Altaf Hussain
Welsh Conservative · Wales
“Thanks, Mick, for raising this issue. Cabinet Secretary, the regional hub could be a big boon to patients in my region who rely upon services at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, even though there's a lack of clarity over what treatments will be provided at Llantrisant.”
“Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. I recently had the opportunity to visit the CanSense laboratory at Swansea University to see first-hand the excellent work being undertaken in the life sciences sector in my region.”
“I thank my colleague for raising this important issue. Cabinet Secretary, sadly, the reoffending rate remains stubbornly high, particularly among women. One of the main reasons many reoffend is due to the lack of support, such as housing and mental health support.”
“Cabinet Secretary, one of the biggest barriers to wider adoption of buses as an alternative to the car is the large variation in cost to take public transport in Wales. However, across the border in England, there’s a £2 cap, although this is set to become £3 in the new year.”
“First Minister, having visited a number of small publishers, I'm aware of deep concerns within the sector and of the impact this will have upon my constituents, with prominent publishers like Bridgend-based Seren in my region.”
“I would like to thank the Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee for conducting their focused inquiry into the restoration of former opencast mines. This is an issue that resonates with my constituents, although much of the focus has been on Ffos-y-fran.”
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“Thanks, Mick, for raising this issue. Cabinet Secretary, the regional hub could be a big boon to patients in my region who rely upon services at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, even though there's a lack of clarity over what treatments will be provided at Llantrisant. According to the Royal College of Surgeons, part of the solution to addressing the huge waiting lists in Wales is in speeding up the development of surgical hubs, so surgery can go ahead during those periods when the NHS is under increasing pressure, which is now. Given the advantage afforded by segmented planned procedures, will the Cabinet Secretary ensure that the planned regional hub will not just be for diagnostics, but for surgical procedures as well? Because, at present, it's only diagnostics.”
“Cabinet Secretary, what discussions have you had with the Cabinet Secretary for health about further investment in laboratories like CanSense to maximise the benefits to the health and economy of our nation?”
“Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. I recently had the opportunity to visit the CanSense laboratory at Swansea University to see first-hand the excellent work being undertaken in the life sciences sector in my region. While the prospects for the economy of my region coming out of CanSense and the wider life sciences sector are fantastic, the scientific advancements are immeasurable. CanSense are developing inexpensive blood tests that can diagnose bowel cancer much sooner than current tests, therefore tackling one of the biggest killers in Wales, while at the same time reducing the burden on the NHS, both of which have wider economic costs beyond the human costs. Similar labs are also developing simple blood tests for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's.”
“I thank my colleague for raising this important issue. Cabinet Secretary, sadly, the reoffending rate remains stubbornly high, particularly among women. One of the main reasons many reoffend is due to the lack of support, such as housing and mental health support. In a recent interview on Sky News, highlighting the homelessness issue in Bridgend, one interviewee spoke of the likelihood of reoffending just to have a warm bed for the winter. Cabinet Secretary, do you agree that this is a sad state of affairs? And will you outline the actions that the Welsh Government will take to ensure that those leaving prison are provided with accommodation and all necessary support?”
“Cabinet Secretary, one of the biggest barriers to wider adoption of buses as an alternative to the car is the large variation in cost to take public transport in Wales. However, across the border in England, there’s a £2 cap, although this is set to become £3 in the new year. How will Welsh Government ensure an affordable, dependable network going forward?”
“First Minister, having visited a number of small publishers, I'm aware of deep concerns within the sector and of the impact this will have upon my constituents, with prominent publishers like Bridgend-based Seren in my region. What action will the Welsh Government take to ensure creative industry institutions like the Books Council of Wales get financially sufficient support given the recent 10 per cent cut to their budget? Thank you.”
“So, while I commend the committee for undertaking this inquiry, I'm disappointed that other communities across the south Wales coalfield did not receive the same consideration as those living in the shadow of Ffos-y-fran. Recommendations 21 to 26 apply equally to the East Pit and Margam sites. I would therefore ask that the Cabinet Secretary addresses these issues when they respond to this debate. Diolch yn fawr.”
“I would like to thank the Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee for conducting their focused inquiry into the restoration of former opencast mines. This is an issue that resonates with my constituents, although much of the focus has been on Ffos-y-fran. Residents in Merthyr are not alone in worrying about the legacy of opencast mining. I recall raising the restoration of both East Pit and Margam opencast sites when I was first elected in 2015, 10 years ago. Yet here we are, a decade later, and these sites are still causing great concern to residents living near the sites, particularly about the 40 million cu m of water that has filled the void at East Pit. Residents fear allowing such a huge volume of water in the geologically unstable region places their homes, even their lives, at risk.”
“I thank my colleague for raising this important issue. Cabinet Secretary, all the talk has been about more money for the NHS in order to tackle waiting times. In fact, the main reason Wales is getting so much extra funding is due to the money that the UK Government is spending to tackle NHS waiting times in England. However, pumping billions extra into health is not the answer to tackling waiting times. We need to direct spending into social care, and that means directing funds to local authorities. Cabinet Secretary, how will the Welsh Government ensure that social care is properly funded in order to eliminate delayed transfers of care, which you mentioned earlier?”
“Thank you, First Minister. The heartless decision by the UK Government to end the universal winter fuel payment will push many elderly people into fuel poverty this winter. Thankfully, the Welsh Government will receive an extra £1.7 billion via Barnett. This additional funding will now grant the Welsh Government the flexibility to address the forthcoming crisis. So, First Minister, will you commit to using a small proportion of this additional funding available to the Welsh Government to help those who will be forced to choose between heating and eating this winter?”
“Cabinet Secretary, what immediate steps will you take to protect staff in our schools? We politicians get issued with panic alarms; have you considered issuing these to our teachers?”
“Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. Unfortunately, teacher morale is at an all-time low. Decisions being taken by local authorities to cut school budgets, leading to lay-offs of teachers and teaching assistants, are increasing the workload on the remaining teaching staff, with many warnings that class sizes are set to grow, adding to the pressures. But, the biggest threat of them all is the behaviour of the pupils and the lack of support given to teaching staff who are subjected to abuse and physical violence. Cabinet Secretary, teachers in my region have had to strive to get their voices heard regarding attacks on staff. I note your earlier statement regarding the school social partnership forum and the steps you’ll take to address pupils’ behaviour. However, it does little to protect staff in the here and now.”
“Cabinet Secretary, while we of course welcome any moves to encourage more housing co-operatives, these are only a small piece of the puzzle. We need to urgently address the supply of housing for rent in the social sector and you are a long way off achieving the 20,000 target. So, while co-operative housing initiatives will play a part in addressing Wales's housing needs, and, hopefully, in time, a large part of that need, we have to address the here and now. Cabinet Secretary, what immediate steps are you taking to address the housing shortage and ensure that no families are forced into long-term temporary accommodation? Thank you.”