Nigel Williams

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1. 3. Business Statement and Announcement en

   I ask the Welsh Government for a statement on capital investment into north Wales's civic and sporting infrastructure, specifically regarding the urgent need for a 50m Olympic-sized swimming pool. Currently, Wales has just two 50m facilities—one in Cardiff and one in Swansea; and from Holyhead right along the A55 corridor there is not a single one. Our young, talented athletes and their families are forced to make multi-hour round trips across the border into England several times a week just to train on equal terms with their peers. With 80 per cent of Welsh public pools over 20 years old—and I can tell you that for a fact because I worked in one many years ago—and Betsi Cadwaladr under immense strain, a modern aquatics hub would deliver a vital preventative health dividend and teach life-saving skills. Will the Trefnydd arrange for the Welsh Government, alongside Sport Wales, Swim Wales and local authorities, to commission a formal feasibility study to finally deliver regional equity for north Wales and commit the Welsh Government to putting an end to years of regional underinvestment, get this project on the table and deliver the fair funding and preventative healthcare infrastructure that the people of north Wales deserve? Diolch.

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2. 6. Statement by the Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health: Update on the National Care Service Programme en

   I'd like to reiterate my praise for the hard work of carers right across Wales, and unpaid carers as well. We keep hearing ambitious promises about a national care and support service, yet front-line social care in places such as Flintshire and Wrexham remains under severe pressure. Around 1,300 to 1,400 patients across Wales are waiting in hospital despite being medically fit for discharge because the care packages and supported accommodation they need are simply not available. In north Wales, those pressures are felt particularly acutely as Betsi Cadwaladr continues to face significant challenges. While care providers struggle with workforce shortages, rising demand and commissioning pressures cause problems. Deputy Minister, much of your statement, as stated by Natasha Asghar, focuses on new structures, leadership arrangements, intelligence hubs, academies and national conversations, but for the families waiting for support and patients stuck in hospital beds, those initiatives will mean little unless they deliver real improvements on the ground. So, my question is: given that you say success should be measured not by structures you created, but by whether people can access the right support at the right time, when can older and vulnerable people across Wales expect to see a measurable increase in the front-line care capacity, a reduction in delayed hospital discharges and better access to the care and support they need, rather than more administration, new bodies and further planning?

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1. 6. Reform UK Debate: Local referendums on council tax rises en

   Well, we all get that brown envelope, don't we, through the post, or sometimes it's an email nowadays? Council tax is not voluntary, is it? It arrives every year and households have got to find the money to pay for it. When a council wants to raise the bill by more than 4.99 per cent, Reform UK believes that the people paying for it should have the final say. This motion does not ban a higher increase, it simply says: make the case, publish the consequences and ask permission. The Welsh average band D council tax rose by 7.7 per cent in 2024-25, and by a further 7.2 per cent in 2025-26. Over the last five years, council tax rises across Wales have accelerated significantly, with the Welsh average increasing 7.2 per cent in 2025-26. And nowhere is that seen more than in north-east Wales where I live. In Flintshire, the council tax increase for 2025-26 was 9.5 per cent, and in Wrexham, residents faced an increase of approximately 8.9 per cent. These rises came on top of substantial increases in previous years. Where does it stop? Yet both councils continue to face severe financial challenges in themselves. From a Flintshire and Wrexham perspective, the situation has become increasingly difficult to manage. Both authorities are forecasting budget deficits in excess of £25 million, as pointed out by Cai. Adult social care, there are issues, demand for services, additional learning needs provision, homelessness services and expensive out-of-county placements continue to grow faster than the funding available to support them. Councils have had to make difficult decisions for well over a decade now—I'm aware of that. Flintshire and Wrexham have delivered millions of pounds of expenditure reductions since about 2010, but there comes a point where efficiencies are exhausted and residents are simply asked to pay more to cover a growing funding gap. Before Flintshire approved its recent budget, residents were consulted. Many expressed concern about the rising council tax increases to bridge budget shortfalls during the continuing cost-of-living crisis. Despite these concerns, local people had no binding vote on the outcome—no binding vote, and that's important. When you speak to residents across Flintshire and Wrexham, you hear a common message: council tax keeps rising, but many people believe services are being reduced. I've seen it myself. Your bins—they don't get emptied every week now. There are all sorts of places where we're seeing things cut. Potholes in the road, local road infrastructure—there are loads of issues. Whether every criticism is justified or not, the perception is clear: people are paying more and feeling they are receiving less in return. That's why local democracy comes into its own. Of course, supporters of the status quo argue that local elections are sufficiently accountable. I disagree with that. A local election provides a general mandate. A referendum provides a specific mandate for an exceptional tax increase. And, of course, we must be honest about council finances. Reserves are not a magic pot of money that can simply solve every problem. Some reserves are earmarked, yes. Some are legally committed. And some can only be used for specific purposes. Flintshire, for example, reports significant levels of usable reserves, but much of that money is allocated for identified risks and future commitments. However, transparency is absolutely essential. If councils—

