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Contributions
66 contributions on record. Newest first, by sitting day. Page 2 of 2. Counted by Siambr
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Thank you for your response. Deputy Minister, we're all far too aware of the problems drivers face regularly on the M4 and around Newport. As far as I'm concerned, the M4 relief road remains the best option in alleviating the never-ending motoring mayhem. That must be a road-based solution, which Plaid has indeed promised, not, as this Government has already hinted at, closing motorway junctions. This will just add to the chaos and mayhem that businesses, residents and visitors all experience on a regular basis. I recently received a letter from a resident in Rhymney about the M4 relief road, which drew my attention to the Nazzano method of tunnel expansion. I believe similar correspondence has also been sent to Welsh Government Ministers. For the benefit of Members here in the Chamber, the Nazzano method, which has been successfully used in Italy, allows tunnels to be widened while keeping them fully operational, by constructing a larger structure around the original bore. Whilst a relief road will remain my top and favourite solution, Deputy Minister, has any consideration been given to the Nazzano method as a potential way of addressing the M4's troubles? If not, why? And will you today rule out closing junctions along the M4 in Newport? Thank you.
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Thank you so much for your response. Deputy Minister, university isn't for everyone and apprenticeships are a great route into the workplace for those who want to earn and learn at the same time. In Plaid's 2026 manifesto, the party pledged to expand work experience and apprenticeships, yet, based on a recent conversation I had with a business in Newport, I fear that constraints with the apprenticeship levy will hamper those efforts going forward. Jane Blackwell, who is the franchisee of five McDonald's restaurants in the area, explained to me that, despite wanting to take on more apprenticeships and take part in more youth work, which is something she's very passionate about, due to the very strict criteria to release funds from the levy, that's stopping her from going forward. This is despite Jane paying vast amounts of money into the levy itself. We have a situation here where a business owner with multiple sites is contributing towards the apprenticeship fund, but isn't able to access it to take on her own apprenticeships; it is, frankly, absurd, Deputy Minister. Clearly, there needs to be a change in the rules here. So, Deputy Minister, will you commit to meeting with Jane to discuss this issue and iron out the problems to start getting more young people in my constituency into work? Ultimately, this won’t just benefit Newport and Islwyn, but Members across the Senedd as well. Thank you.
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2. Pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd yng ngoleuni dyfarniad y Goruchaf Lys ar y diffiniad o ryw fiolegol? OQ64253
Official English translation
2. What action is the Welsh Government taking in light of the Supreme Court's ruling on the definition of biological sex? OQ64253
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First Minister, I was recently contacted by several concerned members of staff, who want to remain anonymous, at the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, after they received a presentation entitled 'transcending boundaries, celebrating transgender awareness week and how to be an ally'. I'm all in favour of diversity, but I would much rather NHS staff focus on patients and delivering care, than them being distracted by training sessions that do not improve patient care and front-line services. Staff told me how they felt extremely uncomfortable with the session, saying it was highly sexualised and inappropriate. I can't say I blame them when you hear some of the presentation's content. First Minister, part of the presentation involved a man talking about his genitals, alongside a photo of a rocket, and he states, and I quote, 'No Viagra needed'. The presentation also includes a photo of a man when he was naked as a child. The presentation also talks about transgender bathroom issues and supporting men in women's spaces. All of this is available for everyone to watch online. Do you agree with me, First Minister, that this is incredibly disturbing and concerning, as well as not appropriate for the workplace? And in light of the Supreme Court's judgment last year, and the Equality and Human Rights Commission's recently published draft guidelines, how is the Welsh Government going to ensure public bodies are following the law and protecting women's spaces?
