Siambr · Member of the Senedd · Register of record
Francesca O'Brien
Tenures
- Seventh Senedd Gŵyr Abertawe Reform UK
Ministerial roles
No ministerial roles on record.
Contributions, by sitting day
66 contributions on record, newest first. Official verbatim record.
1
Open this sitting on the stage
10. Short Debate: Full-face coverings are against British values en
Face coverings, including the burqa, are anti British. Not all cultures are equal. We can't continue to import alien cultures into this country and expect integration. These oppressive beliefs are totally at odds with our history and culture. Banning these coverings is simple common sense. European countries like Denmark, Belgium and Austria have already banned them. We should do the same. Muslim countries like Kazakhstan and Tunisia have already banned face veils. France is currently on fire; this country could be next. We can't allow a parallel society to develop in this country, or we could be facing the consequences sooner than we think.
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Open this sitting on the stage
1. Questions to the First Minister cy
7. Pa gamau mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i gefnogi busnesau'r stryd fawr yng Ngŵyr Abertawe? OQ64730
Official English translation
7. What action is the Welsh Government taking to support high-street businesses in Gŵyr Abertawe? OQ64730
No broadcast timestamp published, so this contribution cannot be placed on the stage. Senedd TV Read this in the Record
1. Questions to the First Minister en
Thank you, First Minister. Our high streets are being taken over by dodgy vape and barbershops. Last week, in my constituency, two vape shops were shut down due to their suspected involvement in trading illegal goods, including drugs. It's also come to my attention that many similar businesses have been placed on the visa sponsor list, which allows them to bring in so-called skilled workers into this country. What is the Welsh Government doing to support councils, trading standards and immigration enforcement to finally take action on this crisis, which is destroying our local high streets?
2. Questions to the Counsel General cy
7. Pa gyngor cyfreithiol y mae'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol wedi'i roi i Lywodraeth Cymru ynghylch cydnawsedd llunio polisïau Llywodraeth Cymru â Deddf Cydraddoldeb 2010? OQ64736
Official English translation
7. What legal advice has the Counsel General provided to the Welsh Government on the compatibility of its policymaking with the Equality Act 2010? OQ64736
No broadcast timestamp published, so this contribution cannot be placed on the stage. Senedd TV Read this in the Record
2. Questions to the Counsel General en
Thank you, Counsel General. The last Labour Government introduced a £5,000 grant for teacher training, but it was only available to student teachers from ethnic minorities, not on merit, but purely based on their skin colour. The current Plaid Cymru Government has carried on this scheme. Will the Counsel General agree to publish any legal advice given to the Welsh Government that they've received on this policy, and will he commit to ensuring that the Welsh Government makes any advice public, so that the people of Wales can see how their money has been spent on this piece of anti-white discrimination?
2. Questions to the Counsel General cy
10. Pa gyngor cyfreithiol y mae'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol wedi'i roi i Lywodraeth Cymru ynghylch ei rôl yn yr ymchwiliad cenedlaethol i gangiau grŵmio? OQ64737
Official English translation
10. What legal advice has the Counsel General provided to the Welsh Government regarding its role within the national inquiry into grooming gangs? OQ64737
No broadcast timestamp published, so this contribution cannot be placed on the stage. Senedd TV Read this in the Record
2. Questions to the Counsel General en
Thank you, Counsel General. Young white women and children in this country were groomed, raped and trafficked, often by groups of mainly Pakistani men over decades. The worst injustice this country has seen, in my opinion. Wales needs its own inquiry. There are strong suspicions that it happened in Swansea, in my constituency, along with many other places in Wales. Section 29 of the Inquiries Act lets Welsh Ministers hold an inquiry into anything they have functions over. So, my question is simple, Counsel General: does the Welsh Government have the legal power to hold its own inquiry into how devolved services in Wales failed these children and young women—'yes' or 'no'?
7. Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Finance: An Update on Council Tax en
Can I thank the Cabinet Minister for her statement? I do welcome this u-turn. It's not often we do welcome a u-turn, but we do on this occasion. Families have waited with uncertainty for months, Minister, to find out what this Government plans to do with their council tax. In that time, we had the First Minister say revaluation would go ahead, and the Minister for local government said Ministers were still actively looking at it. So, I'm glad to see you've changed your mind. This is the second time a Welsh Government has pushed this back, and I'm pleased to see the Welsh Government will be removing the 2028 date from the legislation instead of leaving this hanging over Welsh families' heads for any longer. I note that this legislation will come forward next month and we will wait to see the finer details. When people are struggling and we have a UK Government budget looming, families can't afford the risk that they'll be dragged into higher tax bands, because Wales already suffers from higher bills. Council tax in Wales has risen by an average of 5 per cent every year since 1999, against 4 per cent in England, and just 2 per cent in Scotland. This year, 16 out of 22 councils in Wales put their bills up by more than 5 per cent. And that is why, last week, Reform brought forward their debate on the council tax referendum to the Senedd on exactly this topic. We believe that residents should have the final say in a referendum on any rise above 4.99 per cent. This would have protected households whatever the bands may look like in the future. The issue is clear for anyone who's looked at the numbers. Last time Wales revalued, more than 20 years ago, a third of homes moved up at least one band, and only 8 per cent moved down. In Cardiff, 64 per cent went up. Some of the poorest communities were the hardest hit and the total rise in council tax that year reached over 9 per cent. In Swansea at the moment, for an average band D property, we are already paying higher council tax than those living in Kensington. In the Government's own research, around a quarter of households would have seen their band go up, and protecting them would have cost up to £80 million in the first year alone, and that is confirmed by your statement there. That tells you the scale of the increase families were facing under the current plans. How many households would have moved up a band, council by council, and will that be published with the Institute for Fiscal Studies analysis before the Senedd votes on any regulations? Will you also, Minister, commit to protecting the single person discount for those living alone, whatever changes you bring forward? And furthermore, Minister, will you guarantee today that any new policies this Senedd term won't increase bills in Wales relative to England, making the gap even wider? In your statement, you said you still want to look at adding more bands to higher-value homes. Creating higher new bands on 2003 values is a tax rise by another name. How much would new top bands rise by? Would that money bring bills down for everyone else, or will it simply go into councils' budgets? Because a home valued in 2003 could be anyone's—a friend, a family member, a farmer trying to run their business. It's not their fault the value has increased. House prices have skyrocketed purely because of the housing crisis. Cabinet Minister, you may point to the council tax reduction scheme, but the people I am worried about are those just above that line. Ordinary working families and pensioners on modest incomes and fixed incomes are paying the full price. What assessment have you done, Minister, on how the Welsh Government policies will affect them specifically? And finally, people in Wales want a fair council tax bill, as you suggested in your statement, and a democratic say before their bills go up is what the people would want. With revaluation now dead for this term, your Government will be judged on whether it delivers these goals, and I look forward to the Cabinet Minister's answers to these questions.
