Siambr · Member of the Senedd · Register of record
Helen Jenner
Tenures
- Seventh Senedd Bangor Conwy Môn Reform UK
Ministerial roles
No ministerial roles on record.
Contributions, by sitting day
57 contributions on record, newest first. Official verbatim record.
1
Open this sitting on the stage
7. Reform UK Debate: Prostate cancer strategy en
Nothing can ever prepare a person for receiving a cancer diagnosis, or indeed hearing about the diagnosis of a family member or a friend. It's one of the most terrifying things that anyone can be told, and it's a disease that touches, in effect, so many of us. Therefore, I welcome the Government's 10-year cancer strategy, because it's badly needed. We're hearing today about why prostate cancer deserves proper attention within the national cancer strategy for Wales, and I'll be building on those points. But I also want to share with you a personal experience. I'd like to thank Paul and Janet for sharing their experiences also. My father was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2023. It was the most horrendous news to hear and it's been a very tough experience for our family, especially, at one point, we had an agonising wait of seven days to find out whether or not it had actually spread to his bones. I'm relieved to be able to tell the Siambr today that, three years on, he's still in remission. He doesn't like to have a fuss made of him, and he went through the first few weeks of this process alone because he didn't want to worry anybody. Thankfully, we're beginning to turn the page and move on from a very difficult chapter for us. Early diagnosis and timely treatment were essential for my father, as they are for all men affected by prostate cancer here in Wales. Ensuring that our health service has the ability and the bandwidth to test and treat the thousands of people in Wales being diagnosed annually is crucial. The 'National Prostate Cancer Audit State of the Nation Report 2026' recorded around 2,700 prostate cancer diagnoses in Wales in 2024, as we've heard, and it increased 12 per cent on the previous year. And as we've heard a few times, but it does bear emphasis, just 54 per cent of men in Wales with high-risk or locally advanced prostate cancer received radical treatment, compared with 69 per cent in England. Meanwhile, 11 per cent of men in Wales with low-risk disease received radical treatment, with concerns that this may represent over-treatment, compared with the 7 per cent in England. These figures raise serious questions about whether patients are consistently receiving the right treatment at the right time. However, the audit itself warns that problems with Welsh data quality and completeness mean that these findings must be interpreted with caution. Reliable data, modern systems and effective accountability are needed to deliver on its commitments. How can the Government properly assess performance, allocate resources or establish whether its policies are working if it cannot reliably measure what is happening? Cancer services need reliable systems that allow clinicians to access accurate information, co-ordinate treatment and identify delays. The Government must explain how it will ensure that the new platform delivers and how it will hold those responsible to account if it does not. Llywydd, there is a wider lesson here about funding. In its evidence to the Senedd's Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee, the Wales Cancer Alliance argued that increased investment in cancer services has not translated into proportional improvements in performance or patient outcomes. It also highlighted that the national target requiring 75 per cent of patients to begin treatment within 62 days of their first suspicion of cancer has not been met across Wales as a whole, or by any individual health board, since August 2020. Let us consider that. Years of missed targets across every health board in Wales. That should concern every Member of this Senedd. Of course, cancer services need adequate funding so that the NHS can afford modern diagnostic equipment, effective treatments, reliable digital infrastructure and properly staffed services. They all require investment. But we cannot simply assume that spending more money will automatically produce better outcomes. We need clear lines of responsibility, transparent performance measures and accountability when commitments are repeatedly missed. Prostate cancer must be included in the national strategy and that must mean measurable commitments on earlier diagnosis, timely treatment, reliable data and reducing unwarranted variation between health boards. And it must mean publishing progress, identifying failures and directing resources where they will make the greatest difference to patients. We should not accept a situation in which the Government cannot confidently establish what is happening to patients because its data is incomplete. The forthcoming strategy is an opportunity to put these failures right. The Government must explicitly recognise prostate cancer as a priority and demonstrate how investment, digital transformation and service reform will work together to improve outcomes, because men diagnosed with prostate cancer do not need another promise, they need to know that their health is considered, understood and included. They need a health service that can provide the right treatment, at the right time, and demonstrate that it is getting better. That is what accountability looks like; that is what our motion will deliver. I therefore urge Members to support it. Diolch, Lywydd.
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Open this sitting on the stage
1. Questions to the First Minister en
Diolch, Lywydd. I want to firstly pay tribute to the Aberfan tragedy, which took place 60 years ago tomorrow. We'll never forget the lives lost and the community forever scarred by this devastating event. I appreciate the Government is making a statement on this later today, and I welcome the opportunity to pay further tribute then. Llywydd, we are coming to the end of a very long half term, but whatever fatigue we might be feeling here in this Chamber, quadruple that and you might get somewhere near to how our teachers are feeling. It's not just down to the day-to-day workload; teachers are under immense strain when it comes to managing students' behaviour. More and more teachers are reporting high levels of verbal and physical abuse from students, and many are beginning to feel unsafe at work. First Minister, we've heard a lot about this Government's new literacy and numeracy frameworks, but will your Government now commit to delivering a robust behaviour framework, and will it include zero tolerance on violence, which would protect school staff from the sort of abuse that isn't accepted in other public institutions, because what's currently in place across schools in Wales is clearly not fit for purpose?
1. Questions to the First Minister en
First Minister, a well-known issue with behaviour in schools is linked to students having access to their mobile phones. At the end of July this year, schools across the border in England were given clarity on mobile phone use. What was initially guidance became law and, from the beginning of this academic year, a statutory mobile phone ban was in place. Yet, here we are in Wales, the first half term down, and teachers from my constituency are contacting me to say that the problems with phones are persisting, and headteachers are holding their hands up, saying there's nothing they can do because they're waiting for guidance from the Welsh Government. So, First Minister, when can teachers in Wales be given the same clarity as in England? When will this Government make a decision on whether or not to ban mobile phones from the classroom?
1. Questions to the First Minister en
You're talking about empowering schools to make the necessary choices around phones, and that leads to this notion of guidance as opposed to bringing something into law. First Minister, the fact is that you are speaking, as you know, to a former teacher, and I can tell you that schools interpret guidance very, very differently. So, what we really need is leadership from this Government on this matter. It is vital that a consistent approach is enforced across all schools in Wales, not only to benefit teachers dealing with poor behaviour associated with phone use, but for the well-being and academic success of our students. I would like to read out a quote from a former year 11 pupil of mine, word for word: 'It's like you're distracted by your phone. You can't get anything done. I know the school says, "Keep your phone in your bag", but I know it's there, and if I hear it buzz, I just have to check it, and I can't focus on anything else. If they banned phones in schools, I know I'd hate it'— she was very honest— 'but I'd keep thinking about all the things I'd be able to get done if they did.' This is a 16-year-old GCSE student crying out for a boundary with phones for the good of her education. First Minister, the Government can't control what goes on in people's homes, but it can lead the way when it comes to removing the distraction of phones from schools. We've got the worst Programme for International Student Assessment scores in the UK and a mental health catastrophe on the way. So much of this can be linked to excessive phone use. So, First Minister, I ask will you today commit to an outright ban on mobile phones in schools and, if so, when can we see that happen?
2. Questions to the Counsel General cy
4. Pa gyngor cyfreithiol y mae’r Cwnsler Cyffredinol wedi’i roi i Lywodraeth Cymru ynghylch ei chyfrifoldebau cyfreithiol mewn perthynas â’r ymchwiliad annibynnol i gangiau grŵmio? OQ64725
Official English translation
4. What legal advice has the Counsel General provided to the Welsh Government regarding its legal responsibilities in relation to the independent inquiry into grooming gangs? OQ64725
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. The inquiry has confirmed that it will examine matters involving devolved services in Wales. You started to clarify the legal obligations there placed on the Welsh Government to co-operate with the inquiry. Will this include provision of relevant documents and evidence, and will there be any legislative changes necessary following its findings?
4. Statement by the First Minister: 60th Anniversary of the Aberfan Disaster cy
Rwy'n diolch i'r Prif Weinidog am ei ddatganiad i nodi'r achlysur difrifol hwn. Chwe deg mlynedd yn ôl, ar 21 Hydref, aeth staff a disgyblion Pantglas i'r ysgol am y diwrnod olaf cyn hanner tymor. Yn drasig, i gynifer ohonyn nhw, hwnnw fyddai diwrnod olaf eu bywydau. Roedd yr hyn a ddigwyddodd yn Aberfan yn un o'r trychinebau mwyaf dinistriol yn hanes Cymru ac yn un o'r trychinebau tywyllaf yn ein hanes glofaol. Collodd 144 o bobl eu bywydau yn Aberfan, gan gynnwys 116 o blant a phum athro. Gadawyd rhieni a theuluoedd i fyw gyda'r galar annirnadwy am weddill eu bywydau. Ac eto, roedd modd osgoi'r drychineb hon. Roedd D.C.W. Jones, peiriannydd o Ferthyr, wedi rhybuddio am y peryglon am fwy na thair blynedd. Ond methodd y Bwrdd Glo Cenedlaethol yn drychinebus â sicrhau bod safonau diogelwch priodol yn cael eu dilyn. Fe wnaeth erchyllter Aberfan ddinistrio nid yn unig y pentref, ond effeithiodd ar gymunedau ledled Cymru, y Deyrnas Unedig ac, yn wir, ledled y byd.