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Thank you, Cabinet Minister, for bringing forward the statement today. I support your passion to turn things around at the board, and I agree that time is of the essence when it comes to Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, given that it's been in special measures for 11 years. I also agree that the board's issues are complex and varied. I wonder, though, Cabinet Minister, how your approach will, indeed, help to find a better outcome. It feels like reviews on issues that have already been reviewed are undergoing regular reviews, which seems like kicking the can down the road for me. I know we've talked about timelines; you just answered the question, briefly, to Ken Skates. You mentioned September, but I'd like to know what happens after September. The answers as to how we solve Betsi's problems also don't lie in more money for the health board. We saw the previous Welsh Government sprinkle tens of millions of pounds on the health board in the name of improvement, but without any return. In fact, the board was projected to still be £17 million in deficit at the end of March, and now we see that you'll also be providing £100 million to improve waiting times, so how much of that is actually going on Betsi Cadwaladr? As we've seen in the latest statistical release this month, the board makes up a third of patients waiting over a year for treatment, and two thirds of patients waiting more than two years. That's 33,000 patients waiting over a year in Betsi alone. They shouldn't be waiting this long, Cabinet Minister, so do you have time frames in mind for urgent improvement by your announced intensive support, recovery and turnaround team? Last week, you also spoke about surgical hubs, but in light of our debate on preventing hospital downgrades and closures, you were remarkably coy about how your Government would step up for local services. So, I'd be grateful if you could confirm whether these surgical hubs are a temporary or permanent measure going forward. The answer also doesn't lie in a new chief executive. In 11 years, it's been a revolving door at the top, and staff need reassurance that their leadership is going to be stable and secure from now on. I know that Carol Shillabeer has been in charge for about three years now, but even then, we've seen nearly 89,000 patients treated in hospital corridors, and as we heard last week, staff battling outdated and crumbling infrastructure to treat as many patients as they can. And this is reflected in the A&E waiting times for the board itself. You've mentioned Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, and we can see the problems it faces. It sits at the bottom of the NHS table, with fewer than a third of patients being seen within four hours. Wrexham Maelor isn't much better, with fewer than 40 per cent of patients being seen within the target time, and over 1,800 patients waited longer than 12 hours in both hospitals. The Royal College of Emergency Medicine estimated that, last year, nearly 1,000 patients died waiting for emergency treatment across Wales. So, what will the turnaround team be doing now to improve patient flow out of hospitals in north Wales? Cabinet Minister, I noted that you outlined £20 million in a capital package for improving waiting lists, yet we see £1 billion of high and significant maintenance issues in the NHS estate. However, it doesn't escape my notice that you sought to evade these points last week, and that you don't mention them in any of your statement here today. Therefore, what urgent measures are you taking to ensure that urgent improvement works are made to hospitals like Wrexham Maelor? Cabinet Minister, you've said on many occasions that your focus will be on primary care, but no mention has been made of how this will be turned around in this statement. I do agree that we need more care closer to home, however, in the case of Betsi Cadwaladr, we know that, historically, there's been a widespread shortage of GPs in the area itself. We see regular situations where patients can't even register with a GP in north Wales. This, ultimately, has direct impacts on A&E departments, as there is simply nowhere else for them to go. So, while extra funding for primary care is your clear goal, Cabinet Minister, how will this help the residents of north Wales and what measures are you taking to increase the number of GPs across the board's area? Finally, Cabinet Minister, I see last week that you said Betsi Cadwaladr will be, and I quote, 'on watch...over the next two years' and hinted at a possible reorganisation if it did not indeed improve its performance. Let me just say this clearly today, Minister: your Government will also be on watch, not just in this Chamber by us, but by the residents of north Wales too. Thank you.
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The estate.
