Lindsay Whittle

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1. 1. Questions to the First Minister en

   First Minister, the Welsh Government has a vision to shift more emphasis onto primary care, which is so welcome and so long overdue. We've heard that community pharmacies are a central component of that and I'm sure there's no Member here who disagrees with that statement. I was going to ask you what work you're doing to invest in the community pharmacy network, but I'm going to ask you what we can do to stabilise the network so that the sector can continue to bring their expert care closer to the people. And if I could sneak—. And what further work can be done to improve public awareness of pharmacy services to strengthen their role in front-line services and help to ensure that sustainable future? Because it's what they do and they do it very well.

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1. 1. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy cy

   4. Pa fesurau y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i gefnogi cyfleoedd cyflogaeth ym Mlaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni? OQ64731

   Official English translation

   4. What measures will the Welsh Government take to support employment opportunities in Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni? OQ64731

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2. 1. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy cy

   Diolch am eich ateb, Weinidog. Fy mhryder yw bod gormod o'n pobl ifanc talentog ym Mlaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni yn teimlo bod yn rhaid iddynt symud i ffwrdd i ddod o hyd i yrfaoedd cynaliadwy hirdymor. Tu hwnt i ffrydiau cyllido cyffredinol, pa warantau targedig all Llywodraeth Cymru eu cynnig i greu swyddi medrus sy'n ddiogel ar gyfer y dyfodol yn eu milltir sgwâr fel y gallwn stopio allforio ein cenhedlaeth nesaf?

   Official English translation

   Thank you very much for your response, Minister. My concern is that too many of our talented young people in Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni feel that they have to move away to find careers that are sustainable and long term. Beyond the general funding streams, what targeted assurances can the Welsh Government provide to create skilled, futureproofed jobs in their local area so that we can stop exporting our next generation?

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3. 3. Questions to the Senedd Commission cy

   8. Sut mae'r Comisiwn yn ymgysylltu ag aelodau o'r cyhoedd yn Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni i wella gwaith allgymorth a helpu pobl i ddeall beth mae'r Senedd yn ei wneud a sut mae'n effeithio ar eu bywydau? OQ64776

   Official English translation

   8. How is the Commission engaging with members of the public in Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni to improve outreach work and help people understand what the Senedd does and how it affects their lives? OQ64776

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4. 3. Questions to the Senedd Commission cy

   Diolch am yr ateb, Gomisiynydd, ond rydw i’n gwybod bod teimlad cryf ymysg llawer o bobl yn ein cymunedau ni, o Fryn-mawr a Thredegar, hyd at Gaerffili a Rhymni, a Thorfaen hefyd, bod y Senedd yn teimlo fel rhywbeth sydd 'draw yno yng Nghaerdydd' ac yn bell oddi wrth eu bywydau bob dydd. A fydd y Comisiwn yn ymrwymo i drio cynyddu’r nifer o ymweliadau wyneb yn wyneb—achos mae hynny’n bwysig, dwi’n credu—a phrosiectau allgymorth uniongyrchol yn y meysydd lleol hyn, yn lle dibynnu ar ddeunyddiau digidol yn unig, i sicrhau nad yw pobl leol yn teimlo eu bod wedi eu hanghofio?

   Official English translation

   Thank you for the answer, but I know that there is a strong feeling amongst many people in our communities, from Brynmawr and Tredegar, through to Caerphilly and Rhymney, and Torfaen as well, that the Senedd feels like something that is 'over there in Cardiff' and is far removed from their everyday lives. Will the Commission commit to trying to increase the number of face-to-face visits—because they're so important, I believe—and also try to increase the direct outreach projects in these local areas, rather than relying solely on digital material, to ensure that local people do not feel that they've been forgotten?

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1. 1. Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice cy

   4. Pa asesiad y mae'r Gweinidog Cabinet wedi'i wneud o effaith cau swyddfa bost Caerffili? OQ64598

   Official English translation

   4. What assessment has the Cabinet Minister made of the impact of the closure of Caerphilly post office? OQ64598

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2. 1. Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice en

   Minister, can I thank you for your response? I, along with the leader of Caerphilly County Borough Council, have taken part in direct meetings with the Post Office to secure a suitable replacement in the town centre, but we are encountering a wall of excuses. The reason given by the Post Office as to why alternative sites are unsuitable do not stack up, because the excuse is that they are simply unsuitable—one site, across the road from the post office that had been there, to my knowledge, for at least 73 years, was because there is unsuitable parking. Minister, can I please ask you if you could commit to making direct representations to the Post Office executive to challenge these reasons for site rejections? We do need transparency on when the town centre will finally get its service back. I do feel that if the local Senedd Member—sorry, one of the local Senedd Members—and the leader of council can't get answers, I'm sure, they may listen to you, Minister. I know that I certainly would. [Laughter.]

