Tom Giffard
Welsh Conservative · Wales
“You're right, GPs do do exceptional work across Wales. I've heard from a number in the city of Swansea over the last month or so who've written to me concerned about the UK Government's decision to increase national insurance contributions in the recent budget.”
“Thank you very much for your response. This week, we’ve seen the opening of the new Porthcawl metro link as part of the south Wales metro plans.”
“Secondly, it was established to—and I quote—improve public transport links across south-east Wales. Now, you’ll be aware of the geography here; we are on the very western point, if you like, of the south-east Wales, Cardiff capital region and residents are worried that this new bus station, this new plan, doesn’t sync up with journeys tha…”
“That was ignored, stifling the economic growth we need to get out of those dire economic figures. We heard as well, finally, on public services, from Gareth Davies, who I thought did a very good contribution today, on the state of our education system. And what have we seen?”
“Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Twenty-four thousand people are waiting two years or more for treatment in Wales, and just 124 in England. That is healthcare. And thank you, Joyce, for your contribution on private healthcare—I'm not too sure of the relevance of that to this debate. On the economy, we've seen some shocking statistics.”
“Diolch yn fawr iawn, Dirprwy Lywydd, and thank you to all Members who took part in our debate today. A new First Minister is a chance to refresh, to set new priorities to improve the lives of the people of Wales. And 100 days is a landmark moment to reflect on the direction of travel towards that goal.”
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“You're right, GPs do do exceptional work across Wales. I've heard from a number in the city of Swansea over the last month or so who've written to me concerned about the UK Government's decision to increase national insurance contributions in the recent budget. One GP at a surgery, Tŷ'r Felin surgery in Gorseinon, said to me that that decision can, and I quote, 'only served to directly undermine access and patient care'. With that in mind, all they're asking you to do is to reimburse the costs, like other parts of the NHS. So, it's a simply request. Will you?”
“Secondly, it was established to—and I quote—improve public transport links across south-east Wales. Now, you’ll be aware of the geography here; we are on the very western point, if you like, of the south-east Wales, Cardiff capital region and residents are worried that this new bus station, this new plan, doesn’t sync up with journeys that might go west in the future, particularly as the Swansea bay metro scheme is much further down the track, if you like, than the south Wales one. So, how will you ensure that projects like this that fall between, if you like, geographical regions actually serve the interests of the populations that live on both sides of these barriers and are not just self-contained within that one region?”
“Thank you very much for your response. This week, we’ve seen the opening of the new Porthcawl metro link as part of the south Wales metro plans. I recently attended a meeting of the Porthcawl Shout Forum—a meeting of residents in Porthcawl, where issues are raised, and I know you’ve accepted a number of invitations today, but you have also been invited, so you’re more than welcome to come along. There were two issues raised about the new bus station. First of all, there are four routes, currently, going from the bus station, but, looking at one as an example, the one that comes here to Cardiff Bay takes nearly two hours, and there’s no toilet included in the new metro link bus station in Porthcawl, and people locally seem to think that that might be a bit of an oversight on the part of the metro scheme.”
“Support the party that can deliver the change that Wales needs, the party with that plan to deliver that better future: the Welsh Conservatives. And that change starts by backing our motion today.”
“This First Minister had an opportunity to chart a new course, pick a new path, but all we have seen is more of the same. That's why this debate was tabled today, because it gives the Senedd an opportunity to change that course. And if this Senedd chooses not to do that today, then the people of Wales can do something about it in 540 days' time, at the next Senedd elections. So, with that in mind, I say that to the people of Wales: if you want change, you have to vote for it. Don't vote for the party with a tired record of failure for a quarter of a century. And certainly don't vote for the party that has spent most of that time propping them up. And be wary of those parties on the fringes with snappy soundbites but not one policy behind the outrageous claims that they make.”
“Well, I think there are many, many more people that will be going cold this winter, Mike, as a result of this UK Labour Government's decision to scrap winter fuel payments. Now, we've heard many say that some of these Welsh Government failings can't be put directly at the feet of this First Minister, and I'd agree with that. After all, we had the longest NHS waiting lists in the UK before this First Minister took office, we had the worst educational outcomes anywhere in the UK before this First Minister took office, and we had the weakest economy in the UK economy before this First Minister took office. These may not be symptoms of 100 days of this First Minister, but they are symptoms of 25 years of this Welsh Labour Government.”
“When this UK Government refused to fully fund the £4 billion consequential as a result of HS2, the First Minister scaled back the ambition and called for, maybe, £350 million, at some point in the future. She failed to stand up for Wales. And when the UK Government removed inheritance tax relief for those in the agricultural sector, threatening the future of family farms, the lifeblood of rural Wales, what did she do about it? She did nothing. She failed to stand up for Wales. Rhianon Passmore talked up the partnership between two Labour Governments. With a record like that, would you really be proud of it? Mike.”