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Thank you, Cabinet Minister, for your statement today. I welcome the fact, also, that the statement has been tabled well in advance, before the height of winter, and that there's talk of having a robust plan before the winter months are upon us. It's a refreshing change from the previous Government's timetable, when we got to hear about preparedness in October. Whilst I note the Cabinet Minister's five main aims outlined in the statement for the NHS and social care plan ahead for winter pressures, we also need three fundamental things: we need workforce, we need infrastructure and we need good data. Cabinet Minister, we've heard many times from the NHS that pressures are not just in winter, they're all year round, and I appreciate that you echoed that in your statement as well. We all know that a lack of staff across all sectors in the NHS has created untold strain on the workforce, and this has a direct impact on patient care. I note that you've mentioned health boards must sustain and support their workforce, but just last week, Healthcare Inspectorate Wales found that whilst dementia patients were treated with kindness and respect at Llandough hospital, there were poor standards of cleanliness, environmental hazards, and also weaknesses in infection prevention. The reason for this? Lack of staff. We've seen recruitment freezes in paramedics and that half of nursing graduates are unlikely to gain employment. The Royal College of Radiologists have said that parts of Wales face some of the most severe shortages of cancer specialists anywhere in the United Kingdom, and last week, the Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Midwives also released damning figures that highlight the dire situation that the Welsh NHS workforce is indeed facing. For example, 306 student nurses due to graduate in September have not been allocated a position in the Welsh NHS. Even more midwives who have recently trained won't be offered a role. For example, 36 graduates in Cardiff and Vale won't get roles because midwives from last year were provided with full-time hours, due to lack of funding from the Welsh Government. Some midwives have been forced to hold down part-time jobs in hospitality to cover their costs. Frankly, this is farcical. In light of this, the Royal College of Nursing has called for immediate action, including greater transparency with workforce planning and better co-ordination between the NHS and the Welsh Government. I really do welcome that you will publish the first-phase workforce plan in the autumn. How will you work winter pressures and preparedness into your plan, Cabinet Minister? Because I really don't want to hear about another summit having to take place after this. On infrastructure, Cabinet Minister, your immediate reaction to genuine concerns about the crumbling NHS estate last week was to demand costings from the opposition benches. While we are seeing cases where A&Es are closing due to water-supply issues, operations are cancelled because theatres have pigeon infestations, and there are ward closures because of repeated norovirus incidents—I've raised this earlier today—what plans are you undertaking to tackle the serious and immediate concern that's right here, right now? I know that health boards are struggling financially, as well as through the lack of staff and poor infrastructure that I've spoken upon. You have inherited an appallingly run public service from the previous Welsh Government, Minister—I can't deny that—where health boards are still not recovered from the pandemic six years ago, and all of them are in some form of Government intervention. You've mentioned the extra funding of £100 million to tackle waiting lists. However, six of seven health boards projected a deficit by the end of last March. The total projected savings health boards have to make is a grand total of £213 million, and one health board, Swansea bay, has projected a £76.6 million deficit for next year. Cabinet Secretary, the reality is this: health boards are currently redesigning services, including downgrading and closures, to save money. How well do you think these new services will fare during the winter months? How do you think A&E services will cope this winter in areas where patients are more likely to go if they don't have any alternatives? Cabinet Minister, another part of tackling winter pressures is data. From GP appointments and hospital referrals to prescriptions, a system that runs smoothly is needed here in Wales. However, Digital Health and Care Wales, which runs the system, is in targeted intervention and regularly crashes. According to the British Medical Association, these can be—and I'm quoting these words now— 'extraordinarily disruptive for practices and for patients...and can take hours to recover from.' So, Cabinet Minister, in your response to our debate last week, I noticed that you mentioned the need for technology to support NHS staff. Sadly, in this case, it's just not working right now. Therefore, Cabinet Minister, as part of your planning, what immediate steps are you taking to ensure that even the basic functions of Digital Health and Care Wales are running smoothly over the winter months? Finally, Cabinet Minister, a major driver of winter pressures is lung conditions. I note you've mentioned scenario planning for hospitals to prevent ward infection, however, as an overall point, Asthma and Lung UK Cymru have said that respiratory admissions are 40 per cent higher in winter, and over the last 20 years, hospital admissions for respiratory illnesses have doubled. Six thousand respiratory admissions are for children each winter, with one in four admissions involving a child under 10. Sadly, Cabinet Minister, many of these issues arise because basic care is lacking. Less than a quarter of adults and a third of children receive adequate care. Furthermore, these admissions have been described as avoidable and increasingly expensive, placing more burdens on our NHS here in Wales. So, Cabinet Minister, I welcome your comments on increased vaccinations in your statement, but what messaging will your Government be giving on vaccines and prevention going forward, and will you be investing in diagnostic capacity for early intervention on respiratory conditions? Thank you.