Official English translation
I thank the First Minister for his statement marking this solemn occasion. Sixty years ago, on 21 October, staff and pupils at Pantglas went to school on the last day before half term. Tragically, for so many of them, that would be the last day of their lives. What happened in Aberfan was one of the most devastating disasters in the history of Wales and one of the darkest in our coal mining history. One hundred and forty-four people lost their lives in Aberfan, including 116 children and five teachers. Parents and families were left to live with the unimaginable grief for the rest of their lives. And yet, this disaster was avoidable. D.C.W. Jones, an engineer from Merthyr, had warned of the dangers for more than three years, but the National Coal Board failed disastrously to ensure that appropriate safety standards were followed. The horror of Aberfan destroyed not only the village, but also affected communities across Wales, the United Kingdom and, indeed, the entire world.
4. Statement by the First Minister: 60th Anniversary of the Aberfan Disaster en
The depth of its impact is reflected in the fact that Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II visited Aberfan on eight occasions, including in the immediate aftermath of the disaster. This week, the King, Queen and Prince of Wales are set to visit, and I thank the royal family for the respect and commitment they have shown in commemorating Aberfan. It is often during the very worst of times that we see the very best in people. Sixty years ago, Aberfan, an ordinary Welsh mining village, showed extraordinary courage and resilience, as the First Minister has referred to. As a former teacher and as somebody who has always championed the school staff who do so much for our children, often while feeling underpaid and undervalued, I particularly want to pay tribute to Nansi Williams. Nansi was a dinner lady at Pantglas junior school. She was also a woman of extraordinary courage. Her actions that day saved the lives of five children, but in doing so, she made the ultimate sacrifice. Nansi gave her own life protecting those children, who were later found alive, shielded beneath her body. One of those survivors, Paul Harries, has said that had it not been for Nansi Williams, instead of 116 children dying that morning, the number would have been 121. I also pay tribute to Hettie, the aunt of the Deputy First Minister, whom the First Minister referenced in his remarks. And I want to pay tribute to Denise Morgan, who was just 11 years old at the time and whose nine-year-old sister tragically died in the disaster. Denise had been a pupil at Pantglas and was left deeply traumatised, yet, inspired by her teachers and despite all she'd endured, she went on to become a headteacher herself, dedicating her career to giving new generations of children the very best start in life. Our children are our future. In their innocence, their curiosity and their sense of fun, we place so many of our hopes and dreams for a better tomorrow. But on that day 60 years ago, so many futures were taken from the village of Aberfan in the most unimaginable way. The tragedies left a lasting reminder of just how cruel life can be. Yet, the Aberfan community also showed us what is possible when people pull together, whatever the odds. Villagers stood side by side with dignity. They supported one another, cared for one another and honoured those they had lost. That sense of togetherness can sometimes feel as though it is disappearing. But, across many parts of Wales, it remains strong. We must cherish that community spirit, hold on to it with both hands and never let it go. There is also a responsibility on us today to ensure that the lessons of the past translate into action for the future. The UK Government has made a multi-year commitment of £118 million over the 2026-29 period to the Welsh Government for disused coal tip safety. That is welcome, but we must go further. I sincerely hope we can take a cross-party approach, working hand in hand with the UK Government, to secure more support. The Disused Mine and Quarry Tips (Wales) Act 2025 was an important step, as the First Minister said, establishing a regulatory framework for the management of disused tips and creating the disused tips authority for Wales, which will take responsibility for tip safety from April 2027. I call on the Welsh Government to do everything it can to support that authority in its work, because the risks have not disappeared. One in 10 households in Wales is within 1 km of a coal tip rated as posing a potential risk to public safety, while households close to the highest risk coal tips have reportedly faced home insurance costs up to 40 per cent higher. This cannot be right and must be addressed. Finally, I want to take this opportunity to remember another terrible chapter in our mining history, the Senghenydd disaster of 14 October 1913, near Caerphilly, the anniversary of which fell just last week. That disaster claimed the lives of 439 miners and one rescuer.
4. Statement by the First Minister: 60th Anniversary of the Aberfan Disaster cy
Cynhyrchodd Cymru beth o’r glo gorau yn y byd. Am genedlaethau, bu glowyr Cymru yn cynnal ein cymunedau, ein diwydiannau a’n heconomi. Roedden nhw’n cynrychioli’r gorau o’r hyn y gallem ni heddiw ei alw’n 'alarm clock Britain'—pobl oedd yn codi, yn mynd i’r gwaith, ac yn gwneud gwaith anodd a pheryglus iawn er mwyn cynnal eu teuluoedd a’u gwlad. Ond wrth i ni ddathlu eu cyfraniad, rhaid inni byth anghofio’r pris ofnadwy a dalwyd ar adegau. Rhaid inni ddysgu o’r trychinebau hynny. Rhaid inni gofio’r cymunedau a ddioddefodd. Ac, yn anad dim, rhaid inni byth anghofio’r rhai a aeth i’r gwaith neu a aeth i’r ysgol ac na ddaeth adref byth eto. Diolch yn fawr.
Official English translation
Wales produced some of the best coal in the world. For generations, Welsh miners sustained our communities, our industries and our economy. They represented the best of what we might today call 'alarm clock Britain'—people who got up, went to work, and undertook very difficult and dangerous labour to support their families and their country. But as we celebrate their contribution, we must never forget the terrible price that was sometimes paid. We must learn from those disasters. We must remember the communities that suffered. And, above all, we must never forget those who went to work or went to school and who never came home again. Thank you very much.
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Open this sitting on the stage
1. Questions to the First Minister en
Diolch, Lywydd. First Minister, I want to raise a deeply disturbing case from our capital city. In March this year, 29-year-old Mohammed Abbas arrived in Britain on a small boat from France. By June, he was in custody facing criminal charges. In July, he was convicted of offences including assaulting a police officer and sentenced to 300 hours of community service. He was subsequently placed in Home Office-funded accommodation in Cardiff. Just two days later, at 2 o'clock in the morning, he entered a family home and committed sexual offences in the presence of two young girls, both under the age of 16. He has since pleaded guilty to four further offences and is awaiting sentencing. Those two young girls should have been safe in their own home. First Minister, what discussions have you had with the Home Office about this case? What assurances have you sought about the safeguarding of communities hosting asylum accommodation? And will you now commission an urgent review of the arrangements between Welsh public services and the Home Office to ensure that a case like this is never repeated?
1. Questions to the First Minister en
The point is that we absolutely accept we already have criminals home grown in the country, but why would we risk importing more? People that we don't know—we know nothing about them. The fact is, whether this is an isolated case or not, two girls have suffered because of a serious failure in safeguarding. First Minister, last week your Deputy Minister for Transport announced yet another 18-month study into congestion on the M4 around Newport, alongside proposals that could see motorway junctions closed. Let's not forget it was the Labour Government who scrapped the relief road, wasting well over £100 million of taxpayers' money in the process. Closing motorway junctions doesn't make the traffic disappear; it simply moves the problem elsewhere, and restricts emergency services trying to carry out their duties. First Minister, Newport needs a long-term solution that improves capacity, not measures that redistribute congestion into residential communities. So, I'll ask you a straightforward question and I expect a straightforward answer: does your Government intend to press ahead with building an M4 relief road around Newport during this Senedd term—yes or no?
1. Questions to the First Minister en
Well, it's a 'no', and it's a shame to see that you're determined to continue Mark Drakeford's war on motorists. Nothing changes, does it? The cosy Cardiff consensus continues. Speaking of which, First Minister, throughout the Senedd election, you promised Wales you would deliver change, but we've learned this morning that you've done a deal with Labour to push through your failed supplementary budget. When Labour were in power, it was your party that was propping them up, voting through their budgets as they destroyed our public services. Now you're in power, it's Labour who are nodding along as your Government sends millions of pounds abroad while our NHS suffers. When you said you'd deliver change, people expected you to change more than just the seating plan in the Chamber. And I know a few things about seating plans. So, First Minister, how much longer will the people of Wales have to wait for a Government prepared to deliver real change?
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Open this sitting on the stage
1. Questions to the First Minister en
Diolch, Lywydd. Before I begin, may I congratulate Welshman Elfyn Evans on becoming world rally champion after a nail-biting finale in Sardinia on Sunday? What a proud moment for Wales and what a wonderful sight to see y ddraig goch flying on the world stage. First Minister, I want to pay tribute to our Jewish community in Wales and across the United Kingdom, particularly in light of the 7 October anniversary tomorrow. Jewish people do not feel safe in this country and, for that, the establishment should feel deeply ashamed. There is a sickening antisemitism problem among left-wing parties. We've seen it in Labour, we've seen it in Plaid, and just last weekend, the Green Party of England and Wales formally adopted a policy saying Zionism is racism. The Greens officially do not want the state of Israel to exist, and Plaid Cymru has shamefully stood shoulder to shoulder with the Greens and their anti-Israel rhetoric. First Minister, during the election campaign, you claimed you had the most in common with the Greens, but in light of them formally adopting this divisive direction, I would ask: do you believe that supporting the existence of a Jewish state is in itself racist—'yes' or 'no'?
1. Questions to the First Minister en
So, that was what you chose to focus on in your response—
1. Questions to the First Minister en
Rather than condemning—. That was what you went for.
1. Questions to the First Minister en
The prelude, not the actual question. First Minister, it's quite clear that, once again, your party is on the wrong side of history in failing to stand up for our vulnerable Jewish community. Another example of Plaid being on the wrong side of history is Brexit. Wales voted decisively to leave the European Union, with almost twice as many people in Wales voting for Brexit than for Plaid Cymru in May. First Minister, at your conference last weekend, your party was making the case for rejoining the EU. Not only do you want to divide families by banging on about independence, you're now trying to reopen the Brexit debate. The so-called Party of Wales is clearly more keen on giving up Welsh sovereignty to Brussels than respecting the will of the people of Wales, who voted to leave the European Union. Take farming. Brexit gave the Senedd the power to design and implement farming policy in Wales for Wales. First Minister, if you don't trust yourself with the powers you have, rather than seek to hand them over to Brussels, why don't you hand them over to us? Because we're ready to take the reins.
