recreation. Whether it's cycling in the Clwydian, scrambling up Snowdon or kayaking off Anglesey, there are so many opportunities to connect sport with nature. Sport often begins at grass-roots level, through school, a shared interest with a friend, or someone in the community who has a passion. We have fantastic venues, such as Rhyl rugby club and Shotton rugby club, which have had Welsh Government funding, and they embrace the community as well and do a wonderful job. Mold Magic Basketball also deserves a special mention. The club is now oversubscribed, thanks to great leadership and passion from James, who has helped to bring the national basketball finals to north Wales, in Wrexham, and also the 3x3 tournament to Flint in north Wales as well as to Swansea and Cardiff.

Transport is essential in north Wales as the interest in sport grows. Playing in tournaments across the region, from Wrexham to Holyhead, is quite a distance to cover, and, once that interest grows further and you get to play for Wales, it means travelling to Cardiff every weekend and staying over with, hopefully, a supportive parent—just another reason why securing affordable, reliable and efficient public transport is essential for our region. Thank you.

I’d like to start by declaring an interest as a full member of Rhyl and District Rugby Football Club. I’d like to thank my colleague Sam Rowlands for tabling and discussing this important subject today. It’s quite right that we should be doing all we can to get people into exercise and sport, as it increases their physical and mental resilience, and is something we should all aspire to achieve.

I’d like to give one quick example, like Carolyn touched on, which is in Rhyl, which has a thriving rugby club on Tynewydd Road. Based right in the heart of the community, it offers girls, boys, men and women of all ages the opportunity to engage with the sport, and is proven to increase discipline and teamwork. And it’s not just a rugby club; it’s also a pub, function room, playground and community hub, which, combined together, has endless benefits for the people of Rhyl, of all ages, to socialise and engage with sport, which is a key component for increasing people’s self-esteem and mental health. But, sadly, there aren’t enough examples of this in north Wales, and anyone looking for inspiration can look to Rhyl rugby club to see an example of how it should be done.

I’d like to quickly just thank Rhyl and district rugby club for all the work they do in the community on a daily basis, and wish them the very best for the future, and encourage anyone who is interested in sport to contact their local club, group or association. Thank you.

I’m also very grateful to Sam Rowlands for tabling this important motion today. I’m going to make four quick points that I’ll elaborate on in correspondence, Minister: first of all, that it’s essential that elite performance funding follows the athlete and doesn’t go straight to governing bodies or national centres. That’s because north Wales sportspeople must be able to access training in the north-west of England, and, indeed, competitions, given that so much training and so many competitions in Wales are concentrated too far away, south of the M4. Secondly, and related to this, as Sam Rowlands has identified, we need decentralisation of sports governing bodies and national training centres from greater Cardiff. Thirdly, elite GB climbers in Wales currently can’t get Sport Wales funding, I believe, because we don’t, at this moment in time, have a Welsh governing body for climbing. This is completely unfair, especially if we want to get some climbers from north Wales entering into the Olympics. So, I’d be very grateful if Sport Wales could engage with GB Climbing and the British Mountaineering Council to resolve this problem.

And then, finally, Welsh curling, which is one governing body, one sport, that is headquartered in north Wales, faces the biggest challenge to its survival ever over the soaring cost of energy. I'd be incredibly grateful if Welsh Government or Sport Wales could engage with Welsh curling over their future presence at Deeside ice rink.

I call on the Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport to reply to the debate. Dawn Bowden.

Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. And can I thank very much Sam Rowlands for introducing this short debate this afternoon? I'm grateful for all Members and their thoughtful contributions. As Sam has already said, we've got great sporting traditions in Wales. We're excelling in many sports, and we look forward to the women's Rugby World Cup in New Zealand starting next week, and, hopefully, the women's football taking us a step closer to qualifying for the world cup in Australia and New Zealand next year.

What I would say is that north Wales—. We've talked about Wales as a whole, but north Wales in particular has a sporting tradition and a heritage to be proud of. It's produced many of our nation's finest and most successful sportspeople, such as Gary Speed, Tom Price, Sabrina Fortune, Ian Rush, and Jade Jones. I'm sure there are many more; the list could go on. But it's also home to some world-class facilities and iconic venues, which are of great significance to our nation. You've already mentioned the Racecourse in Wrexham, hosts of our first home international football match, and, as the excitement builds around the men's world cup next month—it's come around pretty quickly, hasn't it; it's less than 50 days now—I'm sure Wrexham and the whole of the north Wales will be playing a big part in providing a focus for supporters and helping to inspire the next generation. And I think that is something we do need to focus on—the world cup and its legacy and how that will inspire what we will be doing to encourage more people to get involved in football.

But Members will know that investing in sporting facilities, both elite and grass-roots, is a significant element already in our programme for government, highlighting the important link between increasing participation and the health and well-being of our nation. It's vital that we make facilities for sport and physical activity accessible to everyone if we're going to unleash the benefits of sport for everyone in Wales, whether it's from grass roots, or right through to elite sportspeople. Modern, accessible and sustainable facilities are crucial to encourage people back into sport, or into sport in the first place, and I very much look forward to receiving any correspondence from Ken Skates around that particular area that he wished to have some further discussion with me about. But that is why we are committed to investing £24 million in capital funding over the next three years for Sport Wales to develop new and existing facilities across Wales.

Through Sport Wales, we've provided significant amounts of funding, which has made a real difference to many people in Wales who want to take part in sport, whatever their age, ability and background. And for example, across north Wales, many projects involving different sports have already benefited from our investment. We always know we could spend more. If we had a bottomless pit of money, we could spend more money. But it is worth just acknowledging that there are a number of organisations that have benefited. St Asaph football club, for instance, has been able to form a new girls under 16 and a new boys under 16, thanks to funding for equipment and coach education. Bala Sailing Club has been able to purchase equipment to improve the transportation of boats to and from the water, which, in particular, will help those participants who are older or disabled. The Menai Bridge Bowling Club has been awarded funding to buy various items of equipment, including walking stick ferrules and bowls lifting aids to help older and disabled participants. Ynys Môn county council has been awarded funding to develop a new 3G facility in Amlwch. The two small-sided floodlit pitches will be ideal for training purposes for the mini and junior sections of their local football team. And I know that there are also exciting developments under way for an outdoor velodrome in the Ruthin area, which will be the only one in north Wales. And it's hoped that the outcomes of this exciting project, led by Welsh Cycling and Denbighshire Leisure Ltd, will be the development of a new sustainable club at the facility, and the establishment of an overall cycling hub, with an emphasis on female and youth cycling. And I'm sure that we'll all look forward to seeing that project developing over the coming months. And I was also pleased to learn that Deeside ice rink, which was also mentioned by Ken Skates, which was in use as a mass vaccination centre during the pandemic, will be reopening shortly as the Deeside ice arena.

I thank the Deputy Minister.

Thank you all for your contributions this afternoon.

That brings today's proceedings to a close.