Peter Fox

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1. 5. 90-second Statements en

   Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. I recently had the pleasure of visiting Big Pit National Coal Museum in Blaenavon, where I met with staff and learnt about the excellent work they are doing to preserve and promote Wales's rich industrial heritage. What impressed me most was the museum's commitment not only to protecting our history, but to engaging people of all ages, through education, community outreach and innovative exhibitions. Big Pit continues to play a vital role in ensuring that future generations understand the sacrifices and achievements of those who built our coalfield communities. During my visit, I also had the opportunity to see the Stories from Aberfan exhibition. And as we mark the sixtieth anniversary of the Aberfan disaster today, this exhibition is a poignant and powerful reminder of the 144 lives lost, the devastating impact on the community and the extraordinary courage and resilience shown in the decades since. The personal stories and artefacts on display help ensure that the memory of Aberfan endures and that the lessons of that tragedy are never forgotten. I would like to thank everyone in Big Pit for their dedication to preserving these important stories and sharing them with future generations, and I encourage all people to visit.

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1. 3. Business Statement and Announcement en

   Trefnydd, could I request a statement from the Deputy Minister for Transport on the role and future of Great British Railways Cymru? GBR is progressing in England, but while GBR Cymru exists as an entity, there remains a lack of clarity over its purpose, responsibilities and, crucially, how it will fit into Wales's wider transport landscape. We already have Transport for Wales, a wholly Welsh Government-owned operator, that not only runs the Wales and borders rail network, but is also assuming an increasingly significant role in bus franchising. There is also uncertainty amongst rail operators running cross-border services into Wales, many of whom appear unclear about GBR Cymru and how it will interact with both Great British Railways and Transport for Wales, and where the responsibilities ultimately sit. So, I'd therefore welcome a statement from the Deputy Minister, setting out the intended role of GBR Cymru, how it will align with Great British Railways, and how it will interact with Transport for Wales and rail operators, and whether its creation will result in any changes to the governance, branding or operation of rail services in Wales.

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1. 1. Questions to the First Minister cy

   6. Pa gynnydd y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'i wneud o ran mynd i'r afael â thagfeydd ar yr M4 o amgylch Casnewydd? OQ64681

   Official English translation

   6. What progress has the Welsh Government made in addressing congestion on the M4 around Newport? OQ64681

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2. 1. Questions to the First Minister en

   Thank you, First Minister. I know you've spoken about this earlier, but it's one of those things that I think is going to crop up again and again and again for the next few years, because everyone in this Chamber knows the issues on the M4 around Newport all too well, yet too few of us here acknowledge there is only one proper solution, and that is a relief road. Some of the alternative suggestions, such as junction closures, are certainly very concerning, and would see huge volumes of traffic pushed into the city, Newport, stifling the local economy there, which is of great concern to many people already, and I know the Minister will be talking to people over the coming months, but there is concern. And the suggestion to encourage HGVs to use the A465 will supposedly reduce traffic on the M4 by 1 per cent. Now, that's great, but it will then move that same 1 per cent on to already challenged areas like the Hardwick interchange at Abergavenny, which, based on traffic this week, is really, really struggling to cope. So, let's not send Newport's congestion on a sightseeing tour of Wales. We know the answer is a relief road, First Minister. I note your earlier answer, but if the smaller engineering fixes don't solve the congestion problem—

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3. 1. Questions to the First Minister en

   —will you finally reconsider a relief road, or have you ruled out the only long-term solution, regardless of evidence?

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1. 1. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care en

   Cabinet Minister, you've answered many of my points, but I'll echo some of the concerns raised by Mr Senior and Mr Jones. In our community, there are many people who often feel disadvantaged because, when that important non-emergency patient transport is cancelled at short notice, it leaves a lot of vulnerable people needing to attend appointments. We've got one constituent who has to have regular trips to a doctor, can't drive, and sometimes she is let down and can't get the access to her treatment. This has incurred £100 taxi fees. Now, she has to have the treatment, but she cannot always afford, obviously, the taxi. So, how is the Welsh Government going to ensure that rural patients are not disproportionately affected by short-notice transport cancellations?