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1. 3. Questions to the Senedd Commission cy

   3. Pa asesiad y mae'r Comisiwn wedi'i wneud o effaith yr ôl-groniad parhaus o daliadau o Gynllun Pensiwn y Gwasanaeth Sifil ar ei gyflogeion presennol a chyn-gyflogeion? OQ64546

   Official English translation

   3. What assessment has the Commission made of the impact of the ongoing backlog of payments from the Civil Service Pension Scheme on its current and former employees? OQ64546

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2. 3. Questions to the Senedd Commission en

   Thank you, Commissioner. I have been contacted by three constituents—probably three of the five—regarding the unacceptable and worrying delays and backlogs they're dealing with from Capita, the managing company of the civil service pension scheme. Capita has issued a statement saying that they have everything in place to begin clearing the backlog. However, they will not provide a timeline for when every case will be cleared, nor will they provide a date for my constituents on their individual cases, and that is important. I've met people who have worked all their lives in the service of the public, and they now face serious financial hardship. They shouldn't have to go for financial loans at that time of life because their public pensions, of course, were outsourced to a private company unable, let's be honest, to manage those pensions. Has the Commission had any discussions with the Cabinet Office in Westminster or the civil service pension scheme regarding the retired former employees from the Senedd? And if not, can you please commit to doing this?

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1. 1. Questions to the First Minister cy

   9. Sut y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn sicrhau bod menywod yn gallu cael mynediad at gyfleoedd mewn sectorau twf mawr, gan gynnwys gweithgynhyrchu uwch, ynni glân, a thechnoleg gwybodaeth? OQ64494

   Official English translation

   9. How will the Welsh Government ensure that women can access opportunities in major growth sectors, including advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and information technology? OQ64494

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2. 1. Questions to the First Minister en

   First Minister, thank you for that answer. I welcome the Welsh Government's focus on growth sectors and its commitment to fairness in the workplace. But to ensure, in the Valleys that I represent, that women directly benefit from these opportunities, could you expand any further on how you will agree to work alongside local authorities and industry partners to explore the targeted apprenticeship pathways for women in our former coalfield Valleys, please?

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1. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness and the Constitution cy

   8. Pa drafodaethau y mae'r Gweinidog Cabinet wedi'u cael gyda'r Gweinidog Cabinet dros Gyllid ynglŷn â chyflawni blaenoriaeth y Llywodraeth ar ddiwygio'r fformiwla ariannu ar gyfer Cymru? OQ64384

   Official English translation

   8. What discussions has the Cabinet Minister had with the Cabinet Minister for Finance regarding delivering the Government's priority of reforming the funding formula for Wales? OQ64384

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2. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness and the Constitution en

   Thank you, Minister. This underscores a truth known that decisions about Wales must be made in Wales. Devolution is about the reality on our doorsteps, our schools, our hospitals, our right to shape our own future and the right to control our own resources. Now, having served in local government for just close on 50 years as a councillor, I have seen the damage first-hand. Our councils are stretched to the limit and public services are under unprecedented strain. It is time now to demand a system that works for Wales, not one that holds us back. Minister, what other steps can you take, as a Welsh Government, to push, as a matter of extreme urgency, in my opinion, for the replacement of the current funding formula, which is limiting the full potential of devolution? Together, this Senedd, with all of the councils across Wales, could be a united force to ensure better funding for our country.

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1. 1. Questions to the First Minister cy

   10. Beth yw blaenoriaethau Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer gwella gwasanaethau rheilffyrdd ym Mlaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni? OQ64353

   Official English translation

   10. What are the Welsh Government's priorities for improving rail services in Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni? OQ64353

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2. 1. Questions to the First Minister en

   Diolch, First Minister. Plaid Cymru, of course, has long been a champion of better rail services across Wales, and I know our Government will always look for ways to be ambitious for our country. Residents in Nelson have campaigned for a reopening of the rail connection to the main Rhymney valley line for many years, and discussions have taken place on an extension from the Ebbw Vale line to a proposed Abertillery transport interchange as part of the Cardiff capital region. It's an ongoing issue. Rail extensions to these areas would provide expanded opportunities and access to the major centres around the south of Wales and, of course, the rest of Britain. Will the First Minister please confirm that relevant discussions with the rail authorities and others will continue until we achieve our ambitions and give these two proud valley communities more access to these because they are relying on us?

