Peredur Owen Griffiths
Casnewydd Islwyn Commissioner · Plaid Cymru · Wales
“Diolch, Llywydd Dirprwy—Dirprwy Lywydd. [ Laughter .] Thank you very much. I'm really pleased to welcome this statement today. As we've heard, the semiconductor industry is of particular importance to my region. As a control systems engineering graduate, I'm particularly interested in semiconductors.”
“I'd like to put on record my thanks to all the volunteers and the emergency services for their quick responses, and my heart goes out to all those affected.”
“In the meantime, she called her son for help and, fortunately, they were able to get to the hospital. When they arrived in the Heath hospital shortly after 5 a.m., the man was immediately attended to by a cardiac team, who provided a gold standard of treatment and he was fitted with a stent within an hour.”
“Wales currently does not have enough people entering physics-based routes at post 16, which is not only a huge challenge for semiconductor and physics-based industries, but also physics teachers.”
“Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Thank you for the statement. I welcome it, but I'd argue that it doesn't quite go far enough and stops short of the major surgery and investment that's needed within the ambulance service.”
“People have, obviously, been evacuated to hotels and, on reflection, it could have been much, much worse, and it can be much, much worse. It's a category D tip after all. The question is: how do we make these tips safer? We've got £25 million, and that's a large amount of money—it's nowhere near the amount we need—but what is the plan?”
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“Will you make the point that you need to front-load that money to make sure, because we need to be making these tips safe now, and then trailing that off, rather than ramping it up?”
“2. Pa asesiad y mae'r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet wedi'i wneud o'r effaith y mae'r cynnydd mewn cyfraniadau yswiriant gwladol cyflogwyr wedi'i chael ar fentrau cymdeithasol? OQ61944”
“Wales currently does not have enough people entering physics-based routes at post 16, which is not only a huge challenge for semiconductor and physics-based industries, but also physics teachers. What conversations have you had with the Cabinet Secretary for Education to ensure that every child in school can pursue a pathway in physics or engineering education or careers without being denied the opportunity from an early age of being able to take GCSE science double awards? And how can we make sure that students, schools and teachers are aware of how learners can take skilled routes such as apprenticeships into high-quality careers like those in the semiconductor industry in south Wales? It’s really important to build that pipeline to be able to get people into high-paid jobs in this industry. Diolch.”
“Diolch, Llywydd Dirprwy—Dirprwy Lywydd. [ Laughter .] Thank you very much. I'm really pleased to welcome this statement today. As we've heard, the semiconductor industry is of particular importance to my region. As a control systems engineering graduate, I'm particularly interested in semiconductors. I worked closely with the staff of the former Newport Wafer Fab site, after it was left high and dry following the ruling by the then UK Tory Government on the previous ownership. But this silicone plant, which is now owned by Vishay, is a vital component of the local and national economy of Wales, and it should get our full support. The Institute of Physics have called for systematic issues that hold back the growth of STEM apprenticeships, technical skills and qualifications and physics-based academic routes to be assessed.”
“People have, obviously, been evacuated to hotels and, on reflection, it could have been much, much worse, and it can be much, much worse. It's a category D tip after all. The question is: how do we make these tips safer? We've got £25 million, and that's a large amount of money—it's nowhere near the amount we need—but what is the plan? When will we have the plan? What are you going to do with that money, and how are you going to prioritise it? The frequency of these freak storms that we are facing is affecting communities over and over again. For communities that are affected once, it's devastating, but to be affected over and over again, it's cruel, it's costly and it can't be allowed to continue. We must take action to avoid it happening again.”
“I'd like to put on record my thanks to all the volunteers and the emergency services for their quick responses, and my heart goes out to all those affected. Yesterday, I spent time in different communities across the region, and, like Alun and you, in Llanhilleth and in Blackwood, but I also visited Cwmtillery, and I've had casework from different people across the region, in places like Risca and Langstone, of people affected by the storm. But it struck me in Cwmtillery to see that devastation, and what that means, when that tip slides and the incredible amount of coal spoil, the mud, the sludge that comes down the mountainside and into people's homes. After the huge effort by the local people and the council workers to disperse that black mud, it was still a couple of feet thick when I was there over 12 hours later.”
“In the meantime, she called her son for help and, fortunately, they were able to get to the hospital. When they arrived in the Heath hospital shortly after 5 a.m., the man was immediately attended to by a cardiac team, who provided a gold standard of treatment and he was fitted with a stent within an hour. Excellent service once they got there. If they'd waited for the ambulance, or waited for the call back, that didn't happen until after 11 a.m., a full eight hours after the call was initially made. So, could I ask you, Cabinet Secretary, what can you say to that family about the person who had the heart attack over the weekend, and other families who've been let down by the service? Is this what we expect the ambulance service to be in 2024? How long before the outcomes are going to be better for our constituents?”
“Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Thank you for the statement. I welcome it, but I'd argue that it doesn't quite go far enough and stops short of the major surgery and investment that's needed within the ambulance service. This cannot be looked at in isolation, for the whole health system, with the lack of capacity in our hospitals, hinders the ambulance service when they're not able to offload patients. The experience of a constituent over the weekend sums up how broken the system currently is. A man woke up in the early hours of Saturday morning, suffering from acute stomach and chest pains. His distressed wife called for an ambulance and impressed upon the call handler the seriousness of he situation, only to be told that there was no ambulance available. She was promised a call back from a clinician.”
“Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Dwi'n ddiolchgar iawn i fy nghyd-aelodau o'r pwyllgor am eu cyfraniadau y prynhawn yma. Diolch yn gyntaf i Peter Fox.”
“Rwy'n gwneud y cynnig hwnnw. Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Fis Ebrill diwethaf, pasiodd y Senedd gynnig yn cyfarwyddo'r Pwyllgor Cyllid, o dan Reol Sefydlog 17.2, i gynnal adolygiad o weithrediadau, prosesau ac ymchwiliadau a gynhelir gan Ombwdsmon Gwasanaethau Cyhoeddus Cymru. Roedd hyn yn dilyn honiadau bod arweinydd tîm yn nhîm cod ymddygiad yr ombwdsmon wedi mynegi barn wleidyddol bersonol a oedd yn cynnwys iaith sarhaus ar gyfryngau cymdeithasol. Fel sy'n hysbys, cafodd yr arweinydd tîm ei gwahardd i ddechrau, ac yna ymddiswyddodd. Mae'r pwyllgor bellach wedi cwblhau'r gwaith hwn, a gwnaethon ni osod ein hadroddiad gerbron y Senedd yn gynharach y mis hwn, ar 8 Tachwedd.”
“Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. A cyn i mi ddechrau, mi fuaswn i'n licio diolch i Hefin David, Comisiynydd y Senedd dros y gyllideb a llywodraethu, a swyddogion y Senedd, am ddod i'r cyfarfod o'r Pwyllgor Cyllid ar 3 Hydref i drafod cynigion cyllidebol y Comisiwn. Dwi hefyd yn ddiolchgar i’r Comisiwn am ddarparu ei ymateb i’r adroddiad cyn y ddadl yma, ac rwy’n falch eu bod nhw wedi derbyn 16 o’r argymhellion, ac wedi nodi un ohonyn nhw. Rwy’n arbennig o ddiolchgar i’r Comisiynydd am gadarnhau bod yr arian a ddyrannwyd yn y gyllideb ddrafft sy’n ymwneud ag ôl-daliadau ar gyfer staff graddau is y Comisiwn wedi’i dynnu yn sgil y Senedd yn cytuno ar y gyllideb atodol gyntaf ar 22 Hydref.”
“Given that the service runs through the town only twice an hour, just one cancelled service can mean a huge impact on whether or not they arrive in work on time or not. With this in mind, could the Cabinet Secretary please inform us how many direct trains from Ebbw Vale to Newport have been cancelled since the service began, if you've got that detail on you, or you could write to me if you don't? And what impact has that had on the Newport economy, local road congestion and on citizens, especially marginalised groups who lack the access to private transport? And could you tell me what 'good' looks like, and what you would expect from a cancellation rate, if anything?”
“Cancellations in double figures—so, you get that information. It brings me on to a question possibly closer to home for me, in my region in south-east Wales, and looking at performance. I was recently contacted by frustrated constituents. As I've outlined today, they find that their basic expectations of the rail network are simply not being met. Their entire family is actively trying to use public transport, including local train stations as part of their shared commitment to reducing their carbon footprint and embracing sustainable travel. However, they're growing increasingly frustrated by the number of key commuter services from Rogerstone station that are being cancelled.”
“Just recently, we learnt that the construction of the new HS2 station in England will add an extra 15 minutes to several routes in south Wales until 2030. This only adds insult to injury, knowing that Wales will not receive the billions it's owed from spending on HS2 in England, while Labour in Wales refuses to stand up to Keir Starmer to rectify this injustice. And on the issue of costs, research from the TUC found that rail fares have increased at twice the rate of wages since 2009. This is simply unsustainable for the average passenger. So, what does the Cabinet Secretary make of this? Would he agree with me that the rail network underperforms and doesn't meet the basic standards expected of a transport network, and what is he doing about it?”