1. Questions to the First Minister en
First Minister, it's clear to anybody with an ounce of common sense that the reason anybody can say anything negative about the post-Brexit era is because the people who were in charge of seeing it through didn't make the most of the opportunities they were given. And I would like to quote. [Interruption.] I would like to quote. He talks about our relationship with Europe—the greatest Briton that ever lived, Winston Churchill, once said: 'We are with Europe but not of it. We are linked, not combined. We are interested and associated, not absorbed.' First Minister, at your conference you spoke about a new deal for Wales. Well, the public aren't daft. What we're actually getting is a raw deal. You're giving Wales a raw deal by failing to grow our economy. Unemployment is up, and not a week goes by without a negative story of businesses in Wales shutting up shop and cutting jobs. And the education sector is in such a dire state that teaching unions are threatening industrial action against this Government. What have you done to turn the dire situation around? Nothing. Instead of making substantive cuts to business taxes and energy costs by scrapping net stupid zero, you're marching for separatism in Aberystwyth. Your programme for government was thin and without measurable targets. When are you going to ditch the dodgy ideology and start putting people first? Because so far, all you've done is make things worse.
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Open this sitting on the stage
6. Reform UK Debate: Default 20 mph speed limit cy
Dwi’n croesawu’r cyfle i gymryd rhan yn y ddadl yma, ac yn diolch i fy nghyd-Aelodau am eu cyfraniadau heddiw. Mae’n safbwynt ni ar 20 mya yn glir. Fe wnaethon ni sefyll ar addewid i gael gwared ar y polisi diofyn a mynd yn ôl at derfynau cyflymder sy’n seiliedig ar dystiolaeth. Dyna yw ein safbwynt ni o hyd. Ni fyddwn ni’n ymddiheuro am sefyll dros synnwyr cyffredin ac arbed arian cyhoeddus.
Official English translation
I welcome the opportunity to take part in this debate, and I thank my fellow Members for their contributions today. Our position on the 20 mph limit is clear. We stood on a pledge to scrap the default policy and to return to speed limits that are based on evidence. That remains our position. We make no apology for standing up for common sense and saving public money.
6. Reform UK Debate: Default 20 mph speed limit en
I want to concentrate my contribution on what the 20 mph default policy has actually meant for communities and councils across my constituency of Bangor Conwy Môn. When the default policy—the default policy—was first introduced, local authorities were required to make substantial changes across their road networks before many of those same roads were then reconsidered and, in some cases, changed back again. On Ynys Môn, nearly 700 road signs were replaced ahead of the introduction of the default limit. The council then had to revisit a number of roads, consider 25 proposals to restore 30 mph limits and ultimately approve 22 of them. Is it any wonder our electors get so frustrated when public money is wasted in this way? Conwy Borough County Council has been through the same process. It received 702 representations relating to 149 streets or sections of road, before further roads were subsequently returned to 30 mph. Gwynedd also identified a significant number of locations where 30 mph was considered the more appropriate limit. This tells us something very simple. The road network of north Wales cannot sensibly be governed by a one-size-fits-all assumption. Bangor Conwy Môn contains a city, large towns, villages, rural communities, schools, hospitals, residential estates and major connecting roads. A road through central Bangor is not necessarily performing the same function as a road through rural Ynys Môn or Dyffryn Conwy. Yet the policy started from the assumption that 20 mph should be the norm and then forced councils to work backwards from there. It was nothing less than lazy politics. In 2024-25, the Welsh Government allocated £107,500 to Ynys Môn, £110,000 to Conwy and £20,000 to Gwynedd specifically for implementation of the 20 mph policy. Further funding followed in 2025-26, including £421,000 for Môn, £120,000 for Conwy and £54,000 for Gwynedd. Across those three authorities, that is £832,568 over two financial years. That does not capture all of the officer time involved in reviewing roads, consulting residents, preparing traffic regulation orders, dealing with objections, changing signage and then, in some cases, going back to roads that had only recently been altered. People are entitled to ask whether that was a good use of public money. I want to be equally clear about what Reform is proposing, because there should be no attempt to misrepresent our position. We are not saying that every road should revert back to 30 mph. There are roads outside schools, hospitals and through residential communities where 20 mph will quite properly be the safest and most appropriate limit. What we reject is the default. The starting point should be the road itself, its location, its character, its collision history, the number of pedestrians using it, whether there is a school or hospital nearby, whether it is a residential street or an important route connecting rural communities. That is what an evidence-led system should look like, a commonsense system. For many people across Bangor Conwy Môn, particularly in rural communities, the car is not a luxury, it is how people get to work, take their children to school, attend hospital appointments and access shops and essential services. Transport policy has to recognise that reality as well as the importance of road safety. The experience of the last three years has shown that councils are already having to make these judgments road by road. Reform believes they should have been allowed to make those judgments in the first place. Scrap the default, keep 20 mph where the evidence supports it, set limits according to the road and the community it serves. That is a far more sensible approach for Bangor Conwy Môn, for rural Wales and, we believe, for Wales as a whole. Diolch yn fawr.
6. Reform UK Debate: Default 20 mph speed limit en
He's not scared of them.
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Open this sitting on the stage
2. Questions to the First Minister en
Diolch, Lywydd. First Minister, following the serious incident involving an RAF Hawk aircraft on Ynys Môn last week, I'm sure you'll join me in paying tribute to the emergency services who responded so quickly, to the two air crew involved and to everybody at RAF Valley. First Minister, RAF Valley is one of the biggest employers on Ynys Môn, as you know, providing well over 1,000 jobs on the island. The humming of those jets flying overhead is the sound of freedom. In Wales, we are proud to play our part in the defence of the United Kingdom. This brings us greater national security and high-quality, high-skill jobs. I'm grateful to the brave veterans on these benches that I'm lucky to sit alongside as well. And I recognise the sacrifices made because both my brothers are currently serving in the armed forces. This weekend, you spoke at an independence rally in Aberystwyth. You've signed an agreement with separatists, and your programme for government seeks the power to hold a referendum. If you achieve your goal of ripping Wales out of the United Kingdom, what will happen to the people who work at RAF Valley, or any other military sites across Wales, for that matter? First Minister, who will defend our nation?
2. Questions to the First Minister en
Reform will never be reckless when it comes to defending our nation, and we believe in a strong Wales in a strong United Kingdom. Speaking of large employers in Wales, First Minister, last week we learned that Legal & General, a firm that employs over 2,000 people here in Wales, is set to cut 1,000 jobs across their UK operations and also that Admiral, which has its headquarters here in Cardiff, our only FTSE 100 company, is cutting 500 jobs. Considering you've had more than one meeting with Andy Burnham, I'd be interested to know what representations you've made to him on behalf of large-scale employers here in Wales, because this Siambr assumes that your conversations have included more than just constitutional matters, like getting on with the day job: safeguarding Welsh jobs, lowering NHS waiting lists, improving our education standards and backing our family farms. The people of Wales will rightly question your priorities. When will you stop turning the dial on divisive constitutional politics and instead focus on the task at hand, which is what you've been elected to do by the people of Wales?
2. Questions to the First Minister en
Nobody on our benches is talking Wales down. We believe in a strong Wales in a strong United Kingdom. We have to remember as well that recently, in a poll commissioned by YesCymru, two thirds of people who responded said they did not want an independent Wales. They don't want to be ripped out of the United Kingdom. You have to bear that in mind. It was a YesCymru poll. You failed to pass your first budget, First Minister, and I'm sure you've learned that, in a minority Government, you have to work with parties around this Chamber to have a hope of passing your financial measures and staying in government. Instead of signing pacts with dangerous separatists, instead of preaching to the converted at independence rallies, you should be making calls to the leaders and finance spokespeople in this Chamber to bring consensus. We have made it clear that we'll vote for a budget that puts the people of Wales first: no more money going overseas; no more cash for trees in Africa. Your priorities are frankly insulting. The so-called Party of Wales would rather spend the people of Wales’s taxes in Uganda than here at home on our nursing graduates who have been left without jobs and on Welsh pupils with additional learning needs. When will you put aside your personal pet projects and put the people of Wales first?
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1. Questions to the First Minister en
Diolch, Lywydd. First Minister, you so often stand on your soapbox and arrogantly claim that you and your party are the ones fighting injustice and standing up for Wales. Yet, you and your party had the chance last week to tackle rape gangs and to stand up for Wales by backing our Reform motion to help bring closure for women and girls by uncovering the extent of rape gang activity in Wales. But, instead, you voted, shamefully, against it. How on earth can women and girls expect you to have their best interests and safety at heart?
1. Questions to the First Minister en
You had the opportunity for a Wales focus there. Ironically, normally, we like to stand out, don't we, from the rest of the United Kingdom, but, in this case, you are happy to be absorbed into the UK inquiry. First Minister, the evidence suggests that rape gang activity may have been covered up by authorities to avoid racial tensions, and if we don't get to the bottom of what is among the most sickening organised criminal activities of our time, we cannot expect to prevent the risk of many more crimes of this nature. Last year, the Welsh Government said there was no current widespread issue with grooming gangs in Wales, and one of your current Ministers was accused by a grooming gang victim of downplaying her experience. Let's just have a look at the last 11 weeks alone: we've had two men imprisoned in Cardiff, five people convicted in Rhyl, and eight men across south Wales charged as part of Operation Oak, all relating to grooming gang-type activity. First Minister, can you really look me in the eye and say that you didn't let down victims last week by voting against wanting a grooming gang investigation in Wales?
