Eluned Morgan
Welsh Labour · Wales
“Dwi ddim yn meddwl bod y carbon border adjustment mechanism —. Nid taclo sero net yw nod hwnna. Mae e ychydig yn wahanol. Mae e i wneud yn siŵr nad oes yna ddim anghyfartaledd yn y farchnad, i wneud yn siŵr nad yw pobl ddim yn gamio'r system.”
“Wel, un o'r pethau dwi'n benderfynol o'i wneud yw sicrhau ein bod ni'n dod â rhestrau aros o'r bobl sy'n aros hiraf i lawr, felly mae hwnna'n un o'r pethau. Ac yn amlwg, yn wythnosol, dwi'n gofyn am updates ar beth sy'n digwydd; mae e'n anodd, achos mae niferoedd yn dod ymlaen ar y rhestr o hyd.”
“Wel, mae resilience yn issue nid jest yn sir Fôn, ond ar draws y wlad. Mae hi wedi bod yn anodd, achos mae maint y cyfalaf rŷn ni wedi'i gael yn y gyllideb yn y blynyddoedd diwethaf wedi bod yn gyfyngedig.”
“Wel, dwi’n meddwl yn yr achos yna, efallai—. Cawn ni weld beth sy’n digwydd post 2027. Gallwch chi weld bydd y tegwch yna yn y system. Os ydych chi’n mynd i greu dur fan hyn, a'i fod e’n haws ac yn tsiepach i fewnforio dur, ond dydyn nhw ddim yn parchu’r amgylchedd tra'u bod nhw’n ei greu e, yn amlwg, wedyn, bydd hynny’n creu lefel gwell.…”
“Wel, mae strategaeth glir gyda ni, ‘ A Healthier Wales ’, ac yn honno mae yna dair elfen glir. Un yw symud pethau i mewn i faes atal; sicrhau ein bod ni’n gwneud mwy yn agos yn ein cymunedau ni; a hefyd symud i wneud lot mwy yn ddigidol a moderneiddio.”
“Ydyn. So, un o’r pethau ŷn ni’n eu gwneud nawr yw dŷn ni wedi rhoi £50 miliwn yn ychwanegol eleni, a beth ŷn ni wedi'i ofyn yw: beth ŷn ni’n gallu ei gael am £50 miliwn? Felly, dŷn ni ddim yn rhyddhau’r arian yna tan fod pobl yn cyflwyno ac yn dangos i ni’r hyn maen nhw wedi ei wneud. Mae e’n anodd, achos mae lot o’r rhestri aros yna.”
The complete record
Every one of 198 lines we hold for Eluned Morgan, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 2 of 4.
“Thanks very much, Hefin. We will, of course, be pushing the UK Government to cover the costs of the national insurance increases to the public sector in Wales, and I'll expect at least the Barnett consequentials of cost. So, the Welsh Government, I'm afraid, are currently not in a position to be able to provide that full analysis of the impact of these changes until we're clearer on the financial picture. But you're absolutely right that the reason we're in this situation is because of those 14 years of Tory austerity.”
“But I appreciate this makes it difficult for local authorities to plan, and, obviously, we will work very closely with the Welsh Local Government Association to see how far we can go to get some sense of where this is likely to land.”
“Well, thanks very much. I've got to be absolutely clear that the problems in local government have emanated from the fact that, actually, there have been 14 years of austerity. And if you look at—[ Interruption .] And if you look at how we've stood in this Government—[ Interruption .]—how we've stood in this Government with local authorities, giving them more than was given under the Tories to local government in England, that partnership that we've got, a very good partnership, is something that should be respected. Now, we don't expect confirmation of the funding until the main estimates, which will happen in spring to summer next year, so we can't give a detailed assessment. So, clearly, Monmouth can't be absolutely sure of what the implications are for them.”
“Decisions on national insurance contributions are made by the UK Government. The UK Treasury has indicated additional funding will be provided to meet the costs of employer national insurance contributions in the public sector. Impacts on third and private sector service providers could affect local authority budgets.”