“Diolch, Llywydd. The aim of any transport network, or transport Secretary for that matter, is straightforward—it’s to get people to where they want to go, when they need to be there, whilst taking into account cost, accessibility and sustainability. People deserve the certainty that their train will run on time, or, at the very least, that it will show up. But right now, these basic expectations are simply not being met. Taking train journeys in Wales, for example, people are struggling to reach their destination by train. Data from the Office for National Statistics shows that only 50 per cent of people in Wales live within 30 minutes' walking distance of a train station, leaving many reliant on their cars and an increasingly limited bus network.”
“9. Beth mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud i helpu dinasyddion Cymru sy'n cael eu heffeithio gan y rhyfel yn y dwyrain canol? OQ61913”
“A allwch chi, felly, roi addewid y bydd y Llywodraeth hon yn mynd i'r afael â diffyg athrawon mewn rhai meysydd a rhai pynciau, fel bod e-sgol ddim yn dod yn fwy cyffredin, yn enwedig yng nghyd-destun y darpariaethau ym Mil y Gymraeg ac Addysg (Cymru) a'r prif amcan o gael pob disgybl yn siaradwr hyderus erbyn 2050? Diolch.”
“Diolch am yr ateb yna. Yn ystod yr wythnosau diwethaf, dwi wedi bod yn cael trafodaethau gyda'r proffesiwn addysgu ynglŷn â defnydd o e-sgol yn fy rhanbarth. Fel y dywedoch chi, sefydlwyd yr adnodd yma ar-lein yn wreiddiol i gynorthwyo darpariaeth chweched dosbarth mewn ardaloedd gwledig, ond mae o wedi dod yn opsiwn sy'n cael ei ffafrio ar gyfer rhai ardaloedd a rhai pynciau yn lle addysgu wyneb yn wyneb. Fel dŷch chi wedi sôn, mae addysgu Cymraeg safon uwch yn sir Fynwy yn un o'r enghreifftiau o hyn. Er bod gan y math yma o addysgu ei rinweddau, dylai fo ddim bod yn norm ar draul addysgu wyneb yn wyneb. Yn fy marn i a barn llawer o addysgwyr, does dim yn gallu cymryd lle addysgu wyneb yn wyneb o ran darparu profiad cyfoethog ac amrywiol i ddisgyblion.”
“Okay, that’s not quite as positive as what the finance Secretary said yesterday, but I know there are lots of things to be worked through. I’ll look forward to getting that update from you. Finally, can the Cabinet Secretary assure us that consequentials from the social care spend in England will go directly to Welsh councils rather than being absorbed into the Welsh health budget, to ensure that councils are able to fund the vital services?”
“Diolch. It is disappointing that that assurance isn’t there at the moment. I’m sure you are listening to local authorities. I’ve been speaking to them as well, and they are making those asks as to how much of that £1.7 billion will be coming their way to help the most vulnerable in our societies. We also heard yesterday that the changes in national insurance contributions will be fully funded, separate from the £1.7 billion, based on the ONS definition of public sector workers. Could the Cabinet Secretary clarify this definition and confirm whether it includes third sector workers contracted to local authorities? Does the Cabinet Secretary acknowledge that employer national insurance increases will have a huge impact on the third sector and the services that they provide on behalf of local authorities?”
“Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. 'Austerity has ended'—these were the words of the First Minister yesterday. I know it will be news to the councils across Wales that are in the midst of a financial crisis, facing a £559 million shortfall. They need a 7 per cent revenue increase just to maintain the current services, let alone investment in improvements. I'd be interested to know if the Cabinet Secretary also believes that austerity is over. The UK budget announced funding of £1.7 billion for Wales. Could the Cabinet Secretary provide a timeline for this £1.7 billion spend and let us know how much she is requesting for local authorities, when in discussions with the financial Secretary, and will it be enough to cover the whole of the £559 million gap?”
“And therefore, can you confirm if the UK Treasury will fully reimburse the additional costs of the rise in employer NICs in the public sector, or does the consequential funding of £1.9 billion already take this into account? I didn't hear you answer that when Peter Fox asked it, so if you could clarify that for us, please.”
“It's not an exaggeration to say that there is a funding crisis in local government. With councils in Wales facing spending pressures of over £0.5 billion this year alone, which are expected to rise to almost £0.75 billion by 2027-28, it's clear that the additional funding announced in the budget will only go so far in mitigating these pressures. Can you give clarity on the implications of the rise of employer NICs in the public sector and to those organisations supporting it? Can you give assurances to local government that their already overstretched resources will not be further adversely affected by the need to implement central Government policies?”
“2. Beth yw asesiad y Prif Weinidog o effaith cyhoeddiad cyllideb Llywodraeth y DU ar y trydydd sector yng Nghymru? OQ61810”