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First Minister, I was pleased to see the Welsh NHS grow from using a basic app during COVID to being the first in the UK to use AI in all of its hospitals and to support stroke patients. Yet, while we have the technology here in Wales, we still need the workforce to apply it. As Professor Stuart Allen, director of the Centre for Social Care and Artificial Intelligence Learning, said last year, and I quote: 'These tools should support humans, not replace them. We must make sure no one is left out because of a digital divide or lack of access.' First Minister, we're currently facing extreme pressures in the NHS workforce—it's not a secret to any of us—and while AI in stroke services is very welcome, the latest median ambulance waiting time for the orange category, which includes stroke patients, was nearly one and a half hours. Our nursing workforce is also crying out for protected time for continuing professional development, which I'm sure you would agree would indeed help deliver a skilled workforce. Therefore, I'd like to know here today how specifically your Welsh Government's approach to balancing AI with the workforce needs will be different from that of the previous Welsh Government that we've had here in Wales. Thank you.
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Business Minister, can I please request a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Care on the all-Wales cardiology and radiology consumable framework for 2027? Concerns have been raised with me, personally, that the proposed procurement approach may give insufficient weight to whole-life value, patient outcomes, clinical input, innovation and sustainability, with significant weighting instead placed upon upfront product costs. By putting more of an onus on cost instead of whole-life value, this runs the risk of costing more in the long term. So, for anyone like me who doesn't have a medical degree, a cheaper replacement heart valve may seem appealing, but could also come at an increased risk of major post-operative implications, significantly higher adverse events and less evidence of durability, which would be worse for the patient and for the system in the short to medium term. Not only will this be beneficial to the public purse, but it is also better for the patient's health and well-being. Given the Welsh Government's commitment to value-based procurement and the potential long-term implications for patient care and NHS Wales costs, can time be made for a statement on how Ministers are ensuring that this framework reflects best value for the NHS in Wales? Thank you.
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Thank you so much, Presiding Officer. Minister, the last Labour Government failed women and girls across Wales by dragging its heels when it came to implementing the Supreme Court's ruling, and, based on the rhetoric from Plaid, I fear nothing is going to change here in Wales. Recently, I received an e-mail from a Welsh Government employee who told me that they're working under a policy that allows men who identify as women to use women's single-sex spaces from the first day of self-identification, and that staff are explicitly told that these individuals must not be asked to use alternative facilities. The member of staff told me, and I quote: 'The Supreme Court has made the legal position unambiguous for the purposes of the Equality Act. "Sex" means biological sex. A gender recognition certificate does not change a person's sex under the Act'. And I'm still quoting here: 'A Government cannot pick and choose which laws it follows, yet that is exactly what seems to be happening within the Welsh Government itself'. All public bodies in Wales should indeed respect the Supreme Court's very clear ruling, and it is imperative that both the UK and Welsh Governments take the lead on this by issuing updated guidance. So, Cabinet Minister, when is this Government going to put the safety of women and girls first and take action, and can you please explain, for the benefit of this entire institution, why your four MPs in Westminster voted against supporting women-only services recently as well? Thank you.
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Can I take a moment to thank Cristiana Emsley for using her short debate to raise this important issue and for allowing me to contribute? I've actually had sight of a forthcoming report by the Wales Women's Rights Network, which has carried out a freedom of information exercise across secondary schools in Wales. Shockingly, it shows that around 8 per cent of the 185 schools that responded are providing—and let me emphasise this word—only mixed-sex toilet facilities. Not only that, but more than half of all responses confirm that the school had no policy in place governing the use of toilet facilities. Some of those same schools also confirmed that they operate a system actually permitting students to use opposite-sex toilet blocks. Now, we all know the growing practice of mixed-sex toilet provision in schools is indeed causing some girls to skip using them completely for fear of humiliation at best and fear of assault at worst. Some girls are avoiding fluids during the day and are developing urinary tract infections as a result, and I've met many of these girls who are going through this. So, I'd like to know today, Cabinet Minister: will you provide an indication of when girls in Wales's secondary schools can expect to be accorded their legal right to basic privacy, dignity and safety in single-sex school toilets? Thank you.
