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.”
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“Now, let me tell you that the path ahead isn't easy and we do face challenges. But we're going to face them together, as one Wales. Our Government is ambitious for our nation, is driven by the people's priorities and is absolutely focused on delivery. That's the Welsh Labour way, that's how we're going to build a fairer, greener and more prosperous Wales, and that's why we hope that the Welsh electorate will once again be voting for us in 2026. Diolch yn fawr.”
“Are you proud of the fact that you promised Tata workers £80 million that you hadn't budgeted for? And you didn't put any money down on the table. I think it's really important also that we look at and focus on those priorities.”
“For Welsh workers and our economy, we're also delivering, acting in partnership with the new UK Labour Government and standing up for what we know is most important to Welsh businesses and workers. Working with our UK Labour colleagues, we have helped to secure a landmark £1 billion investment in Shotton Mill, protecting 147 jobs and creating 220 more. By working in partnership, we also achieved a better deal for Welsh Tata steelworkers, and I think it's probably worth reminding the Tories that you said you were going to invest £80 million, but you hadn't put it in the budget. Now that's what I call a betrayal. And our joint approach delivered above-inflation pay rises, as I say, to hundreds of thousands of public sector workers, providing that much-needed support during these challenging times.”
“We've launched our North Wales Medical School, training tomorrow's doctors in Wales for Wales. We've invested £7.7 million in our Welsh centre for burns and plastic surgery at Morriston, serving 10 million people from Aberystwyth to Oxford. We've reduced the starting age of life-saving bowel cancer screening to 50 for men and women in Wales. We've rolled out an all-Wales fracture liaison service across Wales. We've supported the UK Government's Tobacco and Vapes Bill to create a smoke-free generation in Wales and to address the issue of youth vaping. Just last week, I met NHS workers who told me that this investment means, on the front line, real support, real improvements, real difference to patients' lives. For Welsh workers—[ Interruption .] I'll make some progress, if you don't mind.”
“But more than that, I promised to be a First Minister who's focused on delivery, and that's why my Cabinet is focused on the priorities of the people of Wales, and driving progress forward with a laser focus on delivery. These priorities will shape my Government's direction and ambition for the rest of this Senedd term. We haven't been idle since August. Let me be clear about the scale of what we've achieved in just 100 days. In the NHS, whilst we continue in dealing with the aftermath of 14 years of austerity and a massive surge in demand, Welsh Labour is investing in solutions. We've delivered public sector wages that have risen higher and faster than prices, helping over 100,000 Welsh citizens who are delivering our public services. We invested £28 million to cut waiting times and £13 million on better end-of-life care.”
“Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. When I first became First Minister, 100 days ago tomorrow, I promised real delivery for Wales, and today I can show the Senedd exactly how Welsh Labour is delivering not just promises, but concrete action for our communities. I'm really glad the Tories put this motion down today, because I can set out what is within my power to deliver and what isn't. It's important for me to once again set out how devolution works. I am responsible for the things where we have devolved responsibilities. The UK Government have their responsibilities. I promised to champion the voices that have too often been sidelined, to stand up for parts of Wales that have too often been forgotten, and to always be a listening First Minister.”
“So, of course local authorities are making their case to us, as are many other organisations in Wales, and we are very aware of the kinds of pressures they're under, particularly the kind of increase in demand that they're having to deal with, particularly in terms of care and children in care and housing, and all kinds of other areas. So we're very well aware that they are under pressure, but in Wales, they have not seen anything like the cuts that they've seen in England in local authorities over recent years.”
“Thanks for that, but you may have noted that the budget is only about two weeks old. It does take a while to come through the system. What you will have seen is that we have had the biggest increase in real terms since the start of devolution. So it will come through, it will make a difference, there will be more money, and of course as a Government now we're trying to work out where exactly that should be prioritised. But in reality, of course, that doesn't hit the ground until April, as you're very well aware as somebody who knows how these budget systems work.”
“Mae’r awdurdodau lleol yn parhau i reoli eu cyllidebau ar gyfer y flwyddyn a datblygu cynlluniau ar gyfer y dyfodol. Yn ddiweddar, mae Archwilio Cymru wedi gwneud gwaith ar gynaliadwyedd ariannol pob awdurdod.”