“Thanks very much, James, and can I first of all thank you for declaring an interest in this important matter? Certainly, we are very aware of the concern in the agricultural community around this issue. We know that agriculture contributes a huge amount to our economy, to our culture, to communities in rural Wales in particular. And that’s why the Deputy First Minister has been speaking to the farmers unions in Wales and has got that assurance that the UK Government will listen to them in relation to this matter. So, the National Farmers Union Cymru and the Farmers Union of Wales's voices will be heard. So, I think it is important for us to recognise that this is a UK Government tax, and it is important that those figures are bottomed out because, clearly, there is a lack of an agreement on who exactly will be impacted.”
“Mae Canghellor y Deyrnas Unedig wedi amlinellu safbwynt Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig ar ryddhad eiddo amaethyddol ar gyfer y dreth etifeddiaeth, ac mae lot o fanylder i’w gael mewn llythyr a oedd wedi cael ei anfon at gadeirydd pwyllgor dethol y Trysorlys, a dwi’n awgrymu eich bod chi’n edrych ar hwnnw.”
“Wel, diolch yn fawr, a dwi wedi clywed bod pethau wedi mynd yn arbennig o dda yn y ffair aeaf, a dwi’n falch dros ben bod y Dirprwy Brif Weinidog wedi bod yna hefyd yn cyflwyno’r newidiadau ar gyfer y cynllun sustainable farming newydd. Dwi’n gwybod bod hwnna wedi cael ei groesawu gan nifer o bobl yna. Mae’r Dirprwy Brif Weinidog hefyd wedi bod yn cael trafodaethau adeiladol gyda’r undebau ffermwyr, ac maen nhw wedi gofyn am sicrwydd gan Lywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig y bydd llais undebau Cymru yn cael ei glywed, ac mae e wedi cael assurance bod hwnna yn mynd i ddigwydd. Achos hyn, dwi’n meddwl ei bod hi’n bwysig i ni ddychwelyd at ddata’r Trysorlys.”
“Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig sy'n rheoli'r dreth etifeddiaeth. Mae ffigurau’r Trysorlys yn awgrymu na fydd y newidiadau yn effeithio ar y rhan fwyaf o ffermydd yng Nghymru.”
“I know that there'll be a lot of interest, when a new Government takes over in the United States, to see if and whether that makes any difference at all, and how that will affect it, but I think it is important that we stand with the sorrow and the suffering of the people in Gaza.”
“Thanks very much. Well, we've all seen the unimaginable suffering and sorrow that's been happening in Gaza and, you're quite right, we don't hear much about the West Bank, and it's important that people recognise that there is a lot of suffering going on there, and that's why, as a Government, we have made a contribution to the Disasters Emergency Committee appeal. We made a contribution, and I know that people from Wales have added significantly to that, and I'd encourage you all to make a contribution, as I have done in the past week, just to make sure that we recognise that support is needed in that part of the world. I'm afraid it doesn't look like there's much progress in terms of settling the issue in the middle east.”
“Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn teimlo dros bawb sydd wedi cael eu heffeithio gan y gwrthdaro yn y dwyrain canol. Dylai unrhyw ddinasyddion o Gymru sydd yn y dwyrain canol gysylltu â Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig i gael cymorth. Rŷn ni’n chwarae rhan weithredol o ran cryfhau’r berthynas gyda chymunedau Mwslimaidd a chymunedau Iddewig yng Nghymru.”
“So, we will always listen to what people have to say, but don't forget all of that is always competing with the other important priorities that people in the Rhondda care about as well.”
“Thanks very much. I've heard a lot about this Rhondda tunnel; I'd really like to visit it at some point. But I think it's also important for us to recognise that we've already made some significant investments in that area, for example, the Zip World tower. We contributed £430,000 to a £4.8 million project, and that's creating 91 jobs, and I know people have a lot of fun with that in the Rhondda area. But, when it comes to the Rhondda tunnel, I think it is important that we go into this with our eyes wide open. This is not a cheap proposal. My understanding is the indicative capital costs have been estimated to be around £20 million and then there's an annual revenue requirement of about £0.25 million on top of that.”
“Visit Wales promotes tourism in the Rhondda valleys and other destinations across Wales as a part of their strategy. 'Welcome to Wales: Priorities for the visitor economy' is the strategic programme that we have. Now, the Rhondda valleys have recently featured in their own podcast, as well as digital activity and in key travel trade events.”
“And we're working with Transport for Wales and local authorities to plan and to implement those bus networks as effectively as possible, and what we've got here is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to really change the way the system works, and that engagement with stakeholders, including the public, private and third sectors, and the public, is going to be absolutely crucial to make sure this lands in the right place.”