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Minister, can I please request a Government statement about what action is being taken by this administration to repair our crumbling roads? Residents across Wales are understandably fed up with the current state of many of our roads, and potholes are a major problem in my Newport and Islwyn constituency. Only recently, I witnessed a woman using a mobility scooter topple over as she hit a pothole while trying to cross the road. Thankfully, she is okay, but the outcome could have been a lot worse. Potholes are not only posing a danger to motorists but also road users as well. Whilst I have successfully lobbied the local council to repair certain potholes in spots, it is clear that much more work needs to be done. We need to see a much swifter response from councils but also extra funding provided by this Welsh Government to ensure that our roads are fit for purpose. So, an urgent statement from the Deputy Minister for Transport would be most appreciated. Thank you.
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First Minister, it's no secret that the state of our health service is one of, if not the most important issues that matter to residents across Wales. It's something that came up time and time again during the election campaign when talking to people on the doorstep. And as things stand, my constituents are sent to the Grange in Cwmbran, which is already struggling to cope with demand in an emergency situation. In Newport, there are growing calls to have an A&E department to be reopened at the Royal Gwent Hospital in the heart of the city. It's anticipated that the cost of doing this will cost approximately £10 million a year, which, in the grand scheme of things, is just a drop in the ocean when looking at the Welsh Government's budget. Not only would this alleviate pressure on the Grange, but it would also create job opportunities, something particularly needed given the recent warning that up to half of all nursing graduates in Wales may be left without a job due to recruitment challenges, despite the NHS in Wales facing unprecedented pressures. So, First Minister, will you heed my constituents' calls and engage with the health board to explore reopening the A&E at the royal Gwent in Newport? Thank you.
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Firstly, I'd like to congratulate the Cabinet Minister on his new role and thank him for this afternoon's statement. Cabinet Secretary, I really hope that we can work constructively together over the course of this Senedd term to help deliver the improvements our health service needs and our constituents rightfully deserve. It's no secret to anyone in this Chamber and beyond that our health service is in a perilous state, and whilst most of the blame can be laid at the previous Labour Government's door, there's no getting away from the fact that Plaid Cymru are equally culpable for the damage they have caused, supporting Labour time and time again over the previous Senedd terms. Plaid Cymru has a real opportunity to make up for the past errors now that they are in Government, but where is the immediate action, Cabinet Minister? NHS waiting lists remain shamefully high, with patients in all four corners of Wales languishing in pain, yet detail on how to tackle it remains very vague. Cabinet Minister, you have vowed to eliminate two-year waits within a matter of months—and I hope for the sake of residents that you are indeed successful—but how exactly are you going to achieve this, because we cannot afford for this to be another broken promise? Improving access to care where needed is paramount. In Newport and Islwyn, there are growing calls for an A&E department at the Royal Gwent Hospital to be reopened, something I raised with the First Minister directly myself earlier today, and I'm now going to try my luck with you. The Grange hospital is under immense pressure, and by reopening an A&E department at the Royal Gwent, my constituents could access care closer to home, and this would hopefully ease some of the burden at the Grange. Based on the information from the health board itself, it will roughly cost around about £10 million to bring back the unit in the Royal Gwent—not a great deal in the grand scheme of things. Cabinet Minister, will you and your officials engage with Aneurin Bevan health board to look into potentially reopening the A&E department at the Royal Gwent, as it is something that my constituents are desperately crying out for? I'd also really appreciate, Cabinet Minister, if you could shed a bit more light on how the Government is going to alleviate the pressure on other A&E departments and free up capacity in hospital wards across Wales. Cabinet Minister, I want to raise the UK National Screening Committee's decision not to recommend a national prostate screening programme. This is incredibly disappointing, as we know the earlier cancer is caught, the better, and given that prostate cancer doesn't often present with symptoms, testing is indeed key. I hope my