“But what I remember is three different policy positions on reading in three weeks—a confused and chaotic Government at the heart of our education system here in Wales. I think people also expect their First Minister to be an advocate for our nation, standing up for Wales, and on that score, these 100 days have been a failure too. Because, as we heard from Heledd Fychan, when the UK Government proposed policies that would actively damage Wales, the First Minister said that her influence on Keir Starmer was the same as what she had on Donald Trump, and that proved to be the case. When the UK Government took the callous decision to scrap winter fuel payments—a decision that could cost an additional 4,000 deaths this winter—the First Minister said nothing. She failed to stand up for Wales.”
“That was ignored, stifling the economic growth we need to get out of those dire economic figures. We heard as well, finally, on public services, from Gareth Davies, who I thought did a very good contribution today, on the state of our education system. And what have we seen? A damning report into the standards and the teaching of reading in Wales, using discredited practices still in our schools. I note that the Labour amendment today mentions school meals, as though it is some kind of success. But the children's commissioner earlier this year mentioned 80 per cent of children still going hungry in Welsh schools after one of those school meals. That is no record to be proud of. In response, we heard from the education Minister, in an intervention, mentioning various statements and policy positions that had been made.”
“Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Twenty-four thousand people are waiting two years or more for treatment in Wales, and just 124 in England. That is healthcare. And thank you, Joyce, for your contribution on private healthcare—I'm not too sure of the relevance of that to this debate. On the economy, we've seen some shocking statistics. Unemployment is now the highest anywhere in the UK, and economic inactivity the second highest rate in the UK. Economic inactivity hurts everyone. It doesn't generate wealth, wealth that we need to fund those vital public services. It robs the potential of our young people. And as Welsh Conservatives, we called for the First Minister to abolish business rates for small businesses and reinstate business rates relief to 75 per cent for the retail, hospitality and leisure sector.”
“We heard from James Evans that every health board in Wales is in some form of enhanced monitoring or special measures. Two—. I hear sighs from the Labour benches—these are real people on waiting lists in Wales, waiting in pain, and they deserve better than the record of this Welsh Labour Government. [ Interruption .] Two-year waits have increased for five consecutive months. [ Interruption .]”
“Diolch yn fawr iawn, Dirprwy Lywydd, and thank you to all Members who took part in our debate today. A new First Minister is a chance to refresh, to set new priorities to improve the lives of the people of Wales. And 100 days is a landmark moment to reflect on the direction of travel towards that goal. The First Minister, when she took office, and we heard it again today, said that she would, and I quote, 'reinvent' Welsh Labour and 'focus in on things that matter to people'. I continue: 'My guess is that they will want public services to be their priorities'. So, let's judge this First Minister by the parameters that she set herself. Now, what we've seen, and we heard from Rhun ap Iorwerth, is that NHS waiting lists in Wales have climbed to a record high for the seventh consecutive month.”
“So, Cabinet Secretary, will you look at the assistance on offer to support businesses who suffer disruption to their business when works like these flood defences take place?”
“Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Brif Weinidog, for the update. These works to defend the coastline of Mumbles are very welcome, and much needed to safeguard the village, hopefully long into the future. The attraction and the appeal of Mumbles doesn't need to be explained. I think many of us understand that. But also what makes Mumbles what it is are the local businesses that thrive and operate in the village. But the works have caused significant disruption for them in terms of reduced parking and reduced footfall in recent months. I've been speaking with local Mumbles councillors Francesca O'Brien, Will Thomas and Angela O'Connor, who tell me that those businesses feel unsupported whilst those works go on, and have received no financial assistance.”
“Dwi wastad yn meddwl, 'Beth mae pobl o wledydd eraill yn meddwl am Gymru? Beth maen nhw'n sylweddoli am Gymru?' A beth wnaeth bron pob un, dwi'n credu, Delyth, ddweud wrthym ni oedd yr iaith, ac roedden nhw'n dweud wrthym ni,”
“Diolch i Lywodraeth Cymru am ddod â'r ddadl hon i'r Senedd y prynhawn yma. Dwi'n ddiolchgar i'r comisiynydd am yr adroddiad. Dwi'n credu ei fod yn adroddiad diddorol iawn. Dwi hefyd yn croesawu'r ffaith bod—. Pryd bynnag dŷn ni'n sôn am yr iaith Gymraeg, y targed canolog yw'r 1 filiwn o siaradwyr, a dwi'n ddiolchgar bod hwnnw'n rhywbeth y mae pob plaid yn y Siambr hon yn credu ynddo ac yn credu ei fod yn bwysig ac yn moyn i Lywodraeth Cymru lwyddo. Ac mae hwnnw'n rhywbeth, gobeithio, dŷn ni ddim yn cymryd for granted , ac am sicrhau bod hynny'n datblygu yn y dyfodol. Roedd hi'n ddiddorol clywed Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn sôn am enghreifftiau rhyngwladol yn beth ddywedoch chi, oherwydd aethon ni, flwyddyn ddiwethaf, gyda'r pwyllgor diwylliant—Delyth yw Chair y pwyllgor—i Iwerddon.”