1. Questions to the First Minister en
First Minister, making sure victims' voices are heard—that is not political point scoring. Speaking of uncovering the truth, First Minister, I've got a couple of quotes to read to you today: 'Reform would look at the nation of sanctuary and say Welsh people come first when prioritising council housing, and that is really, really important to me.' Let me read you my second quote: 'Millions are being wasted on the tree-planting project, which is absolutely incredible, that we are sending money in Wales to Uganda.' First Minister, these were things said by a Senedd Member that now sits on your benches. Do you agree with these comments, 'yes' or 'no'?
1. Questions to the First Minister en
'Yes' or 'no'? Okay. Diolch yn fawr.
4. Statement by the First Minister: 'New Ambition for Wales: Programme for Government 2026-2030' en
Prif Weinidog, can I begin by thanking you for delivering your programme for government today? There's plenty in this programme that Reform can agree with. We want waiting lists down, we want standards in our schools to improve, we want better paid jobs, stronger businesses, and a health service that people can access when they need it. Where there is common ground, I will say so. Reform went into the election supporting greater surgical and diagnostic capacity, stronger literacy and numeracy in schools, reform of the additional learning needs system, more vocational opportunities for young people and a stronger future for family farms up and down the country. But the real test of this programme is not how many promises are made today, it's whether we can come back to this Chamber in a year, two years and four years from now and measure whether anything has actually improved.
4. Statement by the First Minister: 'New Ambition for Wales: Programme for Government 2026-2030' en
Holding you to account is our responsibility as an effective opposition. Take the NHS. You're promising up to 10 surgical hubs, more diagnostic capacity, stronger clinical pathways and up to 100 more general practitioners. Those are ambitious commitments and people will expect this Government to deliver them. So, my first question is this: by the end of this Senedd term, how much lower should the overall waiting lists be, when will those surgical hubs be operating at full capacity and how many additional patients will they treat? Give us the baseline. Give us the target. Give us the date. Then, this Senedd can hold you to it. The same applies to education. Your programme says that raising literacy and numeracy is one of the most urgent challenges facing our schools. I would agree. It also accepts the problems around persistent absence, behaviour and the pressure on the additional learning needs system. I welcome the fact that the Government recognises those problems, but recognition is the easy part. Schools cannot employ additional support with warm words, and local authorities cannot satisfy the growing demand for support with another review. So, my second question is this: what improvement in attendance, literacy and numeracy should we expect to see by 2030, and what additional resource will actually reach the schools and councils to make the ALN system sustainable? Again, put the numbers against it. Parents and teachers need to know what success looks like. We on these opposition benches need to know what your idea of success looks like. There is a much clearer political difference between us on the economy. This Government wants new agencies, commissions and programmes. Reform went into the election offering a different approach. We want lower taxes, better roads, stronger infrastructure and a Government that makes it easier for businesses to invest and grow here in Cymru. Your programme talks about productivity and good jobs. Fine. Productivity can be measured. Pay can be measured. Economic inactivity can be measured. Business creation can be measured. So, my third question is this: which economic measure does the First Minister want us to judge him by in 2030, and what target is he setting himself? Because if the answer is that Wales will be more prosperous, that is not enough. We need to know what progress looks like in hard figures. I will now move on to the areas on which Reform fundamentally disagrees. First Minister, your Government remains committed to a pathway to net zero by 2040. Reform does not support that devolved target. We put greater weight on affordability, energy security and nuclear power, including the economic opportunity through small modular reactors at Wylfa in north Wales, which did not feature at all in Plaid Cymru's election manifesto. In fact, there's not much talk of north Wales at all in your programme for government, which is extremely disappointing. On farming, you intend to continue and refine the sustainable farming scheme. We campaigned for much more substantial reform, with food production taking precedence and bureaucracy taking a back seat, rather than form filling and farming by calendar, which risks driving livestock numbers down in Wales. Those are fair and genuine differences, and people can judge the outcomes for themselves. I also want to address the constitutional section of this programme, because it goes well beyond asking Westminster for a fair funding settlement. You are establishing a new national commission for Wales. You want justice and policing devolved, welfare devolved, further powers over energy, broadcasting, water and the Crown Estate. And Government is formally asking for the power to determine the timing, question and process of an independence referendum. Plaid Cymru is entitled to argue for those things. Reform is equally entitled to oppose them. I will never accept the notion that you have to support independence and constitutional chaos to prove you believe in Wales. First Minister, I'm interested in what works, not what fits an ideology. Being Welsh does not require supporting independence, and standing up for Wales does not require wanting to leave the United Kingdom. So, my fourth question is this: how much public money and civil service resource will be committed to this constitutional programme during this Senedd term, and what practical outcome will you use to show that the expenditure has improved people's day-to-day lives? Your own well-being statement says that the programme for government will be reviewed every year, and that progress will be reported annually. Good. And those reports must contain enough hard information for this Senedd and the public to judge whether you are delivering. By 2030, will people be waiting less time for treatment? Will children be attending school more regularly and achieving better results? Will wages and productivity be higher? Will businesses have confidence and invest in Wales? Will Welsh farmers be unshackled from burdensome red tape and incentivised to increase food production? I'm asking you to tell us what success looks like in numbers and time frames. Set the measures now, publish them every year, and then we will see whether this Government delivers what it has promised. Diolch yn fawr.
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1. Questions to the First Minister en
Diolch, Lywydd. Prif Weinidog, despite you repeatedly saying that the election was not about seeking independence, on your first day back from recess you met with the leaders of Sinn Féin and the Scottish National Party to discuss plans to break up the United Kingdom. This is an act for which you have no mandate. Over two thirds of people surveyed recently said that they did not want to see Wales ripped out of the United Kingdom, and this Chamber has a pro-union majority. During the election campaign, you said that you wouldn't be looking to pursue independence, but, clearly, despite there being no appetite for it, you are. First Minister, you recently supported a law to make it an offence for politicians to knowingly mislead the public. So, my question is, to you: did you knowingly mislead voters when you said that this election wasn't about independence?
1. Questions to the First Minister en
First Minister, nobody is talking down the people of Wales. Nobody is talking down Wales here. In fact, the people of Wales have returned a pro-union majority to this Senedd. First Minister, the bottom line is you have no mandate for focusing on independence. What you should be focusing on is fixing our broken NHS and our failing education system. You promised, First Minister, to eliminate two-year waits within months, yet you've moved the goalposts and now two-year NHS waits are up around 60 per cent since you entered office. And, First Minister, speaking as a former teacher, last week's Programme for International Student Assessment results were quite frankly embarrassing. A third of 15-year-olds in Wales aren't capable of basic maths or reading and are around two years behind their counterparts in England. As a former teacher in Wales, I can tell you that what teachers need are not more plans and reviews, they need action. A generation of youngsters are being failed by Plaid and Labour, and frankly you owe them all an apology. First Minister, will you stop focusing on plotting with Sinn Féin and focus on fixing our schools and our NHS?
1. Questions to the First Minister en
First Minister, it wasn't really a great summer for Plaid Cymru, was it? You couldn't pass your budget, it failed to put Welsh people first, and then you failed to act in time when we faced those wildfires. Like everything else in Wales, you lost control of it. Then there was the Government alert we all received. Whose idea was it to send an emergency alert in two separate messages, rather than one bilingual message to avoid confusion? You attended a COBRA meeting with the Prime Minister about all this. The alert was meant to avoid disaster, but in and of itself it created disaster. It sent some people into panic and sent some people to ring 999. Why couldn't it have gone out in one bilingual message? Either you were to blame, or, once again, Westminster was ignoring you and not taking you seriously. Which one is it?
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Diolch, Lywydd. I just want to update my register of interests as well. I now tutor overseas students at GCSE level four hours a week.
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Diolch yn fawr iawn am y datganiad yna, ac a gaf i ddechrau drwy groesawu'r ffocws newydd yma ar lythrennedd a rhifedd sylfaenol? Er y gwahaniaethau gwleidyddol rhyngoch chi a fi, rydyn ni'n dwy yn cytuno y dylai pob plentyn yng Nghymru adael yr ysgol yn gallu darllen, ysgrifennu a defnyddio rhifau yn hyderus. Mae'n rhaid i'r pethau sylfaenol yma ddod yn gyntaf. Ond, Weinidog, mae ambell gyfaddefiad eithaf arwyddocaol yn eich datganiad heddiw.
Official English translation
Thank you very much for that statement, and may I start by welcoming this new focus on foundational numeracy and literacy? Despite the political differences between you and I, we both agree that every child in Wales should leave school being able to read, write and use numbers confidently. These fundamentals must come first. But, Minister, there are a few significant admissions in your statement today.