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Open this sitting on the stage
6. Reform UK Debate: Local referendums on council tax rises en
Diolch, Lywydd. I thank everyone who has participated this afternoon for all the contributions, and for the humorous interjections, shall I say. It certainly kept us entertained this afternoon. Our motion rests on a simple principle: if a council wants to raise council tax by more than 4.99 per cent, it should ask the people who pay for it. England has had that rule for years, Wales currently has no limits. If I can turn to Cai, who is sitting behind me, who opened the debate and highlighted the council tax bill that every year each and every one of us and those that we represent in our constituencies absolutely dread, because, like I say, there is no limit. We do not know what's going to hit that doorstep. He also highlighted that in his own constituency, they have seen rises of over 23 per cent, which is absolutely scandalous. We talk about the cost of living. How are families going to be affording that increase? He has also highlighted some of the misspending, shall I say—£1.1 million on changing the size of black bins. If that's a government's priority, I seriously question it. Janet, I'm glad you highlighted that it was the one Reform councillor. Thank goodness for that one Reform councillor who objected to that stupid notion. We also had Andrew, who shared his experience of being on a town council and highlighted the vital services that the fire service does in our communities. I'm sure the Cabinet Minister would agree that the fire service have had their hands full this year with the wildfires and they do a sterling job. I met with them recently and they are under huge financial pressures. I know in our own constituency in Gower and Swansea, they're actually taking on more financial burden from the Welsh ambulance service with the co-responder unit in Reynoldston. So, again, they've taken on more pressures, more statutory duties without the resources. I think it's important to mention the fire service and also the police service, which also contribute to the council tax bill. I don't think many of the public realise that is included. Tom, I know you were another councillor as well in north Wales. The borrowing amounts are eye-watering that councils are having to do. Again, it goes back to those statutory duties. We are putting those councils' backs against the wall. I know, speaking of when I was a Swansea councillor, we were lucky we had a fantastic responsible finance officer who borrowed at the right time. But I am equally aware that not all councils, not all 22, borrowed at the same rates that we did in Swansea. Nigel, I think you hit the nail on the head about transparency for the public. Referendums do work. I think we need to be held accountable. If we are elected to serve our public, we are civil servants. We are there to serve. We should be held accountable and have the transparency at every opportunity—[Interruption.] Well, we are. We're there to serve the public, so whether you like it or not, we're not here to pat each other on the back and be in an echo chamber. We're there serving the people. To the speakers across the floor, Sarah, I ask the Member, you stood on the Reform manifesto back in May. Did you mislead the public then, or are you misleading them now on your new stance on council tax reform? And what a referendum actually does do—I know you argued against it and you don't think it works. Again, going back to Nigel's point, they can work, actually. I'm a believer in democracy. It's giving the people a democratic right; our country is based on a democratic right. Also, with councils, if they've got a limited amount of budget, they need to sharpen that pencil and make priorities work as well. So, it gives people that power. Mike, I always love your interventions. I know we represent the same constituency, but I am glad you mentioned procurement, because when I was last on Swansea Council, procurement was a little bit odd, because we actually imported, in one constituency, in Merthyr, 99 per cent of our chicken from China and Thailand. That's a great example of how procurement doesn't work, so I disagree with you on procurement there. Carrie, I know you also mentioned—. I need to go over my notes. Mike and Carrie both mentioned Reform councils. Actually, they do work. I know you don't like to admit it, but in County Durham, Reform's first budget raised council tax by less than 2 per cent, with no rise at all in core charges. So, across the nine councils where Reform hold a majority, the average increase was under 4 per cent, against nearly 5 per cent in parts of Wales and parts of England. Our councils also face the same pressures of social services. But we in Reform have the willingness to go through the budget line line by line. Janet, you were doing so well. And yes, I'm so glad you recognise we are a twinkle in Nigel's eye. Absolutely. [Laughter.] It's shining bright from over there. It is, absolutely. But you highlighted some really good points, Janet—the fact that there's a lot of money coming into Wales, but with statutory duties, that money is not always going down to local councils, and that is a worry that many of the councils are facing for next year. In my shadow Minister post, I've met with a lot of councils over the course since May, and they're all worried about the budget. You've got the growing cost of social services, which is spiralling out of control, the additional learning needs—they are all worried how they're going to make it work. So, that is something I'm a little bit worried about, because that's been the topic of debate the last couple of days of the supplementary budget—not enough is going to ALN—but that's a different debate for another day. But let me go on to—[Interruption.] Well, it's £60 million out of, what, £233 million that was coming from Westminster? So, yes, and I'm sure the headteachers are pleased with that. I will end the debate. We need to bring back trust in local government, Llywydd, and councils should be able to communicate with the public and justify the reasons for the increases in council tax. That should be the social contract between the public and politicians. Our motion says if a council wants to raise more, they should make the case and win the local vote. Plaid Cymru told voters its budget deal would prevent unaffordable rises. If they really believe that, then surely they've got nothing to fear from letting residents decide. Put your money where your mouth is. People across Wales are not asking for miracles. They want their council taxes spent with care, and before it goes up sharply next year, we should be asking: do we need a referendum? This motion gives them that right, and I urge Members across the floor to support it. Diolch, Lywydd.
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Open this sitting on the stage
2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning en
Diolch, Lywydd. Cabinet Minister, I'm sorry to disappoint you by returning to a subject the Government clearly doesn't want to talk about, but the people of Wales, I believe, want answers. My office has asked all 22 Welsh councils about nationality in social housing. Last year, Cardiff Council allocated almost 30 per cent of new social housing to foreign nationals. In Newport, almost 20 per cent of social housing went to foreign nationals. Does the Welsh Government collect the nationality of people given social housing from councils, and what is the figure for Wales as a whole?
2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning en
I expected that answer, Cabinet Minister, because many councils don't hold that data either. Either they couldn't or they wouldn't tell me the truth. From Swansea to Wrexham, many of them either refused to tell us on cost grounds or, even more shockingly, they didn't collect nationality data at all. And where the housing stock has been transferred to housing associations, they aren't subject to freedom of information requests at all. Minister, in opposition, you tabled amendments on publishing housing register data. Will you now require every council and housing association in Wales to record and publish the nationality of applicants, new tenants and households in temporary accommodation? These questions matter when our own people are waiting years for social housing—it should be for the people of this country.
2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning en
Well, Minister, I think data matters when it's taxpayers' money, and we need to know who is in our social homes. When we've got parents waiting for years for social homes, we need to be prioritising our own. So, Minister, there are actions you can take if you wanted to fix the problem right now and put our own people first. Councils need both the data and the powers to act. Last December, you tabled an amendment that removed section 35 from the Homelessness and Social Housing Allocation (Wales) Bill. You said social housing was—and you have said it—a universal resource. That provision would have allowed councils to decide who does and does not qualify for social housing in their area—the same kind of power English councils use to apply residency tests. Will you now reintroduce that power for Welsh councils, so that social housing in Wales goes to the people of that country, and who have been waiting for years for social homes?
8. Reform UK Debate: Access to HMOs and social housing for foreign nationals en
Diolch, Lywydd. I move the motion tabled in the name of Llŷr Powell. Social housing in Wales is subsidised by public money. It should be reserved for the people of this country, but under this Government, it isn't. Reform UK believes it should be kept for the people of Wales and the United Kingdom. We should be prioritising our own families, our veterans and those who have contributed to our great country. Foreign nationals should not have access to council and social housing, and they should not have access to HMOs that our councils license. If they cannot support themselves, the taxpayer shouldn't be expected to do it for them. We are asking the Welsh Government to change the rules to make that happen and to demand the UK Government acts whenever the law must change in Westminster. Let me tell Members of this Chamber and the public what is happening right now. From past experience, I know Plaid and Labour don't like the facts that I bring to this Chamber, but Reform UK believes the people have the right to know. Even when you take out student houses entirely, at the last census five years ago, more than one in four of everyone living in shared private rented accommodation were born outside of the United Kingdom. In Flintshire, it was more than half. In Wrexham, more than half. In Newport, almost half. And sadly, these figures will be much worse today, thanks to the Boris wave of record immigration in the last few years, and the Home Office extending asylum dispersal to every local authority in the country. HMOs are now the backbone of our deranged asylum system. In Wales, every placement is run by one private contractor. The company is competing directly with Welsh families for housing. Only the other week, landlords in our constituency in Gower and Swansea reached out to me, stating they were contacted by this very company asking to use their properties to home asylum seekers. It is putting our families out of homes. More than 3,000 asylum seekers are now housed in dispersal accommodation, including HMOs across Wales: more than 1,300 in Cardiff, 600 in Swansea and more than 300 in Newport—in normal residential streets in our communities, on our doorstep. Research into the asylum dispersal across England and Wales found that areas receiving more asylum seekers saw a rise in property crime, theft and burglary. It's true and it's on record. [Interruption.] So, you don't like the facts. [Interruption.] No, it's not. They are the facts. If you don't like the facts, don't listen. The social housing situation, subsidised by taxpayers' money, is just as bad. This summer, my team and I sent freedom of information requests to every council in Wales, asking them how many foreign nationals they house. Let's take Newport, for example. As of this summer, more than one in four people in Newport's temporary accommodation whose nationality was recorded were foreign nationals, and close to 1,000 foreign nationals sit on their housing register. Cardiff is even worse. Of Cardiff's social lettings last year, where nationality was recorded, almost 30 per cent went to foreign nationals: nearly three in 10 new tenancies in our capital city handed to people who were not British citizens. But this is only part of the story because—[Interruption.] Yes.