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

   Thank you, Llywydd. Cabinet Minister, Wales continues to face significant housing pressures. We hear it all the time in this Chamber: rising homelessness, growing demand for affordable homes. Now, at the Conservative conference this week, which I'm sure you were following, the shadow chancellor announced some excellent proposals, aimed at reducing the costs of building new homes and reforming planning rules to support housing delivery. Cabinet Minister, does the Welsh Government accept that planning delays, bureaucracy and developer contribution requirements can act as a barrier to delivering the homes Wales needs? In England, the Conservatives want to replace section 106 agreements as they are a real barrier for developers. Will you review Wales's approach and, in a similar way, bring forward changes where planning requirements are preventing or delaying the delivery of much-needed affordable and social housing?

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

   Thank you for that, Cabinet Minister. That's reassuring, and I'll be very pleased to contribute some of our ideas. Clearly, if planning is a blocker to delivering the houses we need, we need to level some of those barriers. Moving on to a different subject that you're responsible for, Cabinet Minister, and that's the Welsh fire service. They have continued to promote the Wales Wildfire Board's Burn to Protect campaign. Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service and North Wales Fire and Rescue Service have both highlighted the need for preventative action following the horrific scenes we saw all through the summer. Recent scrutiny by Audit Wales has highlighted wider concerns around the financial sustainability of our fire service and the costs associated with improved programmes. Given the increasing threat posed by extreme weather conditions, what assessment have you made of whether Wales's fire and rescue services have sufficient resources and funding to respond to increasing wildfire incidents, particularly in south Wales, following the severe wildfire season we've just experienced?

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4. 8. Reform UK Debate: Access to HMOs and social housing for foreign nationals en

   Diolch, Lywydd. I move the Conservative amendment in the name of Paul Davies. Now, there is no doubt that people across Wales are concerned about pressure on housing. They see growing waiting lists, rising rents and increasing difficulty for local people to access affordable homes. They expect politicians to take those concerns seriously and to offer practical solutions. Unfortunately, what we have before us from Reform today is not a serious attempt to solve a problem. As usual, it is a headline-grabbing motion that falls apart the moment you examine how it would work in actual fact. We believe—the Conservative Party believes—that social housing must prioritise those with a genuine and established connection to our country. We also agree that accommodation should not be provided to people who are here unlawfully. That is why we have tabled an amendment that takes a practical and deliverable approach and a position that is shared by the UK Conservative Party. What we do not support is a policy so carelessly drafted that it would sweep up people who are legally entitled to be here, legally entitled to work here and legally entitled to housing support under existing arrangements. The reality is that Reform's motion would not just affect the groups they want to talk about. It would affect foreign students renting rooms in HMOs while studying at Welsh universities, it would affect workers who have come here legally, and it would affect Irish citizens whose rights are protected under the common travel area. Most significantly, it would also affect EU citizens who were given settled status after Brexit. These are people who were explicitly told that there would be no change to their rights if they were already lawfully resident in the United Kingdom. Those commitments were written into the withdrawal agreement and form part of our international obligations. So, Reform need to answer a simple question: are they really proposing that the United Kingdom should tear up agreements it freely entered into, creating uncertainty for British citizens living abroad and risk retaliatory action from our European neighbours, all to pursue a policy they have no realistic route in implementing? That is the logical consequence of what they are proposing. Now, many of the very people now championing this motion were enthusiastic supporters of the 'leave' campaign, which repeatedly assured EU citizens already living here that their rights would be protected. Back then, they said one thing; today, they are saying another. So, which position is right? We believe in controlled immigration, secure borders and fairness in the allocation of public services. But we also believe that promises made should be promises kept. That is why our amendment takes a different path. We call for reform of social housing eligibility rules where needed, while protecting the rights of British and Irish citizens and those covered by the withdrawal agreement. We call for action against the use of HMOs to accommodate those who are unlawfully present in the United Kingdom, including those who have arrived illegally. Those are measures that can actually be implemented—they are legally sound, they are proportionate and they address legitimate public concerns without descending into gesture politics. We should also be clear that Welsh Government cannot escape responsibility. Labour have overseen years of pressure on housing supply, years of failure to deliver the homes that Wales needs, and years of inaction when local authorities and communities have raised concerns about housing availability. So, while Reform offer slogans, Labour try to defend their record and Plaid set out their next 100 days of uncosted aims, the Welsh Conservatives are offering solutions—solutions that recognise the pressure on housing, uphold the rule of law and can actually be delivered. For those reasons, Members should reject Reform's flawed motion and support ours. Thank you.