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1. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language cy

   7. Pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i roi rhagor o gyfleoedd i ddisgyblion i ddysgu am natur, bioamrywiaeth a'r amgylchedd yn yr ysgol? OQ64313

   Official English translation

   7. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to provide pupils with more opportunities to learn about nature, biodiversity and the environment in school? OQ64313

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2. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language en

   Thank you, Minister, for the response. The system in England, in fact, has recently passed a new natural history GCSE, which has a practical, hands-on focus, specifically requiring a minimum of 20 hours of mandatory outdoor fieldwork to teach students active skills in data collection, biodiversity tracking and conservation management. Here in Wales, of course, we have a magnificent natural landscape, from our peatlands and valleys to our unique coastal salt marshes, which would provide the ultimate living classroom. Now, given that these structured, hands-on scientific skills are exactly what employers are looking for to bridge the green skills gap, does the Minister agree that a similar dedicated qualification could be a fantastic tool to connect our young people with nature, improve their well-being away from screens and give them a direct pathway into our growing Welsh green economy?

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3. 7. Reform UK Debate: Nation of Sanctuary en

   If we could cut through the noise with a small 'n' in this Chamber today, we need to ground this debate in hard facts, not myths and total misinformation. Let's look at the actual numbers. The nation of sanctuary programme, which some here want to paint as some massive, excessive burden, actually makes up a tiny amount—0.05 per cent—of the Welsh Government's total budget. And let's be clear: about 91 per cent of that money goes directly to supporting people fleeing the horrific war in Ukraine—a war, by the way, that has lasted longer than world war one, and, apart from the Ukrainian lives, has claimed half a million Russian soldiers. I won’t even go into the numbers from Ukraine. Afghanistan has been mentioned. I'm very proud that I am the only Welsh politician to have visited our troops in Afghanistan and spoken to those translators who risked their lives protecting British troops, and they have come here seeking safety because the Taliban are particularly evil people.

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4. 7. Reform UK Debate: Nation of Sanctuary en

   The nation of sanctuary programme doesn't control immigration, as we have been reminded. It doesn't decide who comes to Wales. What it does is practical and common sense. It supports the people who are already here, helping them to learn English—or Welsh, of course—to get an education, find a job and pay into the system. That's what we want for everyone, isn't it, and yet we sit here and listen to arguments that completely contradict themselves. Some demand that people integrate, then you oppose the exact tools that make that integration happen. If you want people to speak English, don't vote against them having English language lessons. If you want people to work, don't oppose their employment support. If you want them to contribute, why on earth would you oppose the very means by which they can do so? Any divisive rhetoric today stands exposed for exactly what it is: it's a total contradiction, built on misrepresentation and a complete disregard of the evidence. But, Llywydd, beyond the budget lines, there's something much deeper at stake today. Let me tell you about it. Listen please, because it's a story about our nation and who we are as a people. Growing up on a council estate just 12 miles from here in Penyrheol in the 1950s and 1960s, my street was home to four Polish families, one Italian, one Irish and even a Cockney family, who wore their mother-of-pearl jackets when we had carnivals and get-togethers, as they used to do in the 1950s and 1960s. We didn't see that diversity as a threat: it was the fabric of our community, it was ordinary life. And in our towns and villages, as has already been mentioned, the miners in the 1930s, Jack Russia, who lived across the road from me—you can guess he was a communist member; Jack Roberts was his real name—he went to Spain to fight fascism. The Basque children, my mother tells me, in the 1930s, when they were fleeing that same war, were welcomed into Abertridwr, when, my mother told me, 'We clothed and fed them and we didn't have two ha'pennies to rub together ourselves, due to the Government of the day at that time.' In the 1970s, our village stepped up to support the Vietnamese boat people, and when a local hotel and social club closed down in the 1980s the local miners got together in Senghenydd, reflecting the lives and massive contributions of the people who made their homes there, and instead of the 'Universal Hotel', it was called 'The Ukrainian Club of Senghenydd'. My grandfather used to drink there. It changed from, 'Do you want a pint in the Uni?' to 'Do you want a pint in the Uki?' because that's how close these people were. And therefore, the nation of sanctuary, which is what this debate is all about, this isn't some new modern invention—this is who we are. My grandfather went to Europe to fight. A generation later, my own father went to war. I go to Europe to connect, to learn, to share and, indeed, to holiday and enjoy myself. Because I see myself not just as a proud Welshman, but as a Welsh internationalist. This is something that I learned very early on. Wales is at its very best—. We're never inward-looking; we are outward-facing, confident in our own identity, and big-hearted enough to welcome others. So, let's not pretend this debate, I'm afraid brought by Reform today, is just about a line in a budget. It's a choice about whether we allow misinformation and narrow and, I'm afraid to say, hostile narratives to define Wales, or whether we take the real pride in our history and we back the practical, proportionate policies that help people integrate and thrive. You simply cannot claim integration is failing while simultaneously voting against the very policies designed to make it work. Llywydd, I can see that my time is up. I will finish. Wales has always been at its very best as a nation that looks outward, not inward, a nation that builds up rather than divides, a nation confident to extend that helping hand rather than turn our backs, and I, for one, am extremely proud of that. [Applause.]