“Mike is right—I don’t think we talk enough about the transformational potential of the Swansea bay and west Wales metro project. Now, obviously, as the south Wales metro region starts to take shape, and we start to see projects come on grid—come on the track, if you like—people will probably look in the Swansea bay region quite enviously at those projects beginning. So, one of the things Mike hit upon, which wasn’t addressed, is the timescales and the time frames for some of these projects, which seem very fluid, to put it kindly. So, will you ensure that residents are communicated with around the timescales and the time frames for these works, so that they know when this potentially transformational project is due to be delivered?”
“So, as an example, during the pandemic, I know you will have been education Minister, making decisions about restrictions on schools, for example, and their ability to open, and the risk, therefore, that school staff were exposed to during the pandemic. So, can I ask, is this a picture that is likely to emerge from across the Welsh Government, from across sectors, that this data was incomplete during the pandemic and the Welsh Government, effectively, was operating and making decisions, if you like, with one hand tied behind its back? Or is this something exclusively limited to health and social care workers and to Public Health Wales?”
“Obviously, this is concerning evidence that we will have heard at the UK COVID inquiry yesterday, and one of the most concerning elements we read from the testimony was, to quote, that 'there were over a thousand elements of missing data in the question of key worker status.' Now, obviously, you will have been using this data as a Welsh Government to make decisions around which restrictions to lift, and pandemic practices and workplace practices during the pandemic, and that will obviously relate not just to health and social care workers, but to other key workers who will have been impacted by decisions made by the Welsh Government.”
“I think one of the remarks after the publication of the report that concerned me the most was, when asked if this was a failure of one individual at the Welsh Rugby Union or whether it was collective, the Welsh Rugby Union said it was a collective failure, which does raise questions about whether those lessons have been learnt and about whether things have changed. So, I wonder what assessment you had prior to the publication of this report about the culture at the Welsh Rugby Union, whether you felt that it was a welcoming place, a safe place to work, and that people who engaged with it were treated with the respect and the dignity that they deserved, and what action you've taken since that report has been published to ensure that it lives up to the standards that all of us in Wales expect it to.”
“Thank you, Hannah, for tabling this question. Less than two years ago, wasn't it, we saw the BBC documentary into the toxic culture and sexism that existed at the heart of the Welsh Rugby Union, and, in the wake of that documentary, we were assured that lessons had been learnt and that things would change at the Welsh Rugby Union. But I think the report we saw in The Telegraph at the tail end of last week shows that there is still quite a long way to go in terms of tackling sexism at one of our premier institutions in Wales.”
“So, will you now commit—given that austerity is over—to funding the thing that you announced yesterday in full, so that schools will not have to cut back any further as a consequence of the announcement that you made?”
“Under a Conservative Government, we consistently saw the largest ever budget settlements given to the Welsh Government, and what did the Welsh Government do with it? They spent money on more politicians, they spent money on 20 mph zones, propping up airports—the list goes on and on. And yet, at the same time, schools were struggling to make ends meet, letting teachers go, cutting back on subjects, and delivering the worst education outcomes anywhere in the United Kingdom. You can blame the last UK Government all you want; you are in charge on both ends of the M4, and yesterday we heard the First Minister say that austerity is over.”
“Without the announcement that this is going to be funded in full by the Welsh Government, schools will have to take a decision as a consequence of the announcement that you made yesterday to make further cuts in their budgets, let alone the decisions local authorities might have to make. So, on that basis, what do you advise that schools should cut?”
“I'm grateful to you for your response. Obviously, I read your written statement that was sent out about an hour ago, and what was made very clear in that statement was that this pay rise would not be funded in full by the Welsh Government. I think there's probably an expectation from the public and from schools that, if you announce something, you should pay for it. Schools at the moment are making really difficult decisions. We've seen schools cut back on subjects in curricula, cut back on school trips, school improvements, even some teachers are being made redundant.”
“I'm grateful to you, Cabinet Secretary, for taking the questions. Thank you, and I apologise for that if it's an administration error on the part of the Welsh Conservatives. Yesterday, you announced the 5.5 per cent pay rise for teachers in Welsh schools. I asked you whether that would be funded in full by the Welsh Government and that no schools or local authorities would have to find that from within their own budget. Can you confirm today that no school and no local authority in Wales will have to find the money to pay for that pay rise from within their own budgets?”