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2. 6. Reform UK Debate: Local referendums on council tax rises en

   Yes.

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3. 6. Reform UK Debate: Local referendums on council tax rises en

   I'll take no—. In terms of this—. Where it comes from Plaid, who've operated around Labour in this, we're in this mess, where we are, because of what's happened over the years, because of people there and people here. So I'll take none of that. Reserves are not a magic pot of money that can simply solve every problem. Some reserves—[Interruption.] No. Some reserves are earmarked, some are legally committed and some can only be used for specific purposes. [Interruption.] I did. There's one thing I would like to mention, by the way, and it just came to me when Sarah Cooper-Lesadd was speaking, and I just wanted to finish on that, actually. On 2 October 2014, under the provisions of the Local Government Act 1972, a referendum was held in the town of Flint on the question to reinstate in-patient beds. The referendum drew 3,500 residents to vote, with 99 per cent saying 'yes'. So, referendums do work in towns, completely. I've missed some of the speech out, because I realise I'm actually going on now. This is local democracy in action, and I urge Members to support the motion. Thanks very much.

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1. 1. Questions to the First Minister cy

   7. Pa gamau mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i sicrhau bod cleifion yng ngogledd-ddwyrain Cymru sy'n dibynnu ar wasanaethau'r GIG yn Lloegr yn cael triniaeth amserol, y caiff gwybodaeth ei rhannu'n effeithiol, a bod atebolrwydd clir? OQ64687

   Official English translation

   7. What action is the Welsh Government taking to ensure that patients in north-east Wales who rely on NHS services in England receive timely treatment, effective information sharing and clear accountability? OQ64687

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2. 1. Questions to the First Minister en

   Diolch, First Minister. In Fflint Wrecsam, cross-border healthcare is an everyday reality. The Health and Social Care Committee heard evidence a couple of weeks ago that patients can face different waiting time arrangements depending on which side of the border they are treated, that some are left chasing records, test results and appointments themselves, and that there are concerns Welsh patients could become invisible as the NHS in England restructures. So, with more than 13,000 Welsh patients registered with English general practitioners and over 20,000 English patients registered with Welsh GPs, what concrete assurances can you give that cross-border patients will not face longer waits, poorer co-ordination or unclear accountability when things go wrong? And will your Government commit to publishing regular data on cross-border waiting times, complaints and patient outcomes so that patients don't fall through the gaps?

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1. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning en

   Minister, if community engagement is to mean anything, residents in communities across Flint and Wrexham must see their local voices genuinely reflected on the ground. I want to take what Sarah Edwards, my colleague, said a little bit further. So, will the Minister ensure that locally prepared place plans and town plans are given full weight in the planning process and that area-wide infrastructure improvements, such as road networks, GP capacity and school places, are fully costed and funded before large-scale housing is approved? I just want to give an example of a place in my area where there is huge development, which is Oakenholt, where there are lots of houses being built, but the GP capacity is really under pressure because of that. It was something that my colleague Ben Hodge McKenna mentioned before. So, furthermore, does the Minister agree that, where vital local infrastructure cannot be guaranteed, local planning authorities should have the backing of the Welsh Government to refuse applications? Diolch, Lywydd.

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1. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness and the Constitution cy

   9. Pa gamau y mae'r Gweinidog Cabinet yn eu cymryd i sicrhau bod y Llywodraeth yn gallu cyflawni ei blaenoriaethau i bobl Cymru? OQ64613

   Official English translation

   9. What action is the Cabinet Minister taking to ensure that the Government is able to deliver its priorities for the people of Wales? OQ64613

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2. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness and the Constitution en

   Cabinet Secretary, before entering this Senedd, I served our communities as a police officer, a teacher and I worked in the NHS. And I now see daily the immense pressures on hospitals, care homes, schools, businesses and front-line staff, especially in my constituency of Fflint Wrecsam. Our communities are closely linked, as you know, with Chester, Merseyside and the wider north-west, and people want practical improvements, not further constitutional distraction. Can you explain how this Government can claim to be effective if time and civil service capacity are spent pursuing constitutional ambitions while front-line public services remain under so much pressure in the area? Thank you.