“Thanks very much. It's obviously budget time—all the bids are coming in, aren't they, one after another? And I'm sure the finance Minister is listening very carefully and weighing it all up, but he's never going to forget that it's got to be in line with my priorities. It is, I think, important for us to recognise that the deregulated systems mean that commercial operators can cherry-pick the most profitable bits of the bus network, and that's why this Bill is absolutely crucial, so we can work effectively.”
“We haven't seen still the return to pre-pandemic levels, and it is important, I think, that we make sure that we get the bus franchising Bill through—we'll have more control over it, we'll be able to recognise the best places for us, to see where the bus routes should go, and we will co-ordinate it all in a way that we are unable to do at the moment.”
“Thanks very much. Well, we're obviously in the middle of detailed discussions about what the budget might look like next year. There are lots of demands and, clearly, with buses, we're very committed to bringing in this new bus Bill. I think it's probably worth underlining that we are already, since the beginning of the pandemic, providing local authorities with over £250 million to keep bus services running. In addition to that, we have £51 million that we spend on concessionary fares for those who are over 60. So, we are already demonstrating our commitment.”
“The reform of our local bus services continues to be a key priority for this Government and it's our intention to introduce a Bill in the spring. The Cabinet Secretary will provide a statement on our progress on bus reform to the Senedd on 26 November.”
“It will be offset a bit by the rise in the employment allowance, but I think that what we're looking at here is more money probably coming into the health service generally, as a result of that additional uplift that has come from the best budget settlement we've had in Wales since devolution was established.”
“Thanks very much. Well, if you're talking about breaking commitments, I don't need to give you any lessons in the Tory party. But what I can say is that there will be additional funding for the Welsh Government that will be based on the definition the UK Government uses. And you're quite right, in the Office for National Statistics definition, GPs are not—they are independent practitioners. That is the status that they have. I recognise that that is going to be something that they have to manage, and clearly we will continue to discuss with them, and we always have discussions with them in the context of their contracts. So, this is something that, of course, we recognise—there will be additional pressures.”
“Decisions on national insurance contributions are made by the UK Government. We are aware of the concerns raised by some primary care and social care providers on the increase of operational costs. We'll continue to monitor the situation as it develops.”
“Thanks very much. We've made it clear that we expect health boards to provide rehabilitation services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance. That means rehab in the community, with clinical care provided by a rehabilitation team. So, I know that in Cardiff, for example, the health board has a focused outreach and recovery team to support people with independent living and transitional support, following extended in-patient stays. We also have the all-Wales rehabilitation framework, which should be used as the model in terms of what good looks like.”
“Our draft all-age mental health and well-being strategy sets out an outcome, recovery and rehabilitation approach for our mental health services. We expect health boards to plan and deliver services that embed these in services locally.”
“Thank you very much. I know that you're a real champion in relation to this, and I know that you've got a greyhound dog that you're very fond of. It is something that I know you feel passionately about. This is something that I know the Deputy First Minister is taking very seriously. He brought out a statement recently, to say that he will be bringing forward suggestions in relation to what we do in this space. My understanding is that this will come out around Christmas time.”
“Well, thanks very much. It is important that we recognise that this is a real service that these organisations give to society, but, of course, they are generally charities, and they receive a lot of charitable funding and, clearly, decisions have to be made that are difficult, as a result of the budget, and we will have to wait to see how the impact of things like national insurance contributions may impact on them. But there are other things that could mitigate that, particularly if they're very small organisations.”
“Thanks very much. I know that this has been brought to the attention of the Deputy First Minister, and I know that he's looking into that and there will be a response issued very shortly. I think we do remain open to considering the issues that have been raised by RSPCA Cymru and Hope Rescue in terms of the rehoming of animals involved in prosecution cases. So, sometimes they're there for a very, very long time and that doesn't seem fair for anybody.”
“The Welsh Government have an ongoing programme to support responsible dog breeding and ownership. This supports our animal welfare standards and encourages behaviour change through collaborative multi-agency work. Tackling these issues helps to reduce the number of animals ending up in rehoming centres.”
“Thanks, Lesley. It's terribly distressing for people when they miscarry and when they lose a baby, and that's why it is important that we recognise their loss. We're working on a national bereavement care pathway for miscarriage, stillbirth and baby loss, and I can assure you that we are working with the UK Government to extend that certification process to formally recognise baby loss.”