8. Reform UK Debate: Access to HMOs and social housing for foreign nationals en
Twenty-two.
8. Reform UK Debate: Access to HMOs and social housing for foreign nationals en
Really good question, Jane, and you raise a good question, because those questions I've actually asked the 22 local authorities. Some, they don't even hold the data. So, why not? Why not? They don't hold it. If you look at Neath Port Talbot, they outsource their housing register so you can't—. If you were in the debate earlier, or the spokespersons' questions, you'll know I actually mentioned that. They outsource their social housing so they're not subjected to FOIs. [Interruption.] Yes, go on.
8. Reform UK Debate: Access to HMOs and social housing for foreign nationals en
It's the latter. And like I say, 22 councils—they don't have that data, most of them, and this is of what's actually been recorded. And that was my question: why isn't it recorded? Our taxpayers want to know. So, I'll carry on. But this is only part of the story, because many councils refused to answer my request, either on the grounds of cost or because they don't record nationality at all, which I just mentioned. So, many of the areas either can't or won't tell the taxpayer the truth. How did we get here? Allocations in Wales still run on Part VI of the Housing Act 1996. Councils must give reasonable preference to people in housing need. There is nothing in that framework about how long you have lived here, nothing about citizenship. In 2011, England gave its councils the power to decide who qualifies for social housing. Hundreds now apply a residence test in England before anyone joins that list. Wales didn't do the same. Last December, Wales had the chance to fix it. Section 35 of the Homelessness and Social Housing Allocation (Wales) Bill would have given Welsh councils that same power. It was removed by an amendment tabled by the now Minister who's now responsible for housing, who described social housing as a 'universal resource', which should be accessible by everyone. It is not a universal resource. It is a national resource, and it should belong to the people of this nation. So, here is what the Welsh Government must do—
8. Reform UK Debate: Access to HMOs and social housing for foreign nationals en
Yes, go on.
8. Reform UK Debate: Access to HMOs and social housing for foreign nationals en
Perhaps the Member would like to put that into context, actually, and then you can come back to me and we'll have a chat later about that.
8. Reform UK Debate: Access to HMOs and social housing for foreign nationals en
I have answered it, on record, in 2019, so you might want to go back and refer to that post then.
8. Reform UK Debate: Access to HMOs and social housing for foreign nationals en
No, I didn't say it. I said put it into—
8. Reform UK Debate: Access to HMOs and social housing for foreign nationals en
Absolutely, it's on record, and if that's the best you can come back with, have a little time to think, and I'll take another intervention. So, first, bring back section 35, legislate to give every Welsh council the power to set qualification rules for its register, and use it to close the register to foreign nationals. Second, amend the allocation of housing and homelessness regulations. Welsh Ministers decide who is eligible. Strip it back to the absolute minimum devolved legislation allows. Third, rewrite the code of guidance and the preference framework so that British citizens with a connection to their communities come first every time. Fourth, houses in multiple occupation. Councils license these properties—wait two ticks, Ken—and Welsh Ministers set the conditions attached to those licences. Every licence holder should be required to verify and record the nationality and immigration status of every occupant, and the use of HMOs across Wales as asylum accommodation must end. Yes, go on.
8. Reform UK Debate: Access to HMOs and social housing for foreign nationals en
No, if they've got dual nationality—.
8. Reform UK Debate: Access to HMOs and social housing for foreign nationals en
Well, if you want to—. You talk about political point-scoring. I'll be precise about where this meets the UK law—[Interruption.] No, no. Because that—[Interruption.] Well, you want to political point-score—that's fine, but there we go. Because that is exactly why our motion names the UK Government. Under the Equality Act 2010, nationality is part of the legal framework definition of race. The Act already carries expectations for acts required by immigration law. That is why a landlord in England can lawfully refuse a tenant with no right to rent. So, the UK Government must act. Where bogus equality and human rights laws stand in the way, it must legislate to put British people first. Reform UK would end access to social housing for foreign nationals, with tenants required to find private accommodation not at the taxpayer's expense. The criteria for occupation of new and existing social housing should be overhauled, with priority given to veterans, our workers, alarm-clock Britain and our most vulnerable. We would overhaul HMO licensing to prevent migrant HMOs. Licences will be refused, revoked or suspended when a landlord is caught knowingly housing illegal immigrants. The people of Wales sent Reform here on a promise to put our own people first for housing. This motion does exactly that, and I urge Members to support this motion.
8. Reform UK Debate: Access to HMOs and social housing for foreign nationals en
I'm happy to follow up with the data, Llywydd. Thank you.
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Open this sitting on the stage
2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness and the Constitution cy
2. Pa asesiad y mae'r Gweinidog Cabinet wedi'i wneud o effaith perthynas Llywodraeth Cymru ag undebau llafur ar effeithiolrwydd y Llywodraeth? OQ64620
Official English translation
2. What assessment has the Cabinet Minister made of the impact on Government effectiveness of the Welsh Government's relationship with trade unions? OQ64620
No broadcast timestamp published, so this contribution cannot be placed on the stage. Senedd TV Read this in the Record
2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness and the Constitution en
Thank you, Minister, for your response. You might have noticed I've written a number of times to you—I've kept your office busy—and I've written to your office a number of times via written questions, and I thank your office for supplying information on that. From that information gathered, it has shown that, over the previous Labour Government, over the course of five years, around £13 million was provided to trade unions. In addition to that information, it has also shown that they have also funded up to 10 equivalent full-time posts. What I do find a little bit concerning is that there's no definite time spent on trade union work and that of their civil service work. My question to you is, Minister, will your Government be spending any more taxpayers' money on political trade unions?
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Open this sitting on the stage
2. Questions to the First Minister en
First Minister, councils are being asked to do more every year, but with less. Westminster made them responsible for social care. In Cardiff Bay, new statutory duties keep on coming, and other costs are building up. Swansea Council has already set aside £28 million for equal pay claims. That's £28 million not being spent on schools, not being spent on our roads, and not being spent on social care. Similar claims have already bankrupted Birmingham City Council. These are legally binding costs, yet the formula that shares out local government funding was never designed to account for them. So, First Minister, what consideration is being given to these huge costs in the funding formula, and will you commit that no new duties will be placed on councils without the money to deliver them? Otherwise, it is local services that will be cut.
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Thank you to the Minister for her response this afternoon. Minister, Wales is not short of plans, it is short of homes, though, and this statement offers the people of Wales potentially four more years of plans. So, this really is just a plan for a plan. The Minister has told us that this revision will cut costs, bureaucracy and duplication, and I certainly welcome that, Minister, but I've read your party's manifesto, and it points in a completely opposite direction. Plaid promised Welsh language impact assessments in the planning system. They've promised community ownership stakes in larger energy companies, a new Welsh water regulator and a review of second homes and holiday lets, not to mention a new climate and nature action plan. Some of these, though, Minister, are not mentioned in this statement. But every one of those is another piece of red tape, another stakeholder, more paperwork for local sites to wade through, and another reason for planners to say 'no'. So, firstly, can the Minister tell this Chamber which of these new layers is she prepared to drop in the name of efficiency, which she wants? Because the numbers demand it. When 'Future Wales' was adopted, the Government said that Wales needed 7,400 homes a year. In 2024-25, we built under 5,000, and last year we built just over 5,000, still well below the levels pre-pandemic. Her own experts now say we need 8,700 a year. We in Reform said plainly during the election that Wales needs at least 10,000 additional homes just to catch up. So, I ask the Minister: will this framework finally contain a delivery figure for all tenures that this Senedd can hold her and the Government to account on? And we need to include all tenures because, as I mentioned before, Minister, 83 per cent of Welsh homes are owner-occupied or are private rented accommodation, yet this Government acts like the private sector is irrelevant. Almost every housing headline this Government produces is about social housing, about speeding up development for social housing or anything that ticks the box for net zero. This country already has one of the largest housing stocks in Europe for social housing. So, in the framework, will the Minister rule out any two-tier systems for private and social, making sure that any cuts to red tape also apply to private developments, to help the majority who are private renters and mortgage holders, because, Minister, private developers deliver almost half of so-called affordable housing? Of course, the only way to have generally affordable housing is by making sure that market supply actually meets demand. The young couple saving up for a home, or a family renting privately, deserve a Government that is on their side too. Where is the ambition for people to want to own their own home? Then there is drainage. Since 2019, any development in Wales of more than one home has needed a separate sustainable drainage system approval before a spade goes into the ground. England has never switched that regime on; drainage is handled through planning and expected on schemes of 10 houses or more. So, a small, local builder building two houses faces a second approval, a second fee and a second delay that his competitor over the border doesn't have. So, as you launch a national conversation—perhaps Plaid are out of ideas—let me contribute to it with these ideas that Reform have already published. Put clear statutory time limits on planning decisions and put financial penalties on planning departments that fail to meet them. Limit repeat consultations, relax the rules so that farming families can build homes on their own land and, finally, commit that the new framework carries a burden test, which is what I've asked for previously. None of this needs a conversation. Our planning system doesn't need another long review. We, on these benches, will back measures that get homes built faster. But if this revision simply adds Plaid's new layers on top of Labour's old ones, this whole process will cause more harm than good.