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You say that the education system has lacked 'clarity, coherence and direction, and literacy and numeracy have been lost in the noise of significant reform.' So, parents will quite reasonably ask how we were ever allowed to reach that point in the first place. The latest PISA results show Wales scoring 476 in science, 459 in reading and 456 in mathematics. Welsh learners are behind the other UK nations across all three subjects, as we know. On the headline scores, Wales is now closer to Vietnam than to England in both mathematics and science. Gweinidog, I believe we should recognise this for exactly what it is: it’s a national emergency in Welsh education. I agree, we do need clearer expectations about what children should know and when, earlier identification of those falling behind, a stronger focus on phonics and better use of assessment data. These are all very sensible suggestions. But you've said today that the national indicators will be driven by clear targets, so I would like to ask, what are those targets? What measurable improvement do you expect to see by when, and will those targets be published so that parents, teachers, this Senedd, can judge whether this plan has actually worked? Because saying that standards must improve is not the same as setting out what success looks like. I also want to understand what this plan means for teachers on the front line of an education system in distress. You're proposing a new baseline assessment, a year 6 indicator, national indicators and greater target setting. You and I both know that teachers are under enormous pressure. I've raised before that retaining good teachers is every bit as important as recruiting them. So, what additional time, training and resources will schools receive to deliver this plan? And importantly, Minister, what are you taking away? Because if every new initiative simply means more assessments, more data collection and an increase in teacher workload, then we risk adding fuel to the fire by pushing people out of the profession. I also want to turn to additional learning needs. You acknowledge today that schools are dealing with increasingly complex needs, growing demand for specialist support and, ironically, continued funding pressure. That is exactly why Reform argued in favour of greater funding for ALN here in Wales. But the supplementary budget you published did not provide additional funding specifically for ALN. Only when securing support for that budget became critical did the Government begin making additional offers to local authorities and schools at the coalface of ALN. So, when you say today that children will be identified earlier and receive appropriate intervention, the obvious question is: intervention from whom, and paid for by what? Identifying that a child is struggling is only the first step. Schools and councils then need teaching assistants, specialist teachers, educational psychologists and appropriate provision to actually help that child. So, do you still believe it was the right decision not to direct more money towards ALN in the supplementary budget? When the pressures you describe in today's statement are already being felt in classrooms across Wales, your Government had the opportunity to do something about it. The funding was there, arising from greater special educational needs and disability spending in England. I'd be interested to know what representations, if any, you made during the broader negotiation stages of that budget. And finally, Minister, accountability—atebolrwydd. You say in your statement that you are hoping to see an improvement in Wales's scores in the next PISA round. I think we need something firmer than hope. The next cohort will sit PISA, as you said, in 2029, with the results published in 2030. So, will you commit today that, when those results are published, Wales will have improved on its current scores in reading, mathematics and science? That is a straightforward measure against which this Government can be judged. Parents, teachers and indeed the children themselves deserve clarity. What does success look like? When will we see it? And who will take responsibility if it's not delivered? Will it be you, Gweinidog? Diolch yn fawr iawn i chi.
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7. Reform UK Debate: Bovine TB en
I think everybody in the Siambr agrees on one thing: nobody wants bovine TB to be a part of Welsh farming in another 10 or 20 years' time. Whatever our views on how we get there, we all want to see this disease managed more effectively, not only in cattle, but in the general wildlife population as well. The difficulty is that farmers have been hearing that ambition for a very long time, yet, if you speak to them today, the majority don't feel like we're getting any closer to the long-term goal of eradicating the disease. Farmers still live with the same uncertainty, the same movement restrictions and the same crippling anxiety every time a test comes around. They still see healthy, productive cattle being slaughtered. I can't put into words just how distressing it is for me to read the latest data. Over 10,000 cattle were slaughtered in Wales last year alone, with 479 new herd incidents detected—479. My heart goes out to every person doing their best to cope with the mental strain caused by bovine TB. That is why Reform has brought this debate forward today, because we don't think it's good enough to simply carry on with the same conversation we've been having for years and expect farmers to believe that something is about to change. One thing that has struck me over the last few weeks, and, indeed, during the election campaign, is that I've listened to Plaid Cymru say that they will follow the science. I don't disagree with that. In fact, that's exactly what the Government should be doing. But I keep coming back to the same question: follow the science to where? This isn't a new disease. We're not starting from scratch. Welsh Governments have had years of evidence available to them. They've had scientific advice. They've had the technical advisory group. They've had veterinary expertise, years of surveillance data and years of lived experience from the farmers themselves. Farmers in my constituency aren't asking whether the Government has enough evidence yet. They're asking what the Government has actually concluded from the scientific evidence it already has. Evidence doesn't make decisions; Ministers do. And this current Minister has years of experience in opposition. He knows better than anyone exactly what the science is telling him. At some point, this Government has to demonstrate what it has learned from the evidence it has spent years collecting, and that it's ready to harness that data and take meaningful, tangible steps to manage bovine TB in Wales. I find myself thinking back to what Plaid Cymru used to say when they sat on the opposition benches. Llyr Gruffydd spoke passionately about bovine TB, he challenged Labour's approach, he spoke about the pressure on farming families and questioned whether the existing strategy was delivering what farmers had been promised. He spoke about the need to listen to the evidence and to the industry. Those were perfectly legitimate questions to ask and they're just as legitimate now that Plaid Cymru is in Government. Farmers don’t see politics in the way we do. They don’t look at which benches people are sitting on; they simply want to know whether anything is going to actually change. What is this Senedd doing to help them, to make their lives easier and to give the next generation of farmers a future? If the answer is that we need more time, I suspect many farmers will say they've already given successive Governments enough time. If the answer is another review, they'll say that we've had reviews before. If the answer is more evidence, they'll quite reasonably ask what happened to all the evidence that we've already gathered. That isn't an argument against science—quite the opposite; it's an argument for having the confidence to act on the science. I've never accepted that this debate should be reduced to people choosing sides before they've even discussed the evidence. Whether it's cattle controls, biosecurity, vaccination or a controlled wildlife cull, surely the starting point has to be an honest assessment of what is and isn't working. Because if we can't ask those questions now, after everything farmers have lived through, when can we? The uncomfortable reality is that, after decades of increasingly stringent cattle controls, Wales is still recording thousands of reactor cattle every year and hundreds of new herd incidents. It is entirely reasonable to ask whether the strategy, taken as a whole, is getting us where we all want to be. I don't think that it's a criticism of farmers—quite the opposite; farmers have done what successive Governments have asked of them. They have accepted tighter controls, greater costs and more bureaucracy, because they believed they were contributing towards better management of the disease. Government now has to show the same willingness to examine its own approach, because—[Interruption.] No, I'd like to make progress. Behind every statistic is a family trying to make a living; behind every breakdown are years of breeding, investment and hard work. I don't believe farmers expect miracles, they know that this is one of the most difficult animal health challenges we face, but they do expect leadership, especially when the Minister talked such a good game in opposition. With all due respect—and I say this as constructively as possible—does the Minister want his legacy in Government to be that of a doer, or does he want to be remembered as a talker or a promiser? Talk is cheap, farmers are clear: they don't want hope, they want action. Diolch yn fawr.
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I'd like to thank the Deputy Minister for his statement, and I'd also like to declare an interest, in that I worked in the education sector myself until Easter this year. I don't think anyone in the Siambr would disagree that Wales needs a stronger skills system, and if we're serious about growing our economy, attracting investment and giving young people a reason to build their future here, then skills have to sit right at the heart of that. And there's plenty in your statement that I welcome, particularly about the Welsh language and being able to broaden the use of that in the sector, also a proper look at the skills Wales is going to need in the future is sensible, and, of course, employers should have a much stronger voice in shaping what is taught and where public money is spent. But, Deputy Minister, I couldn't help feeling that this statement contained a great deal about how Government intends to think about these challenges and much less about what is actually going to change. We have a skills audit, we have a future skills summit, we have a national strategy to come, we have reviews, consultations and engagement. My concern is that businesses across Wales don't feel they have the luxury of waiting for another round of policy development; they're trying to recruit today. One thing I was particularly pleased to hear was your commitment to making sure the skills system supports Wales's wider economic ambitions. If that genuinely is the Government's ambition, then surely we need to start preparing now for the opportunities we already know could be on the horizon. Take Wylfa in my constituency, for example. Whether it's new nuclear or small modular reactors, if those projects move forward, they'll require thousands of skilled people—not just engineers, but welders, electricians, project managers, construction workers, technicians and apprentices. Those skills cannot be created overnight. By the time a final investment decision is made, the training pipeline should already be in place. Can the Deputy Minister therefore tell us whether Medr, our further education colleges and apprenticeship providers have already been asked to begin planning for these opportunities? Because if we're waiting until the contracts are signed before we start training people, we're already behind. The same principle applies more broadly: businesses don't just want to be consulted, they want to know the Government is prepared to respond when they identify genuine skills shortages. So, if this audit comes back and tells you what employers have been saying for years, that we don't have enough people coming through into engineering, construction, manufacturing or digital industries, what will the Government actually do differently? How quickly will funding follow the evidence and how will success be measured? Because, Deputy Minister, I don't think employers will judge this work on the number of strategies that are published; they'll judge it on whether it's any easier to recruit the people they need. Young people won't judge it on how many summits have taken place; they'll judge it on whether the qualifications they're studying lead to secure, well-paid jobs here in Wales. And communities like mine in north Wales will judge it on whether major investment creates opportunities for local people or whether those jobs end up being filled from elsewhere because we didn't prepare in time. I genuinely hope this work succeeds, because Wales cannot afford another decade of talking about skills while other parts of the UK get on with delivering them. Now is the time to make sure our education and skills system is preparing people not just for the jobs we have today, but for the industries we want Wales to lead tomorrow. Diolch yn fawr iawn.