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1. 5. Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): Contaminated land en

   My thanks to Niamh for brining this motion forward. I speak in strong support of this motion, but, more importantly, to inject some practical, commonsense and local reality into a debate that goes straight to the heart of public health in Wales, and local accountability right across Wales too. I'd also like to thank Ken Skates for what he said about our area. As Ken knows, we live in one of the most heavily industrialised areas in north Wales, and it's got a huge historical legacy. I'll tell you about that in a moment. What's buried under our soil doesn't simply disappear. Historic industrial pollution poses severe, as we've mentioned already, long-term risks to human health, animal welfare and our waterways, and the families living along those waterways too. My constituency, and that of Ken Skates and other people here within this Senedd, of Fflint Wrecsam goes right along the Dee estuary, and the industrial legacy is not an abstract concept there. And actually, dare I say it, it's not some inane lines in some academic briefing either. It's something we walk along and we see every day. Let me tell you, I worked, years ago, as a beach guard, in a former life, as it were, a long time ago. I walked along the Dee estuary, along what's called the marsh there, from Flint castle all the way towards the steelworks. There was lots of industry along there. But one particular area used to be the site of Glanzstoff chemical works. Some people know about this. When I was a beach guard, I can remember walking there, and there were colours within the soil—there were pinks, oranges, awful alkalinity—which are there still to this day. So, if there's one thing I'd like to mention today, it's that that is a place they could look at, because you only have to take one dig with a shovel, and suddenly you've got bright colours. It looks fantastic, although it's covered in grass now, but underneath, it's a huge, awful legacy to the health of the people of the area. And worse still, it leaches straight into the river there, so that's awful. The other thing I'd like to mention is if you cycle along the cycleway there—and Ken will probably tell you that, as well—at one stage there are pipes coming out of the ground where the old tip used to be. That's a real worry to those people in the area. So, I'd like to note this here today: make sure that people take that on board. And those are just two areas, to be honest. There's Courtaulds works that was there, there's the steelworks that was there. Lots of stuff has been dumped along that area. And places like this exist all over Wales. A failure of national oversight is exactly what has been highlighted recently in the press and before the Welsh Affairs Committee, following investigations, as we've mentioned here today, by the BBC's Buried series. Analysis shows that, across Wales, there are tens of thousands of potentially contaminated sites and hundreds of areas that are classed as high risk. Yet the vast majority remain untested—as people have said—unmapped, and unmanaged. Hopefully, I've managed to map a couple of those places today. We can't continue with a postcode lottery where local councils and hard-pressed taxpayers are left holding the financial baby for historic industrial liabilities. Crucially, whilst we address the past, we must also stop creating tomorrow's contaminated land today. That's really important. That's why practical modern waste management and infrastructure is vital. A couple of weeks ago, some of us visited the Enfinium Parc Adfer energy from waste facility on Deeside industrial park. Several people, I think, have been there, actually. There was a bit of historic apprehension to that facility because it was a bit concerning that it was regarded as an incinerator—'What would go into the skies?' We had no idea, really. But, having been there, the stewardship is absolutely fantastic, and stops, if you like, waste now being dumped into the environment, as we've seen in the past. I'd like to praise that company from here now. That's absolutely brilliant. That's what I would call practical environmentalism in action: dealing with unavoidable waste cleanly and domestically rather than burying liabilities or shipping waste overseas, which we've seen a lot of in recent times. Turning directly to the motion before us, I fully endorse the core principles as set out: acknowledging the severe risks to human and animal health, recognising that liabilities fall unfairly on local communities, admitting the glaring absence of a clear national picture, addressing community uncertainty, and enforcing the vital polluter-pays principle so that the commercial polluters are made to pay wherever possible. But obviously, historically, that's not possible either. I also acknowledge the work already undertaken by our local authorities and Natural Resources Wales under very difficult circumstances at times. Waste seems to be everywhere at times. Crucially, I support the calls to Government. Firstly, the Welsh Government must work with the UK Government to ensure polluters pay and introduce a dedicated ring-fenced funding mechanism to remediate historic sites where costs cannot be recovered from defunct operators. Secondly, and most importantly, we must establish a comprehensive national framework for the testing and assessment of potentially contaminated land, prioritising those sites that pose the greatest risk, such as the areas I've just mentioned now, especially when they're leaching into our waterways, and provide real, tangible support to our local authorities so that they can finally fulfil their statutory responsibilities. We cannot leave local councils, our communities, and our taxpayers, more importantly, facing the costs and health hazards of pollution they did not cause—

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2. 5. Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): Contaminated land en

   Okay. Sorry. We need a clear national picture, systematic testing, dedicated funding and urgent action where the danger is greatest. Diolch yn fawr. Thank you very much.