“And something that everybody takes for granted in Wales today is the free prescriptions. Well, don't take it for granted. This is something that seriously costs us a significant amount of money, but is there to support and protect everyone in Wales. I think it's really important that people understand it's a Labour Government that has made that happen—it's a Labour Government—and that's not happening across the rest of the United Kingdom. FootnoteLink”
“This is big money, just by telling people, 'Just go and claim what you're entitled to.' We've also got things like the council tax reduction scheme—again, this is something that doesn't exist in England—where you don't have to pay council tax. Over a quarter of a million people in Wales benefit from that. And also, I think it's really important to note that we're not just concerned about those who are not working; we're also worried about the working poor. There are a lot of those around these days, and it is important that they recognise how we're stepping in to support them as well, especially those, perhaps, with young families. The free school meal to all primary learners I think is important. There's the fact that, in Wales, as well, you get free bus passes if you're over 60.”
“Thanks very much. You're absolutely right, John, it is our responsibility to stand by those who are struggling, and there are a lot of people struggling today with the cost-of-living crisis. It hasn't gone away. It's now been baked in, and that's very difficult for people to be able to manage. That's why that significant contribution that our Government is putting in to support those who are struggling most is something that we should draw attention to. We've got our single advice fund, and that's helped more than 280,000 people from our most disadvantaged and marginalised communities to claim an extra £137 million.”
“Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn parhau i gefnogi'r cymunedau mwyaf difreintiedig yng Nghymru gyda chostau byw, gan fuddsoddi bron i £5 biliwn rhwng 2022 a 2025 mewn rhaglenni sy'n helpu i gadw arian ym mhocedi pobl. Fis diwethaf, fe wnaethon ni gyhoeddi £1.5 miliwn arall ar gyfer canolfannau clyd, i gadw pobl yn ddiogel ac yn gynnes y gaeaf yma.”
“And that, of course, goes on top of our other offers as a Welsh Government, like the Warm Homes Nest scheme and free advice for people through the Energy Saving Trust, for example.”
“Well, thanks very much, Altaf. We are intensely aware of how many people are struggling to pay their bills, and how the costs of energy have gone up. What I can tell you is that officials are fully engaged with the Department for Work and Pensions to drive up the numbers of those eligible to claim for pension credit. And what I'm pleased to say is that, as part of that, 6,600 people who are eligible in Welsh households are going to receive a letter asking them to apply for the benefit. If they apply for the benefit, and they are eligible for the benefit, obviously they will be able to get automatically that winter fuel allowance. That is something I hope you will welcome.”
“We are investing more than £30 million this year in the new Warm Homes Nest scheme to help tackle fuel poverty. We are also continuing to fund the Fuel Bank Foundation to support delivery of a national fuel voucher and heat fund scheme for those in fuel crisis.”
“Well, thanks very much. We have lots of portals in the Welsh Government, where people can go and see what is available to them. And it is important, of course, that we encourage suppliers, in particular people like Airbus, for example, who are very keen to make sure that we get more Welsh suppliers to help them with their supply chain. So, some individual companies will do that and, obviously, those companies, if they work in social partnership, as a company like Airbus does, then we would encourage people and companies to go to those particular portals as well.”
“The fact is, however, that it is the UK Government who are in the position to change the legal framework in relation to fire-and-rehire practices, and I'm really pleased to see that that is something that will be addressed in the new Employment Rights Bill. And obviously, we are speaking very closely with them about that.”
“Thanks very much, Carolyn, and thanks for your work on this and for drawing it to the attention of the Senedd. I was very grateful to have been invited to address the Unite conference, the first policy conference for Wales, yesterday. And there, I was able to express again our serious concerns in relation to the company. We've asked for a meeting with the company, so that they can provide a full account of the current situation. I think that imposing inferior terms and conditions on workers through the tactic of fire and rehire is absolutely not consistent with our values of fair work and social partnership.”
“We have a long-standing and successful commitment to the Welsh way of social partnership working. We've been promoting this across Wales through a series of engagement events and conferences, as well as online learning packages and other resources.”
“So, we recognise there's a problem here, and the problem is, if anything, more significant in England, but we are trying to see how we're going to do things differently in the future, because more of the same in relation to this clearly won't be able to address that massive surge in demand that you yourself pointed to.”
“—in relation to ADHD. Can I tell you that one of the things that we're trying to do, because of the massive surge that you talk about, is that, actually, we're going to have to think about how we do things differently? Because just doing more of the same is clearly not going to get us to where we need to be. So, we need to rethink what the pathway looks like, and that's why we've got this rapid service redesign event that's happening at the end of this month. It's going to bring together 180 people from all the sectors, and people with lived experience, to find solutions in terms of reducing waiting times and, more importantly, securing sustainable services. The NHS Wales Executive has also undertaken a review of children's neurodevelopmental services.”