“Thanks very much. I think, first of all, it starts with respect for the women who are coming into our NHS and making sure that you're in listening mode when they're coming through the door. But I think what will be really helpful is that additional £50 million that is now going into the NHS this financial year, which includes gynaecological treatments. That is practical, it's real, and it's happening right now.”
“We have had specific summits, particularly when it comes to cancer and gynaecology, and we have a real focus on this now when it comes to making sure that we implement the Getting It Right First Time methods and methodology and systems in order to speed up the system.”
“Thanks very much. You're quite right, endometriosis is a condition that, if I'm honest, I didn't know much about until I heard it championed in this very Chamber. Once you start to hear about it, you get a sense of the scale of the number of women who are affected by it, and it is really quite frightening to hear. You hear about the pain that they have to live with. It's very difficult to diagnose, it's very difficult to treat, actually, and it is important that we continue our focus on that. But we have seen a 77 per cent drop since April 2022 when it comes to people waiting for more than two years for gynaecological problems. So, that is a considerable drop from where we were. Waiting times for gynaecology are prioritised.”
“It is important that we continue to be sensitive to the needs of women in our health system, and you will have seen that we're very interested in developing women's specialist centres when it comes to health as a result of that listening exercise over the summer.”
“Thanks very much. I'm very clear that the way we deal with women's health is not good enough in Wales. Part of what we need to do is to make sure that we see more research being put into women's health. There is a definite gender bias when it comes to how we have allocated money, and that's why I'm very pleased that we have been able to allocate £750,000 specifically for women's health. You will have to wait until we publish that women's health plan; it is an NHS plan, and there will, I'm sure, be references to the situation in relation to what's happened with mesh patients and how we see the future looking for those kinds of conditions.”
“Rydyn ni wedi bod yn gweithio gyda’r NHS yng Nghymru i wella gwasanaethau iechyd i fenywod. Mae hyn yn cynnwys cyflwyno nyrsys pwrpasol ar gyfer endometriosis ym mhob un o’r byrddau iechyd. Bydd y cynllun iechyd menywod yn cael ei gyhoeddi ym mis Rhagfyr. Mae’r cynllun yn nodi cynlluniau gweithredu tymor byr a thymor hir yr NHS i sicrhau mwy o welliannau mewn gwasanaethau i fenywod.”
“I'm focused on the things that matter to the people of Wales, things that people told me about over the summer. What they care about is sorting out the health service, making sure that we get decent housing, and that's why I am not going to be pulled into constitutional debates that you are absolutely obsessed with. Of course I will make the case in relation to fair funding, of course I will continue to make the case in terms of the Crown Estate, and I will continue to make the case for HS2.”
“I can assure you that I haven't given up on making sure that we get additional rail infrastructure funding from the UK Government. I'm not giving up; I'm standing up. Every single time I see Keir Starmer, I bring this issue up. I've made it clear to him that I will not stop bringing it up until we have fair play on this issue. That's what leadership looks like and that's what I'm doing.”
“I can assure you that I raised this issue directly with the Prime Minister. I've been clear that we are not happy with the way that HS2 funding has been allocated. We are in discussions with the relevant department on how we can get more money into rail infrastructure in Wales, and those discussions are going well.”
“The number of people who are affected by this, according to our calculations, are going to be very few. Again, let's wait to make sure that the agricultural unions can make their representation, as has been agreed by the Ministers. The Welsh farmers unions will have an opportunity to show their workings and the Treasury will be able to show their workings, and then we need to come to a conclusion on this issue. What I can tell you is that the Welsh Government provides significant funding to the agricultural sector, not just in terms of general support but also through Farming Connect to help people with succession planning. And if they have fears, I would suggest that they go and speak to them.”
“Well, thanks very much. I find it very rich to listen to somebody talking about reneging on budget when you didn't put money into steelworkers pockets, you didn't put the money by for people affected by infected blood, you didn't put the money by for people who suffered as a result of the Post Office scandal. But we are taking this seriously, and I think what is important is that we recognise that inheritance tax is a non-devolved area, so it is the Treasury that has those figures. It's important that we revert to the published Treasury data. I know that the Deputy First Minister spoke to the farm unions to ask them to ensure that they could make representations to the UK Government and take on board the concerns of Wales, and they have agreed to that.”