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Open this sitting on the stage
2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Education and Welsh Language cy
8. Sut mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn gweithio gyda chynghorau lleol i sicrhau cyllid digonol ar gyfer addysg? OQ64517
Official English translation
8. How is the Welsh Government working with local councils to ensure adequate funding for education? OQ64517
No broadcast timestamp published, so this contribution cannot be placed on the stage. Senedd TV Read this in the Record
2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Education and Welsh Language en
Diolch, Minister, for your answer. Just three months into this financial year, Swansea Council has already overspent by £13.7 million over its budget. It has imposed a vacancy freeze and severe spending restrictions. The council's finance director warns that its general reserves are already below, and I quote, 'the absolute minimum of acceptability', end of quote, and the council is now considering using its reserves. Of course, once these reserves are spent, they are gone, and its schools buildings programme is £73 million more than it can afford, so fewer schools will get the investment that they were promised. One of the fastest growing pressures on councils is additional learning needs. Wales received additional funding for ALN on the back of increased spending in England, but your supplementary budget kept that money in Cardiff Bay, rather than sending it to councils and schools that actually support these children. So, when you bring your revised plans forward this autumn, Minister, will you commit to passing that ALN funding directly to local authorities so councils aren't forced to drain their reserves to fill that spending gap?
3. Questions to the Senedd Commission en
I thought my name was Tom, then. Diolch, Presiding Officer.
3. Questions to the Senedd Commission en
5. Pa gamau y mae'r Comisiwn yn eu cymryd i ddiogelu lles Aelodau a'u staff? OQ64516
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3. Questions to the Senedd Commission en
Diolch for the description there. If I can provide some context to my question, and the scene I want to picture: Members of this Chamber and their support staff come into the Tŷ Hywel building each day to carry out their work freely, often in areas where members of the public are excluded unless they're chaperoned around the building. However, what's become quite clear is that we do have journalists, dare I say, lurking along the corridors in areas that we don't know. Some could be on the radio. We don't know who they are, or what they look like. I can give an example of that, if I may: just before the summer recess, going into the ladies' bathroom on level 2 and meeting a very chatty lady as I came out of the cubicle—and I know we all like a good chat, and I'm one for those—however, she asked for my number, when I believed perhaps she was support staff for one of my colleagues, and it was actually a journalist. So, I do think there are lines being blurred here between the access that they have to our workspace and kind of being led down a garden path, shall I say? I don't think that's appropriate, and I do wonder whether we can consider that they are put in a certain restricted area and not have free access to where we work, including the bathrooms as well.
7. Reform UK Debate: Wales and the United Kingdom en
The United Kingdom is the greatest nation in the history of the world. We gave parliamentary democracy, common law and the industrial age—I'm glad you're laughing, it's not funny. We defeated Napoleon. We abolished the slave trade—sorry to disappoint you. We stood against Hitler in 1940 when the rest of Europe had fallen. And at every one of those moments, Wales was there. Wales has been at the centre of British history for generations. In 1485, Henry Tudor, a Welshman born in Pembroke castle, landed near Milford Haven. He marched through Wales, gathering men to his banner, the Red Dragon, and he took the crown at Bosworth. His granddaughter Queen Elizabeth I began the British empire, which was such a force for good in the world. Sorry, Carrie. Welsh minds then went on to shape the modern world. William Grove from Swansea invented the fuel cell in 1842, a technology the world is still using today. In Mumbles, a constituency I used to represent as a councillor, we pioneered the world's first passenger railway. Merthyr became the largest ironworks on earth. In Swansea, we smelted so much of the world's copper that we were famously called Copperopolis, for your information. Welsh steam coal fuelled the Royal Navy, and the first cheque for £1 million was signed at the Coal Exchange in Cardiff—[Interruption.] Welsh iron made the—no, we haven't got enough time, thank you, and this is important—railway of the empire. Welsh coal powered the fleet that protected them. When Britain went to war, Wales answered. At Rorke's Drift, in 1879, Wales's 24 Regiment of Foot held off thousands and won 11 Victoria Crosses in a single action. A Welsh Prime Minister, David Lloyd George, led us to victory in the great war. The Welsh Guards were formed in 1915 and have served this country in every major conflict since. In February 1941, Swansea endured three nights of the Blitz and our town did not break. In 1982, Welsh Guards gave their lives in the Falklands war, defending British people and British soil. That is our history. Welsh blood, Welsh industry and Welsh genius are written into every chapter of the British story. So, when I look at the politics of Wales today, I see people in positions of power who are working to tear that story apart. Plaid claimed during the election that independence wouldn't be an issue, but now the mask has slipped. Their true colours have now been shown, thanks to their meeting with Sinn Féin, the political wing of the IRA. There are Members in this Chamber who want to break up the United Kingdom. They want to walk away from the shared resources that fund our schools, our hospitals, our pensions and our armed forces. They want to take Wales out of the most successful union the world has ever seen, and they can't even tell the people of Wales the basics of what currency we'd use or how we would pay our way. For nearly 30 years of devolution, Cardiff Bay has been obsessed with the constitution—more politicians, more powers, more bureaucracy and more red tape. And through all of it, Wales has remained at the bottom of the UK for income, employment and for our health and education outcomes. Westminster Governments of every colour carry their share of blame. They have spent years apologising for Britain instead of celebrating us. They have allowed our history to be rewritten as a list of crimes. They have forced mass immigration and its terrible consequences on our people. They have let energy prices in the land of coal and steam rise to some of the highest in the developed world, and they have watched Welsh steel furnaces go cold. The people of Wales and the United Kingdom deserve better than a political class that is embarrassed by their own country. They want to abandon the values that made us great in the first place. This month, September, marks my eighteenth anniversary as an officer in the Royal Air Force Air Cadets, an organisation whose ethos represents the true spirit of this country. I am proud to be Welsh. I am proud to be British. Two things, as Darren said, that should never be in conflict. I want my children—my two boys—to learn about Henry Tudor, Rorke's Drift and the Falklands war. I want them to know that Wales helped to shape the world that we live in today, the bonds and the sacrifices we have shared, and I want Wales to remain where she belongs, at the very heart and soul of the United Kingdom.