“Well, if you think England has got this cracked, you'd better take another look, because the fact is that they've also seen a massive surge in the number of people who are requiring assessments and treatments—”
“Na, dwi'n deall, a dwi'n deall pa mor frustrated bydd rhai o’r plant a’u rhieni nhw. Dwi'n meddwl ei bod hi'n rili bwysig inni ystyried y cyd-destun ŷn ni'n gweithio ynddo. Rŷn ni wedi gweld cynnydd o 59 y cant yn y galw am driniaeth am ADHD rhwng 2018 a 2026. Felly, mae hwnna yn alw eithriadol o uchel, ac yn amlwg mae’n cymryd amser i ni gynyddu nifer y bobl, achos mae arian ychwanegol wedi mynd i mewn—£6 miliwn yn ychwanegol wedi mynd i mewn. Dwi’n gwybod bod Betsi, er enghraifft, yn defnyddio’r arian ychwanegol maen nhw’n ei gael i gefnogi symudiad plant gydag ADHD o ysgolion cynradd i ysgolion uwchradd. Felly, nid jest ynglŷn ag asesiad yw e, ond mae peth o’r arian yna yn mynd tuag at sicrhau eu bod nhw'n gallu cael y gofal sydd ei angen arnyn nhw pan fyddan nhw’n mynd trwy’r newidiadau pwysig yna yn eu bywydau nhw.”
“Rŷn ni’n cymryd camau i leihau'r amseroedd aros hiraf. Mae'r galw am wasanaethau niwrowahaniaeth yn tyfu o hyd. Yn nes ymlaen y mis yma, bydd nifer o asiantaethau yn dod at ei gilydd mewn digwyddiad ailddylunio cyflym cenedlaethol. Bydd hwn yn gosod y sylfeini i sicrhau gwasanaethau cynaliadwy a fydd yn diwallu anghenion plant.”
“In September, we saw the second highest daily numbers of red calls reported since we started the particular reporting process that we have now five years ago, so it is important to recognise that. And one of the things I’m sure that will happen in the next few months is that we have this ministerial advisory group, who are from outside of Wales, who can come in and have an objective view on it. We’ve got Dr Tara Sood, who is an NHS England national speciality adviser for same-day emergency care, and Adam Roberts, who is currently director for urgent and emergency care operational insight. So, they can come and tell us what we could be doing differently. But, frankly, on some of these areas, we’re actually doing better than England, believe it or not.”
“Thanks very much. I’m not aware that there is that difficulty, and if you’ve got any evidence to support that, I’d be grateful if you could send it on to the Cabinet Secretary, because what we know is that, actually, where we do need to work cross-border, that works reasonably well, and also in relation to the third sector, that is an important aspect of what we do and that’s why we’ve got this regional integration fund, which is really supporting people, in particular the third sector—I think they have a ring fence within that of about 19 per cent or so. So, this is not an insignificant amount of money, and these are people who are doing incredible work on our behalf. The thing we’ve got to constantly remember is that the demand just keeps on going up.”
“You're absolutely right; it's that relationship with local government, making sure those care packages are available, and some of that is about making sure that we have enough care workers in our communities, that we have enough reablement workers within our communities as well, helping people get back on their feet, so they’re not dependent on large care packages, but they’re actually able to get back and to work within their own homes. All of those things are constantly being discussed with local authorities through things like the care action committee.”
“And one of the things that I introduced when I was health Minister was the care action committee, a very action-focused group, which was very practical in terms of how do we get health and local authorities to work together. At the beginning, we had to work out where the problem was, because some people would say, 'It's them not us.' 'Right, let's get some data. Let's get all the data in the right place.' All of that has now been sorted out. We know where the problems are. We've identified what is likely to work quickly. Those 10 'These are the things you have to do, and, if you're not doing them, explain yourselves'—that has to be done in this next 50-day challenge, and hopefully that will get the system moving.”
“Diolch, and can I just say that waiting 36 hours is wholly unacceptable under any circumstance, and it is important that health boards are aware of that? I know that the health Secretary is working very closely, making it absolutely clear what our expectations are as a Government, and that's part of the reason why he's introduced this 50-day challenge. We have a home-first policy, and it is important that there is an understanding of the need for health boards to work really closely with local government in an integrated system. We do have the regional integration fund, £144 million—£180 million now—spent to try and make sure that they're working together. That's not an insignificant amount of money.”