“And I think also it's important for us to be careful here, because I think there is a lot of anxiety within the agricultural community, and the last thing we need to do is to pour fuel on that fire. There are a lot of agricultural workers who are in a lot of stress at the moment, and it is important for us to make sure that we work through exactly the implications for people in our communities.”
“Well, let me make it clear that I think that farmers make a really important contribution to our country. They provide food, they provide a contribution to the economy, a huge social contribution, a cultural contribution. As someone who represents a rural area, I know how important they are as the bedrock to that economy, and that's why they are one of the sectors that receives the highest amount of subsidy in terms of our economy. But we were left with a black hole. That is the truth of it, and farmers use public services—they send their children to local schools, they use the local hospitals, and somebody has to pay for it. But I do think it's important, first of all, to quote me correctly. I was very clear that 'we should just all calm down'.”
“Thanks very much. You're right—part of the reason we had to make that cut, of course, is because your party, I'm afraid, mismanaged the economy and left us with a £22 billion hole. We had to get the money from somewhere—something has to go. And, obviously, this was very difficult—very difficult decisions—but I'm sure that the books council is aware of the state that your party left the economy in. But what we have been doing is to support a new audience fund to help support diversity in the publishing sector, and also we've helped publishers to attend the London and Frankfurt book fairs, which, of course, provides them with opportunities to enter into new markets.”
“Diolch yn fawr. Wrth gwrs, mae yna bwysau ariannol ar y Llywodraeth, ac yn arbennig y llynedd roedd yna bwysau ariannol. Ac fel lot o ardaloedd eraill yn y gyllideb, gwelon ni doriadau er mwyn sicrhau ein bod ni'n rhoi'r arian yna i ddiogelu pethau fel iechyd, sydd hefyd yn flaenoriaeth i bobl Cymru. Mae hwnna'n rhan o'r ffaith bod yna gamreoli'r economi wedi digwydd, ac effaith chwyddiant hefyd. Wrth gwrs, rŷn ni yn y broses ar hyn o bryd o wneud penderfyniadau ar y gyllideb. Mae gwahoddiad i chi drafod gyda ni. Mae yna reswm i chi, efallai, drafod gyda ni, os yw hwn yn rhywbeth sy'n bwysig i chi, efallai i'n helpu ni gyda'r cyllid. Mae hwnna'n wahoddiad i chi drafod gyda ni, os mai hwn yw'r gwir flaenoriaeth sydd gyda chi.”
“And the real difference, I think, is in relation to community engagement and the resources put into community engagement, making sure that the people who live there understand their responsibilities, and also the joys of living in a national park and the benefits that that can bring.”
“Thanks very much. As someone who lives in a national park and who has to abide by all the planning issues surrounding that, I think it's fair to say that, whilst I understand that people need to understand what the implications will be for them in terms of planning and how things will work and how things will be different, I think it's really important to recognise that the similarities in planning restrictions within and outside a national park area are much greater than the differences, and the perceptions are perhaps not always seen like that. So, the key thing, I think, to remember is that cohesive approach—you think about the whole area and what it looks like and how it works with the community.”
“Thanks very much. Well, obviously, it is important for us to recognise that there will be a cost associated with this, but this was something, as I said, that was part of our manifesto commitment. There’s no money being allocated for the future funding of the national park as yet—it’s obviously too early in that process. But the Welsh Government has made a commitment that funding for any new national park would not be taken from existing designated landscapes.”
“And I think it is important, also, to recognise the benefits that come from a national park, in terms of making sure that we have that co-ordinated, consistent and clear approach when it comes to planning, to benefit all of the people who live within it.”
“Well, thanks very much. It’s obviously not appropriate for me, as First Minister, to comment on specific issues outside the statutory process. But I will tell you that, yes, you’re quite right, it was part of the manifesto commitment. This is a consultation. It’s important that we engage people who may be affected by this. Part of that consultation is on the proposed boundary of the national park. I think it’s probably worth also bearing in mind that the majority of respondents last year responded that they were in favour of a new national park. So, we have to balance all these things out. We need to listen to the public, and I’m really pleased that NRW is holding a series of public engagements in the local area.”
“Natural Resources Wales is currently seeking the public’s views on proposals for a new national park. This is part of the necessary assessment and engagement work that NRW is required to undertake before making any recommendations to the Welsh Government.”