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1. 1. Nominations for a Committee Chair en

   Can I propose Cristiana Emsley?

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1. 1. Questions to the Trefnydd, Chief Whip and Cabinet Minister for Culture and Sport cy

   2. Pa drafodaethau y mae'r Gweinidog Cabinet wedi'u cael gyda chyrff llywodraethu chwaraeon ynghylch diogelu plant a phobl ifanc sy'n cymryd rhan mewn chwaraeon ar lawr gwlad? OQ64436

   Official English translation

   2. What discussions has the Cabinet Minister had with sport governing bodies about safeguarding children and young people participating in grass-roots sport? OQ64436

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2. 1. Questions to the Trefnydd, Chief Whip and Cabinet Minister for Culture and Sport en

   Diolch, Minister. Volunteer coaches and committee members in communities across north Wales, including Flintshire and Wrexham, give up their evenings and weekends to give our young people fantastic opportunities. I know this because I've been involved in grass-roots sport for a long time. Yet they are increasingly drowning in red tape while struggling to access timely safeguarding training and DBS checks. What concrete practical support and funding is your department providing directly to grass-roots clubs to ensure robust safeguarding does not become an insurmountable administrative barrier that forces local clubs to close? Diolch.

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1. 8. Welsh Conservatives Debate: Deposit-return scheme en

   No-one in this Chamber should be indifferent to litter, and we've heard that already. No-one wants plastic bottles and cans on our beaches, in our rivers—I spoke about this when I talked in the rivers debate—in our parks or alongside our roads. Wales can be rightly proud of its environmental record, absolutely, but good intentions do not automatically make good policy, and we should be aware of that today. The test of this deposit-return scheme is not whether recycling matters—of course it does—the real question is whether Ministers are proposing a solution to a genuine problem, or whether they are trying to fix something that is already working remarkably well, particularly with regard to glass. Llywydd, I have increasingly come to the conclusion that, on glass, the proposal risks moving from sensible recycling into, as Laura Anne Jones mentioned, 'recycling madness'. I actually find it quite amusing that some people speak as if recycling is a modern phenomenon. I grew up in a society where reuse and recycling were simply a part of everyday life. My parents and grandparents belonged to the 'make do and mend' generation. They encouraged the same in me. If something broke, you repaired it; if something could be reused, you reused it. Nothing was thrown away unnecessarily and, as a child, a part of that was actually taking bottles back and getting thruppence, which you'd spend on sweets and things like that, and we did it every week. You took the bottles back to the shop for those few pennies. There was no blue bin in the yard at that stage, so you took things back. Nowadays, there is a blue bin in the yard we can throw glass into. So, I'm not opposed to the principle of deposit-return schemes, because I grew up with one. I understood the logic behind them. Indeed, I believed in deposit-return schemes long before they actually became fashionable. But life has also taught me something else. A deposit-return scheme only makes sense when it improves upon what already exists, and the Government proposal does not improve upon that. That brings us to the fundamental question before us today: what problem are Ministers actually trying to solve here? Indeed, Wales already, as we've heard, recycles around 92 per cent of household glass through existing collection systems. That's an extraordinary achievement, and we're not underperforming in Wales. We are not the laggards of Europe. We are amongst the best performers anywhere in the world, as other speakers here have said. So, let's be honest about what is being proposed. This is not a debate about moving from failure to success. It is a debate about imposing significant costs and disruption on Welsh businesses and Welsh consumers in pursuit of what may amount to little more than a marginal improvement. That is the point at which sensible recycling, as I've mentioned, risks becoming recycling madness. Now, don't take my word for it. Yesterday, I met with representatives from the food and drinks industry, and this is what they told me: 'Why should we be expected to work harder, comply with more regulation, absorb more costs and take more risks for no profit at all?' These are not multinational corporations, they're Welsh businesses, Welsh breweries, Welsh food and drink producers, people who employ local workers and invest in local communities. So, what's the potential answer? Welsh consumers could still pay a 20p deposit on containers sold in Wales, despite there being no practical system through which the money could be reclaimed. Llywydd, that would not feel like an environmental policy to many people; it would feel like a tax on Welsh consumers. So, I ask again: what is the problem that Ministers are actually trying to solve here? If reuse is truly the future, then pilot it, test it, prove it, gather the evidence, but do not place additional burdens on Welsh producers before the evidence exists. Environmental policy must be guided by common sense. There's a difference between environmental responsibility and environmental overreach, there's a difference between solving problems and creating new ones, and there's a difference between sensible recycling and recycling madness. So, we should build on the success we've already got, we should improve on what works, but we should not burden Welsh businesses and Welsh consumers with disproportionate costs in pursuit of marginal gains. When a country already recycles 92 per cent of its household glass, spending millions to chase the final few percentages—1 per cent, actually, so I believe—is not environmental leadership, it is taking a success story, fixing what is not broken and turning sense into nonsense. That's why I can't support the proposal by the Government, and I actually support the motion. Diolch yn fawr.