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1. 1. Questions to the First Minister en

   First Minister, we've heard from Kiera Marshall very clearly that access to childcare is heavily dependent on where you live; Flying Start is a great example. So, you are declaring—your Government says—that its new offer will be flexible and responsive to parents' needs, which is great, but is that really going to take effect? We talked about rural-proofing earlier. Will rural-proofing enable this to happen in our rural communities? Can we truly see a levelling-up and a universality, as you said, of childcare in those most hard-to-reach areas like I represent?

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1. 1. Questions to the First Minister en

   Diolch, Lywydd. First Minister, I welcome the food strategy, and I was pleased to read the published terms of reference for it last week, and I look forward to the expert panel being put in place. I am frustrated in many ways that we've lost four months because, actually, most of the evidence that is needed around that area has been in place, because there are huge similarities between what you're putting forward and what I was considering a couple of years ago. Within my proposals back then, there were clear, measurable targets against food goals. Can we expect to see really robust, measurable targets against your food pillars, and can I ask you: would you consider anchoring your food strategy into legislation, recognising the importance this will have for our future generations?

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2. 7. Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning: Building Safety Programme Update en

   Can I thank you, Cabinet Minister, for your statement today? There are many sentiments within it that I align with, especially regarding the victims of Grenfell. Our hearts still go out to them and their families. Every resident in Wales deserves to know their home is safe, that identified risks are being addressed swiftly, and that they will not be left facing years of uncertainty while Governments debate responsibility. Progress must be measured by outcomes. For too long, many people across Wales have faced uncertainty about the safety of their homes, the costs they may face and the timescales for remediation. We must ensure that those responsible for building failures contribute towards putting them right. Residents who bought or rented homes in good faith should not be left carrying the burden of mistakes made by others. I note the announcement of the Wales interim measures alarm grant, which will provide support for leaseholders facing the costs of interim alarm systems. Now, while any assistance for affected residents will be welcome, leaseholders will want clarity on how many people are expected to benefit, how quickly support will be available, and whether the scheme will fully address the costs many residents continue to face as a consequence of failures for which they bear no responsibility. Looking now at remediation orders, as well as the need to hold developers to account, the key test is not how many powers are available, but how quickly unsafe buildings are fixed and how many families are able to move on with their lives. There are concerns about the pace of progress. Clearly, we've heard them all today, and you acknowledge those yourself. But people need confidence that meaningful action is being taken now, and that remediation will not be delayed. As always in Wales, we need action, not more bureaucracy. Minister, there is also a wider challenge here. You have made it clear that increasing housing supply is one of your priorities, with ambitions for 20,000 new social homes by 2030. Now, while increasing supply is important, quantity must never come at the expense of quality. And some of you may have heard Radio Wales this morning, where they were talking about snagging—so many new houses that have got so many faults. Well, we can't have poorly built houses in the first place, and the lessons of past building failures must be fully embedded in future development, so that every new home is built to the highest standard of safety, quality and resilience. At the same time, Wales faces a housing crisis. We need more homes, but we need safe homes. We need faster development, but we also need public confidence that safety standards are being rigorously upheld. These objectives are not in conflict. They must go hand in hand. We also recognise that public confidence depends on ensuring that all significant safety risks are addressed, whether they relate to cladding, asbestos, reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete or wider structural concerns. People deserve safe homes, clear information and swift action when problems are identified. Therefore, can you, Minister, confirm how many leaseholders are expected to benefit from the Wales interim measures alarm grant? What assessment has been made of whether the scheme will meet the costs faced by affected residents? And what assurances can you provide that remediation work and developer compliance will accelerate well before the planned registration of the category 1 buildings, as you mentioned, in December 2027? Ultimately, success will not be judged by the number of strategies, working groups or announcements; it will be judged by whether families can sleep safely in their homes and whether the public can have confidence that the failures of the past are not repeated. Diolch.

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

   4. Sut mae'r Gweinidog Cabinet yn gweithio gyda chydweithwyr y Cabinet i ddarparu cymorth ariannol i gominwyr a phobl eraill sydd wedi'u heffeithio gan y tanau gwyllt diweddar? OQ64453

   Official English translation

   4. How is the Cabinet Minister working with Cabinet colleagues to provide financial support to commoners and other people affected by the recent wildfires? OQ64453

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

   Thank you very much for that, Cabinet Minister. The affected commoners in my constituency have already incurred almost £50,000 in direct costs and loss of earnings, with a further £20,000 needed for replacement fodder, and estimates for restoration work reaching around £89,000. In total, costs now exceed well over £100,000, with some family farms questioning their long-term liability. I've already written to your colleague the Cabinet Minister for rural resilience, looking for more support. And he came back and said pretty well that there wouldn't be any additional money because it was implied that sheep could just simply graze somewhere else, which I don't think were his words, but somebody had written on his behalf. And I'm sure he will disagree with that. I took great concern at that, as did many of the farming unions. However, we need a longer term solution to these issues. And given the scale of these losses—and across Wales—and the reality that these extreme events are likely to happen more often in the future, are you, Cabinet Minister, having discussions with ministerial colleagues about establishing a dedicated emergency fund designed to support farming businesses with managing short-term crises and financial challenges—not just a one-off, but a long-term fund?