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Thank you to the Minister for her statement this afternoon. The Minister told this Chamber today that progress on the remediation has not moved quickly, and I totally agree with her statement on that, but her predecessor said much the same thing. What we've not heard, for nine years may I add, is a satisfactory explanation for why so little has actually been done. I also note that there is not a single remediation figure in today's statement. So, let me put some numbers alongside that statement. As of the summer this year, out of 161 private sector buildings that developers are responsible for, only four have been fully remediated, which is shocking. Seventy per cent have not even started work, though most, we are told, have plans in place. The Minister's predecessor described this as significant progress. Well, Minister, if that is how they describe significant progress, I would hate to see what failure looks like. If those numbers have improved, though, why aren't they included in today's statement? What has happened over the years though? Well, social housing has been remediated using public money, up to 100 per cent of eligible costs, through the Welsh building safety fund. At Celestia in Cardiff Bay, the Welsh Government funded cladding replacement on the social housing block to the tune of nearly £2 million. The other seven blocks at Celestia, including private leaseholders, remain untouched. Same development, same defects, but years waiting. Let me be clear, I do not believe that taxpayers should be picking up more of the bill—exactly what you've said in your statement—for the private developers. Those who have built these unsafe homes and profited from them must pay to put them right. But that cannot become an excuse for private leaseholders to wait years longer than their neighbours in social housing. The Government found the urgency to fix the social side. It must now find the same urgency on the private side. Plaid Cymru claim they stand for fairness, so I ask the Minister: does she accept that this two-tier approach, faster action for social housing and barely there action for the private leaseholders, has been a failure of fair treatment by the Welsh Government? Just take Meridian Quay in my constituency, for example. Phil Lake, a resident, took an insurance giant to the High Court on behalf of residents. Their claim was worth more than £25 million. Only now, seven years after Mr Lake stepped in, is remediation expected to start, and will be paid through the financial services compensation scheme, not by this Government. Today, in your statement, you announced a Wales interim measures alarm grant. Any help for leaseholders is really welcome. But, in England, the funding for these alarms began in December 2020. Wales is almost six years behind. And we've been given no budget, no eligibility criteria and no opening date in this statement. So, will leaseholders who have already paid the price for alarms get anything back, because in my constituency, and I'm sure of many of us sitting here today, people are paying around £500 a month for these alarms, which is more than some people's mortgages?
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1. Questions to the Trefnydd, Chief Whip and Cabinet Minister for Culture and Sport cy
9. Pa asesiad mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'i wneud o effeithiolrwydd ei pherthynas ag Undeb Rygbi Cymru? OQ64445
Official English translation
9. What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the effectiveness of its relationship with the Welsh Rugby Union? OQ64445
No broadcast timestamp published, so this contribution cannot be placed on the stage. Senedd TV Read this in the Record
1. Questions to the Trefnydd, Chief Whip and Cabinet Minister for Culture and Sport en
Diolch, Drefnydd. This year, the Welsh Government supported the WRU with a grant of more than £400,000 from Sport Wales this year alone, an £18 million loan and historic funding of close to £5 million over the years. That is a significant amount of taxpayers' investment in Welsh rugby, which is fantastic. Given that scale of support, can the Trefnydd confirm whether any conditions have ever been attached to that funding to safeguard the future of the Ospreys specifically, and also the future of grass-roots clubs across Swansea and Gower, who depend on a strong regional side for player pathways, as we've discussed in previous questions, coaching and community sport? Has any taxpayer money gone to the WRU with no strings attached, leaving my constituents' rugby clubs with no protection if the Ospreys are the region to go? I say that as a family member who has lost players who played for the Ospreys and they've gone over the border, and we're losing that young generation. So, I think I echo everyone on behalf of Gŵyr Abertawe, but I want to know: are there any strings attached to those loans? Thank you.
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1. Questions to the First Minister en
The UK has the highest industrial electricity prices in the world, north Wales paying the highest electric standing charges in Britain, and south Wales, in my constituency, pays above the average. Politicians trying to control the energy market isn't going to fix this. The problem is the cost of net zero, loaded onto working families through their bills. A combination of green taxes and regulations have led us down this path of rising bills and job losses—just look at Port Talbot, for example. So, First Minister, can you confirm that all forms of energy will be supported by this body? Otherwise, how many more Welsh jobs will have to go before this Government admits its net-zero targets are being paid for by the people who can least afford it?
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Diolch, Lywydd. And thank you, Deputy Minister, for your statement. I have to give my own personal experience, which is somewhat a little bit different to many families. It was a really positive one and a really precious one, the way it should be. I gave birth in Singleton Hospital to two healthy boys in what they describe as a giant hot tub, but I have reminded them that it's not quite as relaxing as they do make out. But that to one side, I wish all mums and families had that same experience, but I can't ignore what other families do go through. In May last year, Llais found that 76 per cent of women and families who used the same maternity services as I did at Singleton reported a negative experience or failures in their care. Two months later, families published their own review because, in their words, their trust in the health board had broken down completely. They identified failures in escalation, which we've discussed this afternoon. The independent review, published the very next day, found repeated failures in care, and complaints handling that simply wasn't good enough. Those services are still in level 4 intervention. So, Deputy Minister, what specific actions will you take to ensure escalation routes will work, when the last one failed? Because I'd love more women, families and babies to have the same experience as I did—maybe not always in the hot tub, but a better experience. Thank you.
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1. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care en
Minister, Swansea Bay University Health Board has recruited over 450 nurses from overseas in recent years. At the very same time, nurses graduating from Swansea University, who have completed thousands of hours of unpaid clinical training here in Wales, are unable to find employment within the Welsh NHS. We are training our own and then turning them away while recruiting from abroad to fill the gap. That cannot be sound workforce planning. So, Minister, why is the Welsh Government content to see Welsh graduates locked out of jobs while relying on overseas recruitment? Would it not be better to employ the nurses and midwives we have already trained here in Wales?
2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning en
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Minister, England's Building Safety Act 2022 provided leaseholders with remediation orders and cost protection since 2022. Wales has only now delivered those same powers through the 2026 Act, and secondary legislation remains out to consultation until September—four years behind England, with only four out of 161 buildings being fully remediated. Given that England ran this exact same consultation process first, is the Welsh Government using the evidence and models already established to assess what's needed here and finally speed up the process?
2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning en
Thank you, Minister. I believe you met with the Welsh Cladiators recently, so thank you for that. I'm sure that legislation does take time, but people are living in unsafe buildings, so I urge you to put pressure on those in the coming weeks. So, thank you for your answer to that. I'd like to turn to housing. I note your statement on Monday confirmed your commitment, or reconfirmed your commitment, to create 20,000 social homes. Another statement, though, without an annual target means there is no way to measure your Government's performance. But, of course, housing is a question of supply and demand. There is a severe lack of accountability and transparency on who is actually living in our council and social housing. Data in England shows that significant amounts of housing are being allocated to people who are foreign nationals. So, Minister, will you commit your department to collect accurate nationality data from councils and housing associations so the people of Wales can know who will be living in these houses that taxpayers are subsidising?
2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning en
Thank you, Minister, for your answer. So, I take that as a 'no', but, don't panic, I thought that would be the reason, or the answer. But my team and I have been hard at work collecting this data from councils. We take Cardiff Council as an example; I'm sure our friend in the corner there will be listening with interest to this. The figures I've obtained under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 are shocking. I have them right here, and they will be made public as we speak. So, let's look at the council's social housing stock of over 14,000 homes, where nationality is actually recorded. More than 31 per cent of lead tenants are foreign nationals. On the waiting list of over 9,000 properties, non-British applicants are 22 per cent of those recorded. And of the new tenancies handed out last year, almost 30 per cent of recorded allocations went to non-British applicants. Meanwhile, 35 per cent of those in temporary accommodation are foreign nationals, where the data is actually recorded. This equates to thousands of foreign national households in one city, which is being subsidised.
2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning en
But here is the real scandal, that, of the 14,000 homes, the nationality—
2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning en
Yes, I'm coming to it, thank you. The nationality of 11,000 tenants, a whopping 70 per cent, is simply not recorded.
2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning en
So, will the Minister—? Instead of providing homes for nationalities, let's do for the people of Wales—
2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning en
Yes, absolutely. Will you commit to amending the allocation of housing and homelessness regulations, to restrict the eligibility and give preference to British applicants? And will you use your legal powers to set a standard compelling every registered social landlord in Wales to record and publish the nationality of applicants and tenants?
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2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness and the Constitution en
I'm sure all Members in this Chamber have a strong interest in the performance of the NHS, and particularly in terms of its staff. Therefore, after last week's debate on eyecare, I picked up the latest issue of Eye News magazine, volume No. 33. And I came across a fascinating article written by Dr Gwyn Williams of Plaid Cymru, where he blasts the high levels of sick leave being taken by staff in his own department. He then goes on to create a humorous quiz, poking fun at the various excuses he feels are being made by NHS staff to take sick leave. These include, 'thrashing the Equality Act 2010 to within an inch of its life to get the very most out of the NHS.' Dr Williams finishes the quiz by saying that, for nurses and other staff who take too much stress-related sick leave, 'A gulag is too good for you. You are the reason the NHS is in the state it's in'. So, I ask the Minister: does he agree with the comments made by Dr Gwyn Williams, Member of the Senedd, and does the questioner align with Plaid's measuring of NHS staff performance?