colleague Paul Davies MS doesn't mind, but I'd like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the great work that he's done—and continues to do—in raising awareness and campaigning for improvements in this area. So, Cabinet Minister, will the Welsh Government commit to introducing routine prostate cancer screening for men here in Wales? I am slightly surprised that there was no mention of dentistry whatsoever in this afternoon's statement, especially given the major challenges many residents face in accessing a dentist. Cabinet Minister, I would also appreciate a brief overview on what steps you are going to be taking in this area, and what we can expect to see in action going forward. Maintenance in NHS buildings in Wales is also missing from this afternoon's statement. The bill for repairing buildings at high or significant risk stands at nearly £1 billion, so I would be grateful if the Cabinet Minister would outline what action will be taken in this area by this Government. I welcome the focus on technology. It's a key area for health services that need to be fit for a twenty-first century remit. Can I get a commitment from the Cabinet Minister that this improvement in technology will also see an uptake in data collection across the board in as many areas as has been, because it's been significantly lacking over many years? Recently, there have been some rather concerning revelations about the Welsh Gender Service, which I have written to you about, but it would be remiss of me not to raise this with you here this afternoon. The service is referring between three and four times the number of people for irreversible gender surgeries than the UK average. Not only that, but it does not collect information on the number of patients it recommends for cross-sex hormones. Given these red flags at the gender service, will the Welsh Government launch an independent review into its practices and leadership? Cabinet Minister, as the South Wales Argus reported on their front page this weekend, there has been a great deal of concern around Aneurin Bevan health board awarding £10 million-worth of GP contracts to eHarley Street without proper due diligence checks being carried out. I know this was touched upon before with the First Minister, however, Audit Wales's probe into this matter is damning and raises serious concerns about governance, accountability and financial oversight within the health board itself, with patients and staff left facing disruption and uncertainty as a result of poor scrutiny before contracts were indeed awarded. I have said before, and I shall say it again: the Welsh Government must now establish whether there have been similar incidents in other health boards within the Welsh NHS, and ensure robust safeguards are in place to prevent this from happening again. To that end, Cabinet Minister, for sincere transparency, will you hold a Wales-wide investigation into health board contracts? There is plenty more that I could delve into today, Cabinet Minister, but I will leave it there for now and just reiterate that I really do hope we can work constructively going forward in this Senedd term. Thank you.
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Thank you, First Minister, for setting out your priorities today. First Minister, people across Wales will be asking one simple question today: 'Where is the urgency?' You've inherited a health service in crisis. We already know the scale of failure after 27 years of missed targets, endless reviews and worsening outcomes. Alongside the crisis in the NHS, another system is under immense pressure, and that's social care. Good social care should be transformative, enabling people to live with dignity, maintain independence, and enjoy a better quality of life. This matters because health and social care cannot operate within silos. There needs to be proper integration between the two of them. First Minister, the people of Wales do not need endless reviews and summits. They need a Government finally prepared to deliver. After 27 years of stagnation, Wales cannot afford more delays dressed up as strategy. Because whilst Governments come and go, the suffering of patients, families, carers, businesses and residents across Wales continues, and that must come to an end. You said during the election campaign that Plaid Cymru is ready to deliver progress after years of stagnation. I haven't heard once about any road-building projects that you plan on bringing in this term. You know Natasha Asghar likes roads. Therefore, I'd like to know whether you are planning to bring into fruition an M4 toll-free relief road, which I, alongside my party, have been asking for for quite some time. First Minister, the speeches are now over, the campaign slogans are finished, and the responsibility is now on your shoulders. All eyes are on you and your team, and the people of Wales will judge you not on your promises, but on your results.
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Darren Millar.
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