“Diolch yn fawr iawn, Dirprwy Lywydd. Yesterday, as part of your statement, I asked you whether the pay rise you announced for teachers—. Sorry, I was asking the Cabinet Secretary, not the Minister.”
“Now, I asked this question alongside Luke Fletcher just over a month ago of the First Minister, and the First Minister said in response to me, 'I know that my colleague the Deputy First Minister has been making sure that the lessons are being learnt.' Now, that will have been news to me and all of us, I think, and the first time we would have heard that, so can you inform us exactly what that work entails? Is that a formal piece of work commissioned by the Welsh Government, and when can we expect to hear the lessons-learnt exercise from the Deputy First Minister?”
“I'm grateful to you for your response. Obviously, what has happened in Caerau I think is one of the biggest injustices that we've seen in a long, long time. What we saw was one of the poorest communities in Wales receive remedial works—or not even remedial works, works to insulate their properties, in the first instance—through a Welsh Government project, delivered by the local council, who then contracted a company where a sitting Labour councillor was its director and found shoddy workmanship that meant those houses were in a much worse condition than before they had the work done. Now, it has taken over a decade for work to even begin on fixing the damage done. This is a huge problem, and it has really damaged the faith, I think, that people in Caerau have not only in the scheme but in politics and in politicians.”
“So, can you confirm—[ Interruption .]—that this will be fully funded by the Welsh Government for all our schools? And I hope they will be cheering too, because hopefully you will conclude that this will also include pension and national insurance contributions, so that no school will have to find these from existing budgets. And you also mentioned that teachers were included in this pay rise, but not other school staff. So, unless you misspoke, can I suggest that that is a startling omission on your part? As a former teaching assistant myself, I know the crucial role our TAs play in our schools across the country. So, will you commit today to ensuring that our teaching assistants will also receive a 5.5 per cent pay rise too? Because, after all, the First Minister said it only this afternoon: austerity is over.”
“I welcome your consideration towards more international benchmarking. Transparency hasn’t always been a hallmark of this Welsh Labour Government, so again I’d urge you to move from a state of contemplation about this to one of action, and to ensure that we do participate in TIMSS and PIRLS studies. Finally, can I end by welcoming the 5.5 per cent pay rise that you announced for teachers in your statement? However, as you know, many schools across Wales are making teachers and other school staff redundant, putting off school improvement works, and taking subjects off the curriculum just to make ends meet. Whilst a pay rise for teachers is clearly welcome, in that context the last thing our schools need is an unfunded pay settlement by the Welsh Labour Government.”
“Attendance hubs have been a huge part of the success over the border in dealing with post-pandemic school absence, but yet again it's something this Welsh Labour Government has been unwilling to roll out in the same way in Wales, again maybe because of its success in England. You acknowledged in the statement that poor behaviour has an impact on pupils and teachers, and in many instances let's call it what it is—it's violence. But what we didn't hear was any action, and this is an issue that needs tackling now, and it needs leadership from the Welsh Government. Lots of talk about dialogue, but no action. Last year, my colleague and my friend Laura Anne Jones launched a targeted plan to tackle violence in our schools. You could have adopted that plan and taken action today, but again, perhaps for ideological reasons, you chose not to.”
“They said, and I quote, 'declines have happened in essentially every country that has adopted such skills-based curricula'. And yet this is the Welsh Labour Government's grand idea and their approach to fix the mess that they have made with education in Wales. So, instead of raising standards, the evidence suggests that Labour's approach will only lower them. Now, turning to the statement itself, we heard about the improvement in attendance in Welsh schools, which is welcome, but it failed to mention that it will significantly lag behind other parts of the United Kingdom. It praised the increase to 92 per cent in Wales, but failed to mention that attendance rates in England are above 94 per cent. And it's again because of what was not in the statement.”
“We heard a doubling down on more of the same—the same ideologically driven solutions that got us into this mess in the first place. Now, let's remember what the Institute for Fiscal Studies report on education in Wales said. It said that differences in educational outcomes are not as a result of funding or even poverty levels. The reason they're different, and I quote, is because of 'differences in policy and approach.' End quote. Our plan listens to the experts and follows the evidence to turn Welsh education around. Instead, they follow their ideology, doing things differently to the rest of the UK, even if the results are worse. How much longer can we go on like this? Nothing today on the curriculum, and let's remind ourselves what the IFS report said about the Welsh Government's approach there.”
“Thank you, Cabinet Secretary, for your statement today on educational standards in Wales. What was missing from your statement was a realistic assessment of where those standards are after 25 years of a Welsh Labour Government. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's PISA scores are clear. We have the worst educational standards anywhere in the United Kingdom, and it's been that way in every single subject every single time that we've been assessed. And what we needed today was a game-changing plan to drag us out of the mythical cellar and at least to a standard comparable with the rest of the United Kingdom, so that our young people can achieve their potential. But that simply isn't what we heard today.”