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As a Member representing Gower and Swansea, I recognise the fantastic effort that many of our local rugby clubs put in, not just on the pitch but off the pitch too in our wider communities. For many young people, they strive to achieve regional goals, such as being selected for the Ospreys, and the ultimate goal of representing Wales. I'm very pleased to say to those Members that are not aware that we actually have the Wales under-20s currently participating in the World Rugby Junior World Championship in Georgia, so do tune in. They've won two games so far, against Georgia and Uruguay. Unfortunately, they lost against South Africa yesterday, but I'm sure the team will pull it around this weekend against Australia. On behalf of the Chamber, we wish all of the team the best of luck. Thank you.
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1. Questions to the First Minister en
First Minister, I wrote to your health secretary about 10 days ago, outlining my concerns of Swansea Bay University Health Board, not only about the workforce, with potentially 800 jobs being lost—. The fact of the matter is that, over the last three years, over £112 million of deficit has added up to financial pressures. They've also doubled their provision for negligence as well, to £40 million. So, not only is the NHS workforce paying the price of this financial disaster—. My question is, given that the forecast over the next year is that an extra £77 million overspend is going to happen in that health board, is your current level of intervention adequate? If not, what further steps are you going to take, First Minister?
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3. Questions to the Senedd Commission en
I don't know how I can beat that with my fellow Member's enthusiasm, but thank you for the answer so far. The backdrop to this question is significant because the previous Welsh Labour Government signed letters of intent with Swansea Council to occupy space in the five-storey public sector hub being built there on the old St David's shopping centre site in the city centre. Following the May election, a Welsh Government spokesperson confirmed that the decision had not been taken any further, which is a huge shame, given that there is now going to be occupancy there. Obviously, I would like to reiterate that we would love to see a presence there. However, there is an important factor to consider here when we are spending taxpayers' money, because given, critically, that Welsh Government staff are normally based, as highlighted previously, in Penllergaer, their existing daily attendance there was about 10 per cent, which is quite poor. So, going forward, would the Commission do a cost-feasibility analysis of having an office in Swansea? And, yes, perhaps in the city centre because we need that footfall. I would like to say Mumbles, because I know your good self came to Mumbles promenade last year, where you saw the new sea defence, which is a credit to the Welsh Government. It is a fantastic asset there, as I was previously a councillor. But would you commit to doing a cost-feasibility analysis of having an office in Swansea? Thank you.
7. Reform UK Debate: Nation of Sanctuary en
Thank you, Presiding Member. Let me begin by thanking everyone who has participated this afternoon in what was undoubtedly going to be a heated debate. We have heard again today that the same rhetoric is pushed out by Labour and Plaid Cymru every single time this topic is discussed. A nation of sanctuary is an open-ended commitment written into Welsh Government policy that signals to everyone, regardless of how they arrived or why, that Wales is a place to come. The policy sends a clear message to those arriving illegally that they will be looked after. And please note, I said 'illegally', not because I say so, but the law says so. There are safe and legal routes here, and the war in Ukraine is a prime example of that, with mostly women and children fleeing war-torn countries—up to 90 per cent of them are women and children—unlike the ones that we see mentioned by colleagues here. The Welsh Government—you’re absolutely right, Members who’ve commented here this afternoon—does not control immigration. That is correct. But the Welsh Government absolutely controls the signal it sends and the support it gives and the funds it supports them with. When you brand yourself the world’s first nation of sanctuary, you are making a choice. You are placing a neon sign above Wales. And this is where I cannot agree with Members across the Chamber that it doesn’t impact our public services, and this is why: the cost of such a policy in financial terms by 2025—over £63 million has been spent on the scheme. But that is just the start. The UK Government’s own figures show that the average asylum seeker with a case granted under article 8 of the European convention on human rights is estimated to cost over £140,000 per person over the course of their lifetime. That includes housing, benefits and public services, and this is believed to be at the lower end of the estimate. All of this puts pressure on our services, whether you like it or not. Even in socialist-run Denmark, studies have shown the real cost could even be closer to £0.5 million per person. So, for the 3,400 asylum seekers we have in Wales, over the course of their lifetimes, that could be £1.7 billion. Let us look at housing—[Interruption.] It is fact. [Interruption.] No, it is fact. Let us look at housing—[Interruption.] Let’s turn to housing, as we have discussed housing before. This is where the Government's position collapses entirely. When my colleague Steven Rodaway asked the Cabinet Minister a few weeks ago whether the nation of sanctuary programme had been factored into the target of the 20,000 social homes, the Minister admitted that the Welsh Government does not actually gather the data on the social housing that Wales allocates to those in refugee status, and directed him to the Home Office. Gwyn Williams has also confirmed today, with his research with the Senedd, that this is backed up, because he highlighted that they are not all in hotels. They are in our communities in HMOs and other rented accommodation. No matter what Labour or Plaid Cymru might say, you do not have the monopoly on compassion. We all play our part in supporting communities, but when our roads are crumbling and public services are in chaos, and the cost of living is out of control, the people of Wales have to come first, and we are here to represent them. Now, let me address the question, Plaid Cymru and Labour Members, who enjoyed muddying the waters—. Who exactly are we talking about? Because the Government would have you believe that every person arriving here under the asylum system has crossed the channel from a war zone on the first available boat. The reality, as we have heard from my colleagues, is rather different. The vast majority of those arriving on small boats have travelled through multiple safe countries to get here. France is a signatory to the refugee convention, Germany is, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy—all of them. Under the Dublin regulation principle, asylum seekers are supposed to claim protection in the first country they reach. The decision to bypass all of those countries and continue to the United Kingdom is not a decision made by somebody simply fleeing danger, it is a destination choice. Let me turn to the question of public safety, because I know Members of the opposite party find this subject deeply uncomfortable. Pointed out by colleagues previously, the analysis of the Ministry of Justice obtained under the freedom of information request found that, between 2021 and 2023, foreign nationals were convicted of sexual offences at a rate of 71 per cent higher than the British population as a whole. Those figures are not invented by Reform UK, those—[Interruption.] Yes, go on.
7. Reform UK Debate: Nation of Sanctuary en
There we are. Thank you. I won't be taking lectures by the opposition on protecting women and children. In the last few weeks, I think that's a bit below par. So, I don't think so. Why are we allowing them? Why are we allowing them? I've just given you the stats—a rate of 71 per cent higher than the British population as a whole, and we're allowing them to come in. Thank you.
7. Reform UK Debate: Nation of Sanctuary en
I'll wrap up super quick; it's not a problem.
7. Reform UK Debate: Nation of Sanctuary en
Yes, I'll speed up super quick. Thank you, Llywydd. Those figures are not invented by Reform UK, those are Ministry of Justice figures. So, I won't be taking any lectures on that. I finish with an abstract I've taken from a resident of my constituency who recently contacted me because they knew we were debating about it: 'The quality of life has deteriorated, the streets are no longer as clean, community pride has diminished, and for the first time in my life, I no longer feel safe walking around my neighbourhood after dark. The nation of sanctuary policy might have been introduced with good intentions, but the reality on the ground is very different. Communities like mine are carrying the consequences while being expected to remain silent.' And that is the key point. People won't be silenced anymore. Having this debate doesn't create division, but real division happens when you suppress people's voices. I now call for support for this motion in the name of Dan Thomas.
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1. Questions to the First Minister cy
1. Pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i wella recriwtio yn y sector addysg? OQ64315
Official English translation
1. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to improve recruitment in the education sector? OQ64315
No broadcast timestamp published, so this contribution cannot be placed on the stage. Senedd TV Read this in the Record
1. Questions to the First Minister en
I thank the First Minister for his answer. First Minister, the previous Labour Government introduced a £5,000 grant available exclusively to student teachers on the basis of their ethnicity—not their subject specialism, not their ability, not their potential, but solely their ethnicity. After four years, the Welsh Labour Government's own data shows the scheme has done almost nothing. Meanwhile, a fifth of children leaving primary school in Wales are unable to read properly and our Programme for International Student Assessment scores have hit record lows compared to the rest of the UK. Your manifesto promises better incentives for trainee teachers and your new Government has already quietly rolled out this grant forward into 2026-27. First Minister, will this Government continue paying public money to recruit teachers on the basis of race rather than merit, or will you finally commit to a teacher recruitment system that judges every candidate by the same standard, as the people of Wales deserve?