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3. 5. Reform UK Debate: Grooming gangs en

   I too thank Paul Marr for the way he set this debate. That was really important. Because every victim of sexual exploitation, as we've heard, deserves justice. These are some of the most appalling crimes imaginable, and my heart—all of our hearts—goes out to everyone who has been a victim. And that is why this debate is so important. The recent rise in convictions in Wales should serve as a reminder that this is not an issue that can simply be dismissed or something that happens elsewhere. Recent cases in Wales demonstrate that child sexual exploitation has occurred here in our communities, and that serious questions must continue to be asked about whether agencies always acted as they should have.  We welcome the UK Government's decision to establish a statutory independent inquiry into grooming gangs. It is an important step forward, and one that survivors have campaigned for over many years. But whilst that inquiry is welcome, it cannot be used as an excuse for inaction here in Wales. Our amendment calls on the Welsh Government to commission a Wales-wide grooming gang inquiry into matters that fall within devolved competence. That is a reasonable request. Indeed, it's difficult to see how anyone could oppose it. Schools, social services, safeguarding arrangements, health services and local authorities are all devolved, as we've heard from previous speakers. If failures occurred within any of those systems, surely it's the responsibility of the Welsh Government and the Senedd to understand what happened, to learn from it, and to ensure that no child is ever failed in the same way again. A Wales-wide inquiry would not duplicate the work of a UK inquiry; it would complement it by focusing specifically on Welsh institutions, Welsh services, Welsh safeguarding systems, and Welsh decision making. It would allow victims in Wales to have confidence that their experiences are being listened to and properly examined. Many survivors have spent years fighting to be heard. They have shown remarkable courage in speaking publicly about their experiences, and in demanding that institutions examine what went wrong. We owe it to them to pursue every avenue that can help uncover the truth and deliver meaningful change. If there were failures within devolved Welsh services, then those failures must be identified.  So, today, I urge Members from across the Chamber to support our amendment. We must send a clear message that, wherever these crimes occur, and whatever institutions may be involved, we will always put the pursuit of truth, justice and the protection of children first. Diolch.

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1. 7. Statement by the Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women's Health: Putting Women, Babies and Families at the Heart of Safety: The implementation of Call for Concern in Maternity and Neonatal Services en

   Can I thank you, Minister, for bringing forward this statement? Your passion about this subject is clearly evident, and it's something that is important to all of us. Every family has the right to expect that if they raise concerns at any stage, those concerns will be listened to, they'll be taken seriously and acted upon. The principle behind Call for Concern is therefore one that I think every Member in this Chamber can support. However, with so many of these NHS initiatives, success will ultimately depend on the practical reality of implementation, hence the various similar questions we're all going to be asking of you. Minister, you have set out plans to roll out Call for Concern across Wales, and outlined work already under way across a number of health boards. That is a welcome ambition, but families expect the same standards of care regardless of where they live. Now, I wonder, Minister, can you explain how the Welsh Government will independently assess whether women and families are receiving that same experience of Call for Concern in every health board? I think you've partly answered that in an earlier question. It's so important that there is access to that same level of care, and it's important that there is a process put in place to measure that. Minister, you've spoken about empowering women and families to raise concerns when they believe something is wrong, and that's absolutely the correct approach. But empowerment only exists if people know that the system is there in the first place. Too often, families have spoken about not knowing how to escalate concerns or challenge decisions at the time they were most worried. Simply creating a process does not guarantee that it will be used. Minister, you have acknowledged the importance of ensuring women and families are aware of the system and feel confident enough to use it. Can you therefore tell us how the Government intends to measure awareness amongst patients and families, rather than simply assume that the information has been provided? Whilst I recognise your emphasis on culture change, culture alone does not provide rapid clinical reviews. If concerns are escalated and additional assessments are required, who will undertake those reviews? What additional workforce capacity has been made available to support this programme and what specific funding has accompanied its implementation? Staff across our maternity and neonatal services already work under considerable pressure, as we know. They continue to do an outstanding job in difficult circumstances, but patient safety initiatives cannot operate on goodwill alone. Llywydd, whilst I welcome the introduction of Call for Concern, it is important that we do not lose sight of the wider context. The reason such measures are necessary is because recent reviews have revealed serious concerns about maternity services across Wales. The review into services in Swansea bay identified repeated failings in care, governance and culture, while the national maternity assessment found that further improvements remain necessary across Wales. The Welsh Conservatives support measures that strengthen patient safety and amplify the voices of women and families. However, today's announcement will ultimately be judged not by its intentions, but by its outcomes. Families from across Wales deserve to know that, wherever they give birth, whoever is providing their care and whatever concerns they have, their voice will be heard, their concerns will be acted on and their safety and that of their baby will always come first. Diolch.