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1. 1. Questions to the First Minister cy

   2. Pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i leihau amseroedd aros ar gyfer apwyntiadau cleifion allanol a llawdriniaethau i gleifion yn sir y Fflint a Wrecsam? OQ64369

   Official English translation

   2. What action is the Welsh Government taking to reduce waiting times for out-patient appointments and surgery for patients in Flintshire and Wrexham? OQ64369

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2. 1. Questions to the First Minister en

   Well, that doesn't help me, I'm afraid, First Minister. I've got a letter for an appointment here, actually, for myself personally, which was written a year ago, which tells me that I've been placed on an out-patient waiting list in Betsi Cadwaladr trust, and that I'd be contacted as soon as possible, and I've heard nothing since. I've also been told by someone else that they've been waiting three years—three years—for gallbladder surgery, and they've heard nothing since whatsoever. I could be dead by now. What are you actually doing, and what can you do for my constituent, so they can realistically expect to receive the appointment and treatment they've been waiting so long for? Diolch.

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1. 5. Member’s Legislative Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): A Bill on corporate parenting en

   Diolch, Sarah. And diolch, Beca, as well. Llywydd, the measure of any parent is simple: when a child says they are being hurt, do you listen and do you act? For one young girl, the answer from too many adults was 'no'. I want to speak today about corporate parenting and what it really means in practice, not as a policy but as a responsibility. I want to begin with a case. It's anonymised, but it's real and it's deeply personal to me and my family. In fact, it's the actual reason I became involved in politics in the first place many years ago. A young girl grew up in a household defined not by care but by control, violence and abuse. Like many children living in fear, she did not always have the words to explain what was happening, but there were signs. Changes in behaviour, fear without explanation—those signs were seen but they weren't acted on. When she finally disclosed what had happened to her, the system should have stepped in to protect her, but instead, she encountered disbelief, pressure and silence. At one point, she was even persuaded to retract her statement. Years later, she found the courage to come forward again, this time with evidence from another child, and still no prosecution, no day in court, just the decision: no further action. Llywydd, this is not simply a failure of process, it is a failure of responsibility, because if the state acts as a parent to vulnerable children, then it must do what every good parent would do, and that's listen, notice and believe, and, where necessary, act. That's why this debate today matters. Children do not experience services in silos, far from it. They don't care whether it's a local authority, a health board, the police or another agency. They simply need someone to protect them. In the case I described, warning signs existed across the years and across agencies, but no-one joined the dots together. No-one acted decisively enough. That's exactly why stronger corporate parenting duties matter, because this is not just about structures, it's about culture—a culture that listens to children, a culture that understands trauma and a culture that does not wait for perfect evidence before stepping in to protect a child. Because behind every policy is a child, a child who is either heard or ignored, a child who is either believed or dismissed, a child who is either protected or left to face harm alone. When we get that wrong, the consequences can last a lifetime, as I know. So, if we’re all to call ourselves corporate parents, we must meet the standard that that word demands, because a good parent doesn’t look away. A good parent does not wait for someone else to act. A good parent protects their child. That’s the test before us today, and that’s why I support your motion, Sarah. Thank you. Diolch yn fawr.