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1. Questions to the Trefnydd, Chief Whip and Cabinet Minister for Culture and Sport cy
6. A wnaiff y Gweinidog Cabinet roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am gyllido Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru? OQ64218
Official English translation
6. Will the Cabinet Minister provide an update on the funding of the Arts Council of Wales? OQ64218
No broadcast timestamp published, so this contribution cannot be placed on the stage. Senedd TV Read this in the Record
1. Questions to the Trefnydd, Chief Whip and Cabinet Minister for Culture and Sport en
I thank the Minister for her answer. Plaid Cymru's manifesto acknowledged the need to review the role and the fitness of bodies including Creative Wales and the Arts Council of Wales. These bodies distribute significant sums of Welsh taxpayers' money with limited transparency. The Books Council of Wales, for example, operates as a charity and is not subject to the same accountability requirements of a public body, despite being substantially funded by the Welsh Government. Nation.Cymru holds a four-year cultural grant from the Books Council of Wales worth £25,000 per year. Now, this publication has routinely launched partisan attacks through misleading reporting and derogatory name calling towards Members of this Chamber. An article still published on their website even today even refers to a Member of this Chamber with what I can describe as another word for a penis. You could argue that this is part of normal political back and forth, but the taxpayer is having to pick up the bill for this type of reporting thanks to these funding structures. So, will the Minister today publish, or commit to a timetable for her department to publish the terms of reference, methodology and completion date for the reviews of these bodies, and will those reviews include an assessment of whether every grant they distribute meets a consistent standard of political impartiality and general public benefit?
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3. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning en
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Minister, you stood on a manifesto promise to deliver at least 20,000 new social homes by 2030. The people of Wales elected you on this commitment. So, I would like to know what are the annual milestones. How many social homes do you expect to be built by March 2027, March 2028 and March 2029, because a target without a trajectory is not a commitment, it is a deadline with nowhere to hide until it is too late? Therefore, Minister, can you confirm today that you will publish an annual milestone against your 20,000 social home target within the first 100 days of your Government, of which you have 60 remaining? In addition, what specific actions do you intend to take to increase the supply of housing for the 84 per cent of Welsh households who are not in receipt of social housing but who are suffering the consequences of a lack of supply of homes for sale and rent?
3. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning en
Thank you, Minister. I'm sure you'll agree that if we can't have a timetable for the 20,000 homes, we can't monitor the progress of your Government, and that's why we, Reform UK, will hold you to account and scrutinise you, which the people of Wales want us to do. Your Government has recognised that the planning system is broken, which is something I think we can both agree on. However, in order for you to tackle this issue, you are giving life to a new arm's-length body, a new taxpayer body to navigate a planning system so burdened with regulation that the builders have simply stopped building, a planning system so dysfunctional that even the planning officers are planning their way out of the jobs. I ask the Minister to tell this Chamber, before you create another body to manage the bureaucracy, will you commit to an urgent time-limited review of every regulatory layer currently preventing Welsh builders from breaking ground? And will you set a deadline in this Senedd term by which you will have removed those that cannot be justified?
3. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning en
Diolch, Minister, for your response. I would like to move our attention to local government, which I know is a matter close to our hearts, both having been previous councillors. In 11 months' time, we will be sending people in Wales back to the ballot box to exercise their vote and determine their new local governments. Now, given the finance Minister admitted over the weekend that your Government is facing extremely difficult decisions to fund your election pledges, which doesn't come as a surprise as your costings are still missing in action—but I'm sure they will arrive sometime in the autumn—wouldn't it be prudent to require councils to carry out post-election value-for-money audits? Following each local election, councils should be required to conduct a comprehensive audit of spending, contracts and service delivery. This would expose inefficiencies early and allow new administrations to act decisively. So, Minister, will you work constructively with us to implement this policy to ensure value for money for local council tax payers?
7. Reform UK Debate: Statutory register for lobbyists en
Diolch, Lywydd. I move this motion in the name of Llŷr Powell, on behalf of Reform UK, on a straightforward principle that the people of Wales have a right to know who is trying to influence the laws and decisions made in their name, and that right is currently not being met. Every healthy democracy needs transparency, and for too long this institution has operated under a veil of secrecy on one of the most consequential relationships in politics: the relationship between decision makers and those who seek to influence them. Let me be clear at the outset: lobbying itself is not necessarily a problem. Charities can lobby for vulnerable people, small businesses lobby for fairer regulations, trade unions lobby for their members, farmers lobby for food security, and community groups lobby for better local services. None of that in itself is sinister, and nothing in this motion seeks to discourage it, restrict it or obstruct ordinary people who simply want to make their voices heard to those that represent them. What this motion is about is the difference between lobbying that happens in the open and the influence that happens in the shadows, and ensuring that the public can always tell the difference. Let's deal with the facts as they stand today. Wales currently has no statutory register of lobbyists. What exists instead is a set of voluntary guidelines agreed by resolution in this Chamber back in 2013, supplemented by a code of conduct that places the burden of due diligence on individual Members rather than on any systematic framework. Compare that with the rest of the islands, as they now stand. Scotland has had a statutory lobbying register since 2016. Ireland has run one since 2015. Westminster also has its own register, covering consultant lobbyists. Notably, the Welsh Government opted out. When Transparency International assessed ministerial transparency and integrity regulations across the four UK Governments, Wales came in third. Third out of four. That is not a record to be defended, that is a record to be corrected. This is not a new concern either. As far back as the Standards of Conduct Committee's own inquiry into lobbying, evidence was submitted making exactly the case we at Reform UK are making today. Public affairs practitioners themselves, the very people who would be on that register, told the committee that a statutory register would be welcome, provided it covered both in-house lobbyists and outside agencies, not just one or the other. They argued sensibly that, given how often minority Governments are a feature of politics here, influence doesn't only flow through Welsh Ministers, it flows through every Member of this Senedd, because every Member can move legislation, table amendments and shift outcomes. A register that only captures ministerial meetings would only capture a fraction of the picture. There is also the question of why successive Governments have resisted this. A former Minister once argued that legislation on lobbying was unnecessary because lobbyists, in his words, did not have access to Ministers. I don't think anyone in this Chamber or anybody watching at home genuinely believes that sentiment. We know meetings happen, we know access happens. The only question is whether the public gets to see who is asking for that triple access pass, on whose behalf and on what subject. A register doesn't stop those meetings from happening. It simply means the people of Wales get to know they are happening. Now, Reform's position on this is straightforward and consistent with the position we set out clearly to the people of Wales before they sent us here. We pledged to introduce a lobbyist register for the Senedd, bringing Wales into line with the rest of the United Kingdom. This Senedd has an opportunity at the start of the new term to close a gap that has been left open for far too long and to end the idea of a closed revolving door for the Cardiff Bay bubble, which has led to too many politicians becoming disconnected from ordinary people and led to a perception that politicians have their snouts in the trough. We have a chance to end this perception today. I look forward to hearing the contributions of Members across the Chamber. Thank you.
3
Open this sitting on the stage
1. Questions to the First Minister cy
4. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog roi diweddariad ar gyllid seilwaith ffyrdd yng Ngŵyr Abertawe? OQ64089
Official English translation
4. Will the First Minister provide an update on road infrastructure funding in Gŵyr Abertawe? OQ64089
No broadcast timestamp published, so this contribution cannot be placed on the stage. Senedd TV Read this in the Record
1. Questions to the First Minister en
Thank you, First Minister. I would like to raise the appalling conditions of many of our roads across my constituency in Gower and Swansea West. From Mumbles to Morriston, local residents have been suffering the consequences of the hopelessly inadequate roads and the enormous volume of potholes. I'm pretty sure all of us have hit one recently and are paying the price on our suspension. Unfortunately, Swansea Labour council have taken their eyes off the ball. Their current obsession with a costly zip wire project means they've taken their eyes off our roads and into the skies. When the Welsh Government makes its funding allocations, what steps will the First Minister and the Minister for local government be taking to ensure that local councils spend taxpayers' money on essential infrastructure, such as our roads?