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1. Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice cy
1. Pa asesiad y mae'r Gweinidog Cabinet wedi'i wneud o a oes gan Gymru ddigon o gapasiti gofal plant ar hyn o bryd i gyflawni uchelgeisiau Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer y blynyddoedd cynnar? OQ64324
Official English translation
1. What assessment has the Cabinet Minister made of whether Wales currently has sufficient childcare capacity to deliver the Welsh Government's early years ambitions? OQ64324
No broadcast timestamp published, so this contribution cannot be placed on the stage. Senedd TV Read this in the Record
1. Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice en
Deputy First Minister, your Government has just announced a further £55 million for childcare, including additional funding to expand Flying Start and increase capacity. Expanding Flying Start childcare to all two-year-olds was a commitment made by Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru under the co-operation agreement, yet that expansion is still being delivered in phases. Before asking the sector to deliver a further expansion of funded childcare, can you tell us whether the Welsh Government has identified exactly how many additional childcare places and how many additional childcare practitioners will be needed to deliver those ambitions, and, if so, will you publish those figures? Diolch yn fawr.
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4. Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: Welsh Language Priorities cy
Gaf i ddiolch i'r Gweinidog am ei datganiad ar yr iaith Gymraeg heddiw? Mae yna gymaint y medrwn ni i gyd gytuno arno fo yn y datganiad hwnnw, so diolch yn fawr am hwnna. Tipyn o stori amdanaf i, felly: fel rhywun a dyfodd i fyny mewn cartref di-Gymraeg ac wedi dysgu'r Gymraeg yn yr ysgol, mi fyddai'n anodd ichi ffeindio unrhyw un sy'n fwy angerddol na fi dros yr iaith bellach. Penderfynodd fy rhieni i fy anfon i ysgol gynradd Gymraeg a wedyn i ysgol uwchradd ddwyieithog. Wrth edrych yn ôl, dyna oedd un o'r rhoddion mwyaf gwerthfawr y gallan nhw wedi ei roi i fi. Ac mae yna stori deuluol sy'n egluro ba mor bersonol mae hwn i fi. Roedd fy nhaid, Silgwyn Weston, yn löwr yn ne Cymru. Nid oedd yn siarad gair o Saesneg nes oedd o tua wyth oed, ond ar ôl cael cyngor gan ei chwaer ar ôl iddi hi symud i Lundain i'r brifysgol, penderfynodd mai'r ffordd orau o roi'r cyfleoedd gorau i'w blant oedd siarad Saesneg gartref. O ganlyniad, collodd fy mam y Gymraeg. A'r gwir yw na fyddwn innau wedi cael y Gymraeg o gwbl oni bai bod fy rhieni wedi dewis addysg Gymraeg i mi. Roedd hynny'n golygu bod rhywbeth arbennig iawn rhyngof i a'm taid. Ni oedd yr unig ddau yn y teulu oedd yn gallu cynnal sgwrs naturiol drwy'r Gymraeg. Cymro balch iawn oedd Silgwyn Weston. Ac yn ei flynyddoedd olaf roedd un peth wastad yn wir—roedd ei glyw rywsut yn llawer gwell os oedd y sgwrs am rygbi neu os oedd rhywun yn siarad Cymraeg efo fo. Fel dysgwr, doedd y daith ddim yn hawdd bob amser. Roedd adegau pan oedd fy ffrindiau i'n gwrthod siarad Cymraeg hefo fi gan eu bod nhw wedi dod i'm hadnabod i drwy'r Saesneg yn gyntaf. Ond, ar yr ochr arall, cyfaddefodd un o'm ffrindiau gorau wrthyf na fyddai ei Saesneg hi hanner cystal oni bai ei bod hi'n ffrindiau efo fi. Dyna harddwch dwyieithrwydd. Nid yw dysgu un iaith yn golygu colli'r llall. Mae'r ddwy yn cryfhau ei gilydd. Treuliais flynyddoedd yn chwilio am bob cyfle i wella fy Nghymraeg, yn enwedig pan oeddwn i'n dysgu yn Llundain. Mae deall, darllen ac ysgrifennu yn un peth. Ond y cam olaf, a'r cam anoddaf, yw cyrraedd y pwynt lle rydych chi'n gallu dechrau sgwrs yn y Gymraeg yn naturiol, heb feddwl dwywaith. Ac, os dwi'n onest, mae peidio â bod ofn tipyn bach o Wenglish yn helpu ar hyd y ffordd. Heddiw, heblaw am ambell derm technegol rwy'n dal i ddysgu, rwy'n hyderus iawn yn fy Nghymraeg. Ond rwy'n cydnabod hefyd, gan fod cymaint o'n bywydau, ein teledu a'n gwaith yn digwydd drwy gyfrwng y Saesneg, fod dysgu iaith yn daith sy'n parhau drwy gydol oes. Dyna pam dwi'n falch fy mod i wedi annog fy nghydweithwyr yn Reform Cymru i ddechrau dysgu Cymraeg yma yn y Senedd. Bellach rydym yn trio cyfarch ein gilydd yn y swyddfa drwy'r Gymraeg, ac mae mwy a mwy ohonom yn magu'r hyder i ddefnyddio'r Gymraeg yn y Siambr—fel rydym ni'n sôn, defnyddio darnau bach o'r Gymraeg trwy'r adeg. Mae hynna'n hollbwysig. So, mae hynny'n profi nad oes rhaid i'r Gymraeg fod yn fater pleidiol. Dwi'n cytuno â'r Gweinidog pan ddywedodd hi fod yr iaith yn ganolog i'n diwylliant a'n hunaniaeth fel cenedl. Rwy'n croesawu hefyd y ffaith bod y Gweinidog wedi dweud yn glir mai cyfrifoldeb y Llywodraeth gyfan yw'r Gymraeg, nid dim ond un Gweinidog. Os yw hynny'n wir, mae'n rhaid i'r egwyddor honna gael ei gweld ym mhob portffolio Llywodraeth Cymru, nid dim ond ym maes addysg. A dwi'n credu hefyd fod un peth y gall pawb yn y Siambr hon gytuno arno heddiw: mae'r Gymraeg i bawb, waeth beth ydy lefel eich gallu, eich cefndir neu eich gwleidyddiaeth. Ond lle mae'r Llywodraeth yn mynd o'i le yw pan fo hi'n awgrymu mai deddfwriaeth, strategaethau a thargedau yn unig fydd yn sicrhau dyfodol yr iaith. Ni allwn orfodi pobl i garu iaith. Ni allwn ddeddfu brwdfrydedd. Ni allwn greu cymunedau Cymraeg drwy dargedau yn unig. Mae'r Gymraeg yn ffynnu pan fydd pobl yn dewis ei defnyddio yn y cartref, yn y gweithle, yn y dafarn, ar y cae rygbi ac ar y stryd. Croesawaf hefyd y bwriad i gryfhau'r Gymraeg yn y byd digidol ac AI. Os nad yw'r Gymraeg yn bresennol yn y technolegau hynna, mae perygl bydd hi'n cael ei gadael ar ôl. Mae'n rhaid i ni sicrhau nad yw'r Gymraeg byth yn cael ei defnyddio fel arf gwleidyddol. Mae'r Gymraeg yn perthyn i bawb, fel rydym ni'n sôn. Ond mae'n rhaid inni hefyd sicrhau nad yw'r awydd i gryfhau'r Gymraeg yn troi'n ymarfer o dynnu llinellau rhwng cymunedau. Mae'r Gymraeg yn perthyn i bob rhan o Gymru ac mae pob cymuned yn haeddu'r un gefnogaeth i'w defnyddio a'i datblygu. Felly, hoffwn ofyn tri chwestiwn i'r Gweinidog. Yn gyntaf, dywedodd y Gweinidog mai cyfrifoldeb y Cabinet cyfan yw'r Gymraeg: pa drefniadau fydd ar waith i sicrhau bod pob Gweinidog yn atebol am gyflawni hynny? Yn ail, sut yn union fydd y Llywodraeth yn mesur cynnydd mewn defnydd dyddiol o'r Gymraeg, yn hytrach na chanolbwyntio ar nifer y siaradwyr yn unig? Ac yn olaf, pa gamau ymarferol fydd yn cael eu cymryd i helpu dysgwyr i ddefnyddio'r Gymraeg yn naturiol yn eu cymunedau ar ôl iddynt adael ysgol neu gwblhau cyrsiau dysgu? Ni ellir gorfodi cariad at iaith. Mae'n dechrau gyda chyfle, mae'n tyfu gyda hyder ac mae'n ffynnu pan fydd pobl yn teimlo bod croeso iddyn nhw ei defnyddio. Mae'r Gymraeg yn perthyn i bobl Cymru. Mae'n perthyn i bob un ohonom. Diolch yn fawr iawn.