“Ym mis Medi 2024, roedd 1,497 o achosion lle roedd yn rhaid i gleifion aros am wely mewn ysbyty am fwy na 24 awr ar ôl cyrraedd adran frys mewn ambiwlans. Rŷn ni wedi nodi'n glir i'r byrddau iechyd beth yw ein disgwyliadau ni o ran gwelliant, a ddoe cafodd her 50 diwrnod y gaeaf ar gyfer gofal integredig ei lansio i gefnogi hyn.”
“It is important that we use, perhaps, people who can help within the ward, who are not necessarily nurses, to do some of the work that releases nurses to do the work that only they can do. So, that is not something that was recommended by the committee and is not something that the Welsh Government is looking at at this point.”
“Well, thanks very much. First of all, the number of vacancies in Wales in terms of nursing is down significantly on where it was before. We obviously have recruited hundreds of new international nurses, in part because of the memorandum of understanding that we had with Kerala, which I was very proud to sign, and I met many of those nurses in the Diwali event that I attended last week. In relation to the nurse staffing level Act, a committee of this Senedd did a report into this—they took evidence from a number of people—and that committee report did not recommend extending the staffing level as was recommended by the RCN, and that was after hearing evidence from a number of sources, because we are keen to make sure that people work to the top of their licence.”
“Well, first of all, on the agency issue, the fact is that it's come down considerably—the amount of money we spend on agency—and the RCN have been very welcoming of the fact that that has definitely come down. When it comes to nurse bursary, I think it is important to recognise that we have as many training places this year as were filled last year. So, if you think about how many came out last year, we're putting the same number in. So, you can have very ambitious targets. If you can't fill the number of people going in, because they're not applying for it, then, obviously, that becomes a problem. So, we're filling, we're providing, as many as were filled last year.”
“But, obviously, budgets are tight, 5.5 per cent is an above-inflation pay rise, and, of course, it is what we've offered to other people in the NHS.”
“Well, we greatly value the work that our nurses do in Wales, in the NHS, and they do so much to help provide that life-saving and live-changing care for people in what you rightly say is a very pressurised environment, and that's why we were pleased that we were able to offer an above-inflation pay rise this financial year—a 5.5 per cent increase—which was the same thing as the other unions accepted in Wales. The 'Agenda for Change' staff were on that. And I think it is important that we look at how we've changed the number of people who are agency workers, so we're doing what the RCN asked us to do, to put more people into substantive roles, rather than paying agencies. So, all of that is improving, and, of course, we'll always be open to discuss, with the RCN, about how we can come to a conclusion with this very difficult issue.”
“Well, we have seen the longest waiters coming down, and I can tell you, in relation to the 50-day challenge, that we're asking the teams to target the people who have been in hospital for the longest 25 per cent of the time. So, that's 350 people against the 1,500 or so in terms of delayed discharges. So, there are your figures and, obviously, we are holding the health authorities to account in relation to those kinds of targets.”
“If they don't make the difference, then they won't get the money. That's critical. And we're working on what happens next, can we look to the budget next year, for example, to do more and what can we expect for that.”
“And of course, there are other things that we've achieved during those first 100 days: free school meals rolled out to all pupils in maintained primary schools; we saw Tata, working with the UK Government, get that additional funding—£13.5 million; we had local investment in museums and libraries; broadband connectivity, £12 million there; we've seen a £1 billion investment in Shotton; we've had the all-Wales fracture liaison service, and that's just September. So, there's a whole load of things that we've achieved in the first 100 days, and it is, actually, important that we look at what we can do in future in relation to bringing those waiting lists down. That announcement will reap significant benefits and, of course, we're working on the actual figures, what difference will it make.”
“Well, thanks very much. First of all, look, I absolutely understand the frustration of people who are on long waiting lists. People are in pain, and it's our responsibility to reduce that. And there have been massive strides in terms of the longest waits. They've come down significantly. The longest waits have come down a lot from, certainly, when I first because the health Secretary. But you can't do anything unless the staff are there to do it. So, one of the things within my first 100 days was to make sure that we delivered an above-inflation pay award to the hundreds of thousands of people who work in the NHS who are actually going to carry out those operations, because the morale in the NHS is really important. That was within the first 100 days.”