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Diolch. I've listened carefully to the Minister's statement, and I've been listening for signs that this Government understands why Wales is in the housing crisis it is in. I have to say, the devil will be in the finer detail. The crisis did not happen suddenly; it was built brick by brick—well, not even brick by brick with Welsh Labour, but for 27 years of Welsh Labour Government propped up by Plaid Cymru at every turn. The Home Builders Federation have confirmed the need for 7,400 new homes annually. However, Wales has averaged just 5,300 completions per year over the last five years—a gap of over 2,000 homes every single year, and the trajectory is getting worse, not better. Between 2024 and 2025, fewer than 4,000 new dwellings were started, with out-of-date local development plans, delays at every stage of the planning process—and for those of us who've been councillors in previous lives, that shouldn't be a surprise—and the growing burden of regulation and policy costs all identified as the primary causes. This isn't just the second lowest completion rate since COVID or the financial crisis; this is the second lowest since records began, more than 50 years ago. The Federation of Master Builders have been sounding the alarm in Wales for years. The Government didn't listen. So, what is the answer from the Minister's statement? A new national development body. Let us be direct about what that could mean: another quango. If the planning system is so broken that you need a brand-new arm's-length body just to navigate it, then you should fix that broken system first, surely. Until we see the detail on this proposed arm's-length body, I'll reserve judgment. However, let me be clear: this must not become another layer of bureaucracy. This also goes for your proposed town centre taskforce. We can't afford more hot air and no action because people are waiting for homes. Reform's answer would be to tear up the red tape, allowing local builders to get on with the job, while creating a system that incentivises the planning departments to work proactively, and not reactively without any accountability. We do not need any more taxpayer-funded bodies to wade through a broken system. I note the Government wants to introduce rent controls, but this Government needs to confront the evidence on rent controls. Every serious economic analysis and the lived experience of Scotland, Ireland and European cities that have tried it say the same thing: price controls reduce supply. They do not make housing more affordable, they make housing more scarce, and the most vulnerable tenants will be paying the price. I noted the Building Safety (Wales) Act 2026 in your statement. My team and I have already set up a meeting with the Welsh Cladiators, you'll be pleased to know, Minister, and I hope this Government will be proactive in supporting them after nine long years of Welsh Labour ignoring them. Reform's attitude to local government is clear. We would be pushing for savings wherever we could, including needless duplication. We would advocate for referendums on any council tax rises of 5 per cent and above, making sure local politicians live within their means, putting their vanity projects to one side and focusing on core services. Will the Minister consider this? The difference between your Government and Reform on housing, planning and local government isn't just about ambition, it is about philosophy. Plaid Cymru believes the answer to the housing crisis is more politicians, more regulation and more bodies to manage the bureaucracy they have created with their ex-partners, Labour. Reform believes the answer is to remove the barriers, re-energise ownership and trust local builders and homebuyers to do what they always do when politicians and red tape get out of the way.
Roll-call divisions, by sitting day
70 recorded votes. Official division result.
- For
- 34
- Against
- 35
- Abstain
- 1
- Did not vote
- 0
Counted by Siambr: a sum of the official division rows.
For Against Abstain Unlit desk: did not vote
3 divisions
Members' Legislative Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): An NHS first Bill
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- Motion For Agreed
Reform UK Debate: Prostate cancer strategy
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- Motion For Agreed
Welsh Labour Debate: The M4 around Newport
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- Motion For Agreed
3 divisions
Reform UK Debate: Local referendums on council tax rises
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- Motion For Not agreed
- Amendment 1tabled in the name of Heledd Fychan Against Agreed
- Motion as amended Against Agreed
6 divisions
Reform UK Debate: Regional rugby
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- Amendment 1tabled in the name of Heledd Fychan Against Not agreed
- Motion For Not agreed
Reform UK Debate: Access to HMOs and social housing for foreign nationals
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- Motion For Not agreed
- Amendment 1tabled in the name of Heledd Fychan a Lynne Neagle Against Agreed
- Motion as amended Against Agreed
Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): Family Drug and Alcohol Courts
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- Motion For Agreed
1 division
Debate: Fiscal Reform
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- Motion Against Agreed
4 divisions
Reform UK Debate: Default 20 mph speed limit
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- Motion For Not agreed
- Amendment 1tabled in the name of Heledd Fychan Against Agreed
- Motion as amended Against Agreed
Welsh Conservatives Debate: The defence sector
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- Motion For Agreed
5 divisions
Reform UK Debate: Wales and the United Kingdom
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- Amendment 2tabled in the name of Lynne Neagle Against Not agreed
- Motion as amended Against Agreed
- Motion For Not agreed
- Amendment 1tabled in the name of Heledd Fychan Against Agreed
Welsh Labour Debate: Further education
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- Motion For Agreed
10 divisions
Reform UK Debate: Grooming gangs
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- Motion For Not agreed
- Amendment 1tabled in the name of Heledd Fychan Against Agreed
- Amendment 2tabled in the name of Paul Davies For Not agreed
- Motion as amended Against Agreed
Reform UK Debate: Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board health visitor pay dispute
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- Motion For Not agreed
- Amendment 1tabled in the name of Heledd Fychan Against Agreed
- Amendment 2tabled in the name of Heledd Fychan Against Not agreed
- Amendment 4tabled in the name of Lynne Neagle For Agreed
- Motion as amended For Not agreed
- Amendment 3tabled in the name of Paul Davies For Not agreed
5 divisions
Welsh Conservatives Debate: Deposit-return scheme
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- Motion For Not agreed
- Amendment 1tabled in the name of Heledd Fychan Against Agreed
- Motion as amended Against Agreed
Reform UK Debate: Bovine TB
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- Motion For Agreed
Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): Young people and employment
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- Motion Against Agreed
2 divisions
Legislative Consent Motion: Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill
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- Motion For Agreed
Debate: The First Supplementary Budget 2026-27
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- Motion Against Not agreed
4 divisions
Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): Ophthalmology services
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- Motion For Agreed
Reform UK Debate: The tourism sector
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- Motion For Not agreed
- Amendment 1tabled in the name of Heledd Fychan Against Agreed
- Motion as amended Against Agreed
4 divisions
Debate: Fair Funding
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- Amendment 1tabled in the name of Lynne Neagle Against Not agreed
- Amendment 2tabled in the name of Llŷr Powell For Not agreed
- Amendment 3tabled in the name of Paul Davies Against Not agreed
- Motion Against Not agreed
4 divisions
Reform UK Debate: Nation of Sanctuary
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- Amendment 1tabled in the name of Heledd Fychan Against Agreed
- Motion as amended Against Agreed
- Motion For Not agreed
Welsh Labour Debate: Funding for additional learning needs in the first Supplementary Budget 2026-27
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- Motion For Agreed
10 divisions
Welsh Conservatives Debate: Hospital services and hospital closures
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- Motion Against Not agreed
- Amendment 1tabled in the name of Heledd Fychan Against Not agreed
- Amendment 2tabled in the name of Lynne Neagle For Agreed
- Amendment 3tabled in the name of Llŷr Powell For Agreed
- Amendment 4tabled in the name of Lynne Neagle Against Not agreed
- Motion as amended For Agreed
Reform UK Debate: A Welsh Rivers Act
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- Motion For Not agreed
- Amendment 1tabled in the name of Heledd Fychan Against Not agreed
- Amendment 3tabled in the name of Paul Davies For Not agreed
- Amendment 2tabled in the name of Lynne Neagle Against Not agreed
4 divisions
Reform UK Debate: Government international spending
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- Motion For Not agreed
- Amendment 1tabled in the name of Heledd Fychan Against Agreed
- Motion as amended Against Agreed
Reform UK Debate: Statutory register for lobbyists
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- Motion For Agreed
5 divisions
Reform UK Debate: Childcare offer
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- Motion For Not agreed
- Amendment 1tabled in the name of Heledd Fychan Against Agreed
- Amendment 2tabled in the name of Lynne Neagle For Agreed
- Motion as amended Against Agreed
Welsh Labour Debate: School support staff negotiating body
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- Motion Abstain Agreed