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1. 2. Questions to the Counsel General en

   Diolch, Lywydd. Counsel General, good afternoon, and I hope my question will not get you the sack.

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2. 2. Questions to the Counsel General cy

   8. Pa gyngor cyfreithiol y mae'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol wedi'i roi i Lywodraeth Cymru ar ddatganoli Ystad y Goron? OQ64256

   Official English translation

   8. What legal advice has the Counsel General provided to the Welsh Government on the devolution of the Crown Estate? OQ64256

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3. 2. Questions to the Counsel General en

   Thank you, Counsel General, for your answer. And I know that we on these benches, and maybe others too, share this Government's frustration that Wales remains at a disadvantage compared to Scotland, which has of course enjoyed the benefits of its Crown Estate revenues since 2017. Devolution of the Crown Estate could mean millions of pounds in profits that we can invest directly back into Welsh coastal communities, supporting pressures on our local government, and support jobs and manufacturing in our green energy sector. What more could you ask? What steps, then, can the Welsh Government take to pursue further the devolution of this vital asset legally?

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4. 2. Questions to the Counsel General en

   Thank you, Counsel General. Thank you.

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1. 1. Questions to the First Minister cy

   9. Pa fesurau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i sicrhau y bydd prosiectau ynni adnewyddadwy yn cael effaith gadarnhaol ar gymunedau lleol? OQ64193

   Official English translation

   9. What measures is the Welsh Government taking to ensure renewable energy projects will have a positive impact on local communities? OQ64193

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2. 1. Questions to the First Minister en

   As opposed to just being a burden and an eyesore.

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3. 1. Questions to the First Minister cy

   Diolch am eich ateb, Brif Weinidog.

   Official English translation

   Thank you for your response, First Minister.

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4. 1. Questions to the First Minister en

   First Minister, the decision by the Labour-run Caerphilly county council to privatise the Cwm Ifor solar farm project has actually stripped the public of what was meant to be our flagship green asset. Local residents were promised a long-term income stream to enhance local facilities and support community groups, but instead they got a secret deal with a private firm and it has been sold. The family silver has now gone. What guidance can the Welsh Government offer to prevent councils from mismanagement of green developments and bypassing the community's right to know?

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1. 1. Questions to the First Minister en

   In the run-up to the May elections, two schoolgirls, Ukrainian schoolgirls, were attacked—physically and verbally abused—in Caerphilly town. As someone who's lived in the Valleys all my life, and I know our communities are built on warmth and a deep sense of social justice, I have to say that's not the town I know and love. We recognise the reality that refugees are bringing to our towns and contributing to society, and there are good and bad in all societies, I would say to you. First Minister, will you continue to ensure that we say to the Ukrainian community, and all communities, that you are welcome here and we will always support the Ukrainian community who have fled the war, as you previously referred to?

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1. 4. Business Statement and Announcement en

   I cannot tell you how proud I am standing to ask a question to a Plaid Cymru Minister for the first time, especially a Minister I respect—but I've always respected all Ministers. [Laughter.] That's my style. That's my style. Trefnydd, can we have a statement from the Cabinet Minister for Finance on what support can be available to the businesses that could lose out following the decision to end greyhound racing in Wales at Ystrad Mynach? Most of the last Senedd Members, including me, voted to end this practice. I think it was the right decision, as times and public attitudes have shifted. But it's right, too, that we offer support and assistance to businesses that participated in supplying what was once a very popular sport in Wales, and any statement on how we can help mitigate these impacts would be welcome. Thank you. Diolch yn fawr.

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1. 3. Nomination of the First Minister under Standing Order 8 cy

   Rhun ap Iorwerth.

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