“What we know is that there are some bits of the system that work really well, and the plan here is to take the good bits and to roll them out—make them all do what we know works. There are some aspects that people do really well, other aspects that they don’t. How do we do that? It’s driving that challenge, making sure they know what they should be doing, when, and making sure that they drive that. So, obviously, getting people out of hospital will mean there are more beds for us to get on with planned care, but there’s also the planned care initiative, and the Cabinet Secretary has announced an additional £27 million or so to try and help with reducing the longest waits, and clearly we are very anxious to see those waits come down. It’s that focused attention, making sure that if they don’t deliver, they don’t get the money.”
“Thanks very much. You’re quite right—this is a very difficult nut to crack, I can assure you. I spent a lot of time trying to crack it. It’s not something unique to Wales; it’s something that people all over the United Kingdom are struggling with—people who are ready to be discharged from hospital but can’t, partly because of the fragility of the care sector, and that is difficult. Obviously, in Wales, we’ve increased the amount of money we pay to care workers. We introduced the real living wage, which has made a difference, and we spend considerably more on care in Wales than they do in England. That relationship between health and care is absolutely fundamental. The 50-day challenge that the Cabinet Secretary for health has outlined I think is going to be a really critical part of what we do over this winter.”
“Thanks very much, Carolyn. Our policy is absolutely clear: we expect all new energy developments to provide local benefit, whatever the nature of the developer. Community and local benefits should be used to meet local needs and priorities, and we’re discussing with the UK Government how support from GB Energy, under the local power plan, can build on and amplify the 15 years of support for local energy in Wales. We’ve got a lot of experience here through the energy service and now through Ynni Cymru. We’d expect major projects as well to be developed through Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru and to make sure that there’s an understanding that the local contribution is necessary.”
“That's why GB Energy, I think, is a really significant contribution, and I'm really pleased that the discussions between our Government and GB Energy are going very well.”
“Look, at the moment, we are in a position where, actually, a war in Ukraine had an immediate effect on the bills—[ Interruption .]—wait a minute—on the bills in our country, and there is something you need to do about that in terms of security of supply. And if you can do security of supply and address the climate issue at the same time, then that is the way to go. And that's why we do have very ambitious targets, and that we have actually delivered significant amounts in relation to renewable energy already. Of course, when you're able to predict then in the longer term—and you're quite right, it's not going to happen overnight—the security of supply issue and the vagaries of the market that influence that we'll be able to control because we're closer and they're under our influence now to control.”
“We've all been interested to see the Prime Minister today in Baku, in what is an important summit, also making a commitment to even more ambitious targets. The world is changing—you've got to just look at the climate around us to see that climate change is with us here and now. I'm very much looking forward to addressing the Future Energy Wales conference this afternoon, where, obviously, we'll be talking about our ambitions in relation to renewable energy in Wales.”
“Thanks very much. I think you're absolutely right to highlight the really good example that Morriston Hospital has demonstrated. They've had that using support from the Welsh Government energy service. So, for £5.7 million investment in that solar farm, they are managing to save about £0.5 million a year on bills. But, on top of that, they're saving a thousand tonnes of carbon a year. So, that's not insignificant. It is a really good model. We do have this model of invest-to-save, and I would encourage others to take up the opportunities that Morriston has given. It's probably important for us to underline the urgency of public sector bodies recognising that they do have a commitment to deliver net zero in the public sector by 2030.”
“Following early discussions with UK Ministers, I envisage a very positive relationship with Great British Energy, Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru and our other energy delivery bodies, including Ynni Cymru. They are all trying to see how we can work together as we continue to drive forward renewable energy investment in Wales.”
“I think it’s probably also worth mentioning that Transport for Wales are also developing large-scale pilots for Swansea bay that will see the introduction of a fleet of hydrogen fuel cell buses, which is also something I hope you’ll welcome.”
“Thanks very much. I know that the transport Secretary met with many Members from the region about the Swansea metro on 11 October. As I say, these are very much in development, and it’s important that they’re done by the local authorities working together. That’s the critical part of this, going beyond the immediate local authority area. So, on the timescale, first of all, we have to come up with a very detailed proposal, which is that outline business case that I talked about for those proposed railways stations. And then, in a sense, we have to pass it on to the UK Government. They have to pass it on to the UK Government with us, and it’s up to them then to get it into their programme. I know that those discussions are already happening.”