Official English translation
May I also thank the Minister for her statement on the Welsh language today? There is so much that we can all agree on in this statement, so thank you very much for that. Some of my story: as someone who grew up in a non-Welsh speaking home but learned Welsh at school, you won't find anyone who feels more passionately than me in favour of the language. My parents decided to send me to a Welsh-medium primary school and then a bilingual secondary school. And looking back, that was one of the most precious gifts that they could have given me. And there is a family story that explains why this is such a personal issue for me. My grandfather, Silgwyn Weston, was a miner in south Wales. He didn't speak a word of English until he was around eight years old, but having received advice from his sister after she moved to university in London, he decided that the best way of providing the greatest opportunities to his children was to speak English at home. As a result, my mother lost her Welsh. And the truth is that I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to speak Welsh at all if my parents hadn’t opted for Welsh-medium education for me. That meant that there was something very special between myself and my grandfather. We were the only two members of the family who could hold a natural conversation in Welsh. Silgwyn Weston was a very proud Welshman. And in his final years, there was one constant—his hearing was somehow always better if the conversation was about rugby or if someone spoke Welsh to him. As a learner, the journey wasn’t always easy. There were times when my friends refused to speak to me in Welsh because they’d got to know me through the medium of English first. But, on the other side of things, one of my best friends admitted that her English wouldn’t have been half as good had she not been friends with me. That’s the beauty of bilingualism. Learning one language doesn’t mean the loss of the other. Both strengthen each other. I spent years seeking every opportunity to improve my Welsh, particularly when I was teaching in London. Understanding, reading and writing are one thing. But the final step, and the hardest step, is reaching the point where you can naturally start a conversation in Welsh without thinking twice. And, if I'm honest, not being afraid of a bit of Wenglish helps along the way. Today, other than the odd technical term I’m still learning, I feel very confident in my Welsh. But I also acknowledge that so much of our lives, our television programmes and our work happen in English, that learning a language is a lifelong journey. That’s why I’m proud that I have encouraged my colleagues in Reform Wales to start learning Welsh here at the Senedd. We now try to greet each other in Welsh in the office, and more and more of us are mustering the courage to use Welsh in the Chamber—as we always talk about, using a little bit of Welsh all the time. That's crucially important. So, that proves that the Welsh language doesn't have to be a party political issue. I agree with the Minister when she said that the language is at the heart of our culture and our identity as a nation. I also welcome the fact that the Minister has made it clear that it's the Government as a whole's responsibility, not the responsibility of one Minister. If that is true, then that must be seen in all Government portfolios, not just in education. And I believe too that there is one thing that everyone in this Chamber can agree on today: the Welsh language belongs to us all, whatever your ability, your background or your politics. But where the Government goes wrong is by suggesting that legislation, strategies and targets are the only things that will secure the future of the Welsh language. We can’t force people to love a language. We can’t legislate for enthusiasm. We can’t create Welsh-speaking communities through targets alone. The Welsh language flourishes when people choose to use it at home, in the workplace, in the pub, on the rugby pitch and on the street. I also welcome the intention to strengthen the Welsh language in digital and AI. If the Welsh language isn't available in those technologies, then there is a risk that it will be left behind. We must ensure that the Welsh language is never used as a political weapon. The Welsh language belongs to us all, as we've already mentioned. But we must also ensure that the desire to strengthen the Welsh language doesn't draw lines between communities. The Welsh language belongs to all communities in Wales, and all communities deserve the same support in using and developing the language. So, I'd like to ask the three questions of the Minister. First, the Minister said that the Welsh language is the responsibility of the whole Cabinet: what arrangements will be in place to ensure that every Minister is accountable for delivering that? Secondly, how will the Government measure an increase in the daily use of the language, rather than focusing on simply the number of speakers? And finally, what practical steps will be taken to help learners to use the Welsh language naturally in their communities once they have left school or completed courses? You can't force people to love a language. It starts with opportunity, it grows with confidence and it prospers when people feel welcome to use the language. The Welsh language belongs to the people of Wales. It belongs to all of us. Thank you.
5. Statement by the Deputy Minister for Transport: Our Vision for the Devolution of Rail cy
Ddirprwy Weinidog, fe wnaeth y don wres ddiweddar dynnu sylw at y costau sylweddol sy'n gysylltiedig â chynnal a chadw seilwaith y rheilffyrdd yn wyneb tywydd eithafol. Cyn ceisio datganoli rhagor o gyfrifoldebau dros y rheilffyrdd, a yw Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cyfrifo'r goblygiadau ariannol hirdymor ar gyfer cynnal a chadw ac adnewyddu'r seilwaith y byddai'n ei etifeddu? Os felly, a wnaiff y Gweinidog gyhoeddi'r ffigurau hynny ac egluro sut y byddai'r costau hynny yn cael eu hariannu? Diolch.
Official English translation
Deputy Minister, the recent heatwave highlighted the significant costs related to the maintenance of rail infrastructure in the face of extreme weather. Before seeking to devolve further responsibility over the railways, has the Welsh Government calculated the long-term financial implications of maintaining and renewing the infrastructure that it would inherit? If so, would the Deputy Minister publish those figures and explain how the costs will be met? Thank you.
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2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language en
Diolch, Lywydd. Gweinidog Cabinet, the real issue when it comes to teachers is, in fact, retention as opposed to recruitment, and poor pupil behaviour, as we've heard from other people in this Chamber today, is one of the factors driving teachers out of the profession, particularly in secondary schools. Based on my experience of different schools in north Wales, for example, some schools have consistent, effective behaviour systems in place, but some don't. Inevitably, the schools with stricter rules and clearer, consistent boundaries have better educational outcomes for pupils and higher levels of teacher retention. Of course, not all parents have the ability or transport options to transfer their children from one badly run school to a better one, meaning many children receive a poor educational experience based simply on where they live. Quite often, for teachers as well, a bad experience of one school puts them off teaching for life. So, clearly, we cannot simply leave it within the power of individual schools anymore, because I believe, as I'm sure we all believe here, that every child is entitled to attend a calm and consistent learning environment regardless of where they live, and every teacher should feel safe at work. So, my question is: how exactly does the Cabinet Minister propose to bring all schools up to standard? You mentioned earlier a behaviour framework. Will this be in law, or will it just be guidance up to the interpretation of individual schools? Diolch.
2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language en
Diolch yn fawr. I agree, and I think that working with some schools that have excellent behaviour policies in place, and having them lead on that, would be a fantastic idea. Diolch yn fawr. You've announced statutory guidance on the restriction of mobile phones in schools—this very much feeds into discipline—but you have also made it clear, on that basis, that individual schools will decide how these restrictions are implemented. So, this feeds into my previous question about inconsistencies here. So, that means that some schools could introduce a complete ban, while others, just a few miles away, could adopt a far more relaxed approach. I think parents would want clarity and consistency. Again, it's a bit of a postcode lottery if you've got some schools with a phone ban, and some of them allowing pupils to use at break and lunch, for example. How will the Government ensure that pupils across Wales are protected by the same high standards in this regard, rather, again, than leaving each school to develop its own policy?
2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language en
Okay, diolch yn fawr. And I think that some schools, again, have excellent policies in place, and we can learn from them going forward. Diolch yn fawr. So, my final question: during an appearance on ITV Wales's Sharp End, I asked one of your Plaid Cymru colleagues whether your Government's commitment to provide a library in every school would apply to secondary schools—this is something close to my heart, obviously—as well as primary schools, and he confirmed that it would. So, my question, of course, was off the back of the fact that I've received multiple reports of secondary schools closing libraries and using the space for other educational provision, such as behaviour units. Can you confirm to the Senedd that what your colleague said is indeed Welsh Government policy? And if it is, will funding be ring-fenced, and how will the Welsh Government audit schools to make sure the money is actually spent on delivering libraries, rather than being absorbed into wider school budgets?
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1. Questions to the First Minister en
The economy of Bangor Conwy Môn depends on tourism, as we've heard. Many small and family-run visitor accommodations are already struggling to comply with the arbitrary 180-day rule on letting introduced by the Plaid-Labour co-operation agreement in the last Senedd term. As Plaid-led Ynys Môn council is currently in consultation over introducing a tourism tax, many feel that the pressure on them is only increasing. So, will the First Minister listen to the concerns of my constituents and announce an immediate review of the 182-day rule on visitor accommodation, with a view to reducing the threshold so that it reflects the seasonal nature of Welsh hospitality, and send a clear message that hospitality providers will be supported and not punished? Diolch yn fawr.
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3. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning cy
3. A wnaiff y Gweinidog Cabinet roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am ddarparu tai ym Mangor Conwy Môn? OQ64181
Official English translation
3. Will the Cabinet Minister provide an update on the delivery of housing in Bangor Conwy Môn? OQ64181
No broadcast timestamp published, so this contribution cannot be placed on the stage. Senedd TV Read this in the Record
3. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning en
Diolch, Weinidog. During the election campaign, I met a family where a young mother and her 18-month-old child were still living at home with her parents because they simply had nowhere else to go. Sadly, that is the reality facing many families across Bangor Conwy Môn. So, can the Minister tell us how many households are currently waiting for social housing in Bangor Conwy Môn, whether that number is going up or down, and when families like this one I met can realistically expect to see the waiting list reduced? Diolch yn fawr.
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1. Questions to the First Minister cy
8. Pa sicrwydd wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ei roi i gymunedau gwledig y bydd sylw gwirioneddol yn cael ei roi i bryderon lleol pan fydd prosiectau ynni gwynt ar raddfa fawr yn cael eu hystyried? OQ64189
Official English translation
8. What assurances will the First Minister provide rural communities that local concerns will be given genuine weight when large scale wind energy projects are being considered? OQ64189
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
Diolch. First Minister, residents are repeatedly told that their views matter, yet when developments of national significance are involved, the final decision can rest with Welsh Ministers rather than locally elected councillors. Does the First Minister accept that this creates a democratic deficit, and what assurances can he give communities that local opposition will not simply be overridden in pursuit of Welsh Government targets? Diolch yn fawr.
5. Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: Priorities for Education cy
Diolch i'r Gweinidog Cabinet dros Addysg a'r Iaith Gymraeg am ei datganiad heddiw. Mae llawer iawn y medraf gytuno ag ef yn y datganiad yna. Yn amlwg, mae gwneud yn siŵr ein bod ni'n recriwtio athrawon ar gyfer pynciau allweddol yn bwysig iawn o ran llenwi bylchau. Mae denu athrawon i mewn i'r proffesiwn yn hollbwysig, ac edrychaf ymlaen i glywed sut yn union y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn ariannu'r cynnig hwn.