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1. 2. Business Statement and Announcement en

   I would like to request a statement from the Welsh Government on Transport for Wales services between north Wales and Cardiff, particularly relating to the impact on football supporters travelling between the two regions. Constituents and football supporters have brought to my attention significant concerns regarding rail connectivity for supporters attending the first championship fixture of the season between Cardiff City and Wrexham on Monday 17 August. That's the first game of the season. With the match scheduled for an 8 o'clock at night kick-off, the last direct Transport for Wales service back to Wrexham is timetabled to depart before the game has concluded. As a result, supporters wishing to travel home by rail after the match are left with no practical option. It's absolutely shocking that the next rail journey doesn't arrive in Wrexham until approximately 06:45 in the morning, taking in excess of eight hours and requiring overnight travel. Furthermore, should that service be missed, there is no further rail connection available until the early hours of Tuesday morning.

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2. 2. Business Statement and Announcement en

   Where are supporters expected to go? Are they expected to sleep on park benches? So, given the Welsh Government's stated commitment to improving transport connectivity across Wales, will the Cabinet Secretary outline what discussions have taken place with Transport for Wales regarding late evening services between Cardiff and north Wales? Thank you. Diolch.

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1. 4. Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care: Improving Leadership and Performance at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board en

   Cabinet Secretary, thank you for your statement. I want to raise a really serious concern today, and I think it's one that's been actually overlooked in this debate altogether, and I'll discuss that in a moment. I've been contacted, actually, by a staff member at Wrexham hospital who described what they believe to be a culture of bullying and intimidation within parts of the senior management structure at the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, and that may be at the heart of some of the issues that are actually ongoing here. They tell me that staff have been driven to sickness, have resigned or have sought transfers elsewhere because they feel unsupported and were still unable to challenge poor behaviour. As a former NHS employee myself, I worked right across north Wales, including at Wrexham Maelor Hospital. I know that doctors, nurses, healthcare professionals and support staff deserve a workplace where they are respected and valued and able to speak up without fear of repercussions. Poor leadership doesn't just affect staff morale, it can ultimately affect patient care. And it doesn't sound like strong operational command and supporting staff well-being to me, from what I've read in your statement today. So, will you, Cabinet Secretary, therefore, tell us what assurances you can provide that concerns of bullying and intimidation, which may be at the heart of some of the issues ongoing within the Betsi Cadwaladr health board, are being independently investigated, and what specific actions you will take to ensure that staff who raise concerns are protected and listened to? And one last question. You actually mentioned today that all options are open. Would you actually consider a takeover by a health board from outside of Wales? Diolch.

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1. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Finance en

   Cabinet Secretary, while we all want to see Wales receive a fair funding settlement, people in areas such as my constituency of Fflint Wrecsam will be wondering what difference that actually makes to their daily lives. After more than a quarter of a century of Labour-led government in Wales, often sustained by Plaid Cymru, many communities in the north-east of Wales still feel they have been left behind, with underinvestment in transport links, infrastructure and economic regeneration. So, can the Cabinet Secretary explain how securing a fairer funding formula would deliver tangible investment for constituencies like Fflint Wrecsam, and why local people should believe that more money sent to Cardiff Bay will produce different results from those delivered under Labour and Plaid Cymru over 25 years of this Senedd? Diolch.

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2. 7. Reform UK Debate: A Welsh Rivers Act en