Official English translation
I thank the Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language for the statement this afternoon. There's much that I can agree with in that statement. Clearly, making sure that we recruit teachers into key subjects is vitally important in order to fill gaps. Attracting teachers into the profession is crucial, and I look forward to hearing exactly how the Welsh Government will fund this offer.
5. Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: Priorities for Education en
What concerns me ever so slightly about the statement is while there's been a lot of emphasis on recruitment, there's not quite enough detail when it comes to retention. What precisely is the Welsh Government going to do to retain the teaching workforce we already have? Cabinet Minister, you acknowledged in your statement today that too many educators leave the profession too early and that we need to keep them in the classroom. On that point, I agree, but the question is: how? What specifically is going to change for teachers working in our schools? Having been a teacher myself, I understand why many are leaving the profession. Despite successive recruitment drives, Wales continues to struggle with teacher retention. We're losing experienced teachers faster than we can replace them. That concern is only amplified by our shared ambitions for bilingual and Welsh-medium education. The challenge is not simply finding teachers; it's finding teachers with the language skills needed to deliver those ambitions. Every experienced bilingual teacher who leaves the profession is not easily replaced. If we're already struggling to retain the workforce we have today, how can the Government realistically hope to deliver the workforce it will need tomorrow? Cabinet Minister, you say that you want to address issues associated with workload, but I would like to know, and I think teachers would like to know, what exactly that means. Where are the tangible changes our current teachers can expect to see? So far, there's been very little detail about what workload reduction would look like in practice. Thinking of the secondary sector, for example, would there be time off timetables to mark mock exams and controlled assessments? More notably, there was very little mention of what has undoubtedly become one of the biggest problems facing education, and that is the deterioration of pupil behaviour in schools. Cabinet Secretary, where is the confidence and determination to get to grips with the rise of violence in schools? A recent Welsh teaching union survey found that 43 per cent of teachers had been shoved or barged by pupils, 12 per cent had been hit or punched, 9 per cent had been kicked, and 3 per cent reported being headbutted. Almost half—and this is particularly distressing—said that they felt blamed when raising those concerns about poor behaviour. Behaviour is now one of the biggest barriers to teacher retention, yet today's statement has remarkably little to say about it. A teacher in my constituency, for example, recently said, 'For the first time in my 25-year career, I don't feel safe in school'. I really don't think today's statement will have instilled much confidence in our teaching workforce that the Welsh Government intends to get to grips with violent behaviour or unsustainable workloads. And if it can't get to grips with those two things, we will continue to lose our teachers. Cabinet Secretary, in your statement today, you also said the education system is currently failing too many of our children and young people, and on that point, I absolutely agree. But what I find slightly extraordinary is that Plaid Cymru now seems to be talking about the state of Welsh education, as though they spent the last 26 years glued to the opposition benches. Plaid Cymru has spent years helping Labour govern Wales, shaping budgets, legislation and education policy. Indeed, Plaid Members are often keen to remind us of the achievements delivered through their agreements with Labour, whether that's free school meals, childcare expansion or other policies. They're more than happy to stand up and claim the credit for those successes. But Plaid Cymru can't have it both ways. If they want to claim credit for the successes of working with Labour, they must also accept responsibility for the failures. They cannot claim ownership of free school meals one minute, then pretend to be an innocent bystander when educational standards fall short the next, because teachers, parents and pupils don't care which party gets the credit. They care about outcomes. And after more than two decades of Labour Government, supported at various times by Plaid Cymru, those outcomes simply aren't good enough. So, I end by asking this: can you reassure this Senedd that you are speaking directly to teachers and teaching unions about how exactly your Government will improve teacher working conditions? Because the reality is that recruitment alone will not solve this problem. A change of culture is needed. You can recruit all the new teachers you like, but if your experienced teachers continue leaving the profession, Welsh education will simply be running to stand still. Every one of us here can remember a teacher who changed our lives. The problem is that experience takes years to build, but only a moment to lose. If this Government fails to address workload and behaviour in detail, Wales will continue to lose our best teachers, and when teachers leave, it is not the Ministers who pay the price, it is our children. Diolch yn fawr.
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6. Welsh Labour Debate: School support staff negotiating body en
Reform recognises the importance of school support staff in the delivery of education and fostering a better future for our young people here in Wales. However, the creation of yet another quango is not the answer. We in Reform want to see quangos brought in-house to save taxpayers' money and reduce the tax burden on Welsh people. We don’t want to see new ones created. While we have sympathy for the proposals for year-round pay for school support staff, there will, of course, be financial implications to implementing that policy and we would not like to see more money diverted from our schools. Thank you.
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1. Questions to the First Minister en
First Minister, Plaid Cymru's manifesto promised business rates reform to support local high streets and independent businesses. No-one expects reform overnight, but businesses do expect a Government with a plan. Can you tell us today when that plan will be published and when businesses will start to see the benefit? Diolch.
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Weinidog, diolch i chi am eich datganiad. Dwi'n amau bod pawb yn y Siambr hon yn cytuno bod lleihau tlodi plant a helpu teuluoedd gyda chost byw yng Nghymru yn amcanion pwysig iawn.
Official English translation
Minister, thank you very much for your statement. I suspect that everyone in this Chamber would agree that reducing child poverty and helping families with the cost of living in Wales are very important objectives.
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It's actually a refreshing change to hear Wales being prioritised, given your commitment to overseas spending, such as planting trees in foreign countries and pointless vanity offices in Brussels and Beijing. Every child deserves the best possible start in life, and affordable childcare can play an important role in helping parents into work. However, having listened carefully to your statement, I was struck by what was missing. You spoke of respect, solidarity and fairness. You spoke of transformational change. You spoke of expert groups, planning, testing and future phases of expansion. But what families across Wales need today is clarity. Your manifesto promised what you describe as the most generous childcare offer anywhere in the United Kingdom. That is a significant commitment. Yet, today, we have heard very little about how much this policy will cost, where the funding will come from or when parents can realistically expect it to be delivered. The Welsh public are entitled to know the answers to those questions. We are all aware of the financial pressures facing Wales. Local authorities are under strain, the NHS remains under enormous pressure, schools are facing difficult budget decisions, businesses continue to struggle with rising costs. Against that backdrop, it's entirely reasonable to ask how a universal childcare offer of this scale will be funded. Minister, your manifesto was presented to voters as a fully costed programme for government. If that is the case, surely the Government already knows the total cost of this policy, surely it already knows where the money will come from, and surely it already has a road map for delivery. Yet today's statement appears to suggest that many of those details are still being worked through by a newly established expert steering group. So, I would be grateful if you could provide some clarity. Can you tell the Senedd today what the estimated total cost of delivering this childcare offer will be? Can you explain which budgets or funding streams will be used to pay for it? And can you set out a clear timetable for delivery so that parents, childcare providers and local authorities know exactly what to expect and when?
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Dydy teuluoedd ledled Cymru ddim angen cyhoeddiad arall am grŵp gweithio; maent angen hyder fod yr addewidion a wnaeth gael eu gwneud cyn yr etholiad yn wirioneddol mynd i gael eu cyflawni. Diolch yn fawr.
Official English translation
Families across Wales don't need another announcement on a working group; they need confidence that the pledges that were made prior to the election will truly be delivered. Thank you very much.
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3. Statement by the First Minister: The First Minister's Priorities cy
Fel rhywun sydd wedi dod yn syth o swydd dysgu yn y dosbarth i'r Senedd, dwi'n gwybod pa mor bwysig yw athrawon i ddyfodol Cymru. Bob dydd, mae athrawon yn gwneud llawer mwy na dysgu. Maen nhw'n cefnogi pobl ifanc, yn helpu teuluoedd ac yn gweithio o dan bwysau mawr. Ond, fel y gwn i, mae llawer o athrawon heddiw yn wynebu straen, problemau ymddygiad gan ddisgyblion a llwyth gwaith cynyddol. Mae hyn yn ei gwneud hi'n anodd cadw staff profiadol ac annog pobl ifanc i ddilyn gyrfa yn y proffesiwn. Felly, Brif Weinidog, beth fydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud i ddiogelu a chefnogi athrawon yn y gweithle a sicrhau bod addysg yn yrfa ddeniadol yng Nghymru? Diolch yn fawr.
Official English translation
As one who has come straight from a classroom job as a teacher to the Senedd, I know how important teachers are to the future of Wales. Every day, teachers do much more than just teach. They support young people, help families and work under great pressure. But, as I know, many teachers today are facing stress, behavioural problems from pupils and an increasing workload. This makes it difficult to keep staff and to encourage young people to follow a career in the profession. So, First Minister, what will the Welsh Government do to safeguard and support teachers in the workplace and to ensure that education is an attractive career in Wales? Thank you.
Roll-call divisions, by sitting day
70 recorded votes. Official division result.
- For
- 28
- Against
- 29
- Abstain
- 3
- Did not vote
- 10
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 Abstain 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 Abstain 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 Did not vote Not agreed
- Amendment 1tabled in the name of Heledd Fychan Did not vote Not agreed
- Amendment 2tabled in the name of Lynne Neagle Did not vote Agreed
- Amendment 3tabled in the name of Llŷr Powell Did not vote Agreed
- Amendment 4tabled in the name of Lynne Neagle Did not vote Not agreed
- Motion as amended Did not vote Agreed
Reform UK Debate: A Welsh Rivers Act
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- Motion Did not vote Not agreed
- Amendment 1tabled in the name of Heledd Fychan Did not vote Not agreed
- Amendment 3tabled in the name of Paul Davies Did not vote Not agreed
- Amendment 2tabled in the name of Lynne Neagle Did not vote 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