   I'm pleased to speak in support of Laura Anne Jones in the debate here. For me, this is not simply a policy discussion, it's deeply personal for me. I've lived alongside the River Dee for a long, long time. I don't know whether any of you know, but it's actually known as 'the river goddess' in Celtic folklore. My home town of Flint sits neatly on the River Dee estuary and was once a spa town. It's not a spa town anymore. A lot of industry has come there over the years—employers such as Courtaulds and John Summers & Sons Ltd. I even remember a company called Glanzstoff chemical works that were there at the beginning of the last century. But prosperity came and it gave opportunity to lots of people, actually, who lived alongside the River Dee, including my own family. My dad worked in the steelworks. Many parts of my family worked in the steel and rayon industries, which were there as well, and their hard work built the prosperity of north-east Wales, never mind just Flint. Yet the economic development that benefited so many people also contributed to the long decline in the health of the river, which had sustained those communities for a long, long time. They understood something that we risk forgetting today. Rivers like the River Dee, they're not ours to own whatsoever; they are ours to protect. We are merely custodians, entrusted with their care before passing them on to the next generation. That's why, today, this debate matters. After more than two decades of Labour Government, much of it supported in recent years by Plaid Cymru, we are still debating polluted rivers, sewage discharges and failing ecological standards. The public are entitled to ask a question: where are the results? People in north-east Wales are tired of hearing about strategies, action plans and consultations. The real test is whether those ambitions lead to cleaner rivers and measurable improvements on the ground. If consultation documents cleaned rivers, Wales would have very, very clean rivers by now, I'll tell you. But instead, we're here again just talking about it. Let me tell you a little bit about myself and the River Dee. My first job was as a beach guard alongside the river in Oakenholt—that was back in 1974; that shows how old I am. Back then, I spent my days keeping an eye on the River Dee estuary. I never imagined that, half a century later, I'd be standing in this Chamber discussing many of the same concerns about pollution. Welsh Government, Natural Resources Wales, Dŵr Cymru, local authorities and other agencies all have a role, yet when rivers fail, nobody appears to be fully accountable and that's a real, real worry. The public shouldn't need a flow chart, if you'll excuse the pun, to discover who is responsible for pollution in their local river. That's got to change, absolutely. Indeed, Welsh Water itself points to water companies, regulators, local authorities, highways authorities, developers and agricultural sources themselves. If so many organisations are involved, it becomes even more important that someone is ultimately accountable for outcomes. Responsibility shared must not become responsibility avoided. We need stronger enforcement against persistent polluters. We need investment in infrastructure that reduces sewage discharges, and I see that in the River Dee right now. We need practical solutions that work with farmers, whilst ensuring all sectors play their part. Above all, and I'll repeat it again, we need accountability. Because this debate is ultimately about stewardship. The Dee, the Alyn, another river I know really well, which runs through Mold and parts of Flintshire, and countless other rivers across Wales are part of our history, our identity and our inheritance. Our ancestors, to go back to a point I made before, handed us these rivers. Our responsibility is to pass them on in a better condition than we found them in. That should not be a party political objective, as has been mentioned here today; it should be a national one across Wales. The lesson from this briefing—there's a briefing paper that came out yesterday from Dŵr Cymru, which I read through yesterday—is that we don't have a shortage of strategies, working groups, partnership boards or management plans. What we have lacked is a system where somebody is clearly accountable for delivery. Cleaner rivers will not come from issuing more press releases. They will come from decisive actions, proper enforcement and measurable outcomes. Welsh Water targets by 2030 are 30 per cent reduction in storm overflow spills, 30 per cent reduction in pollution incidents and 16 per cent reduction in phosphorus discharges. Now, those targets are welcome, but who is accountable if they're missed? That's what I'm asking today. What consequences follow? The Welsh public deserve more than aspirations. So, let us make the Welsh rivers Act more than another piece of legislation. Let it mark the moment when Wales finally moves from promises to delivery, from excuses to action, and from managing decline to restoring the rivers that future generations deserve. Diolch. Thank you.

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1. 1. Questions to the First Minister en

   Can I thank the First Minister for the answer there and can I thank Mike Hedges for the question? I'd like to probe it a little bit deeper if I could. So, can the First Minister inform the Senedd which AI tools are already operational, which remain in pilot, what evidence justified their approval, and, more importantly, where accountability lies if an algorithm results in a poor clinical decision? Diolch.

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1. 1. Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality en

   Deputy First Minister, according to the latest budget lines of the Welsh Government's budget, £11.5 million is spent on so-called equality, inclusion and human rights. Could you explain to the people of Wales how this substantial sum of money is delivering value for the people of Wales?

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2. 8. Short Debate: From legal clarity to practical reality: Implementing women’s sex-based rights in Wales en

   Diolch i ti, Cristiana, for setting out the case so clearly. But, listening to this debate, I'm struck by how difficult some in this Chamber still find a very, very simple question to answer: what is a woman? And it's quite, actually, sad to see that lots have gone from this side as well. It's not a trick question. It doesn't need a taskforce. It doesn't need consultation or a carefully worded press release. And yet here we are today. This matters because women's rights and protections are grounded in biological sex. That's not abstract; it's about safety, privacy and fairness in the real world. Women make up half the population of Wales, and that includes my daughters. They deserve clarity, honesty and politicians willing to speak plainly. We can treat everyone with dignity and respect while recognising biological reality and protecting single-sex spaces. That just shouldn't be controversial, yet it is for some. The public expect straight answers, not careful evasions, and women in Wales deserve better. Diolch.

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