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1. 1. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care en

   Cabinet Secretary, I have had constituents tell me that, when calling 999, they are no longer being given an estimated arrival time for ambulances. Now, I understand this may reflect operational practice rather than a formal policy, particularly following recent changes to ambulance performance measures. However, not knowing when help is likely to arrive can add significant anxiety for patients and their families—should they wait or should they find another means of getting to hospital? Can you therefore clarify the position on providing ETAs and assure the Senedd that communication and reassurance remain part of the ambulance service approach? And what advice would you give to the public?

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

   Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Cabinet Minister, thank you for your statement on Monday. I was hopeful that a statement like that would have come to this Chamber for a deeper debate, so I'll use one of my questions on it. While the ambition to increase the supply of social housing is absolutely welcomed, your written statement confirms that acquired properties will count towards the 20,000 homes target, alongside new-build developments. Now, many people will hear this announcement and assume it means 20,000 newly built social homes. However, by including the acquisitions, the target appears to rely in part on existing properties already within Wales's housing stock, rather than wholly on the creation of new homes. Cabinet Minister, can you tell us how many of the 20,000 additional social homes you expect to be delivered through acquisitions and how many will be genuinely new-build properties?

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

   Thank you, Cabinet Minister. Very clearly, then, there needs to be quite a lot of data gathered so that we can ascertain just how many new houses we do need to build, and I hope that that work is ongoing. Turning back to town-centre regeneration, we know that town centres—and you'll agree—are the beating heart of our communities but continue to face those significant challenges. If we are to increase footfall, we need an environment in which businesses can thrive. Now, Cwmbran is a good example. It continues to demonstrate the importance of convenience for shoppers, with businesses there citing free parking as one of the factors behind strong visitor numbers. However, businesses across Wales continue to raise concerns about the high business costs, declining footfall, restrictive regulations and the difficulty of attracting customers back into the town centre. Now, regeneration isn't just about bringing new initiatives to the towns, but it's about preserving existing businesses and enabling them to survive. Cabinet Minister, working with the Cabinet Minister for Finance and through your town-centre task group, what specific measures are you prepared to consider or introduce to incentivise businesses to locate back in our town centres and help regenerate those struggling high streets?

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

   Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Wales has one of the best recycling records in the world. We've heard that several times, and, certainly, I'm proud of what we've done in Monmouthshire, boasting a recycling rate that exceeds the Welsh average. So, this debate is not really about whether we care about recycling—clearly, we all do. The question is whether the Welsh Government is capable of delivering this scheme properly, and, based on what we have seen so far, I have some concerns. But I hope that the Cabinet Minister, being a pragmatic and sensible man who understands the situation, will allay some of our fears. With just over a year until it is implemented, businesses still do not know how the scheme will run, what exemptions will exist, or how the return points will be funded. Indeed, I was speaking to a retailer here in this building earlier today who was really anxious, not really sure how it was going to work, how they were going to fund it, how she could afford to run the reverse vending machines in her place. So, there are lots of questions unanswered. So, I think being different is not the same as being better. All other UK nations are proceeding with plastic and aluminium, but only Wales, as we know, is insisting on including glass. And as Jane Dodds pointed out just now, we are facing that absurd situation where a glass bottle sold in Hereford operates under one set of rules, yet, across the border in Abergavenny, suddenly the system changes. Now, businesses trading across the England-Wales border should not have to operate two separate systems simply because the Welsh Government has decided to go its own way. Every additional layer of complexity means additional costs, and those costs ultimately end up being paid by consumers. It is very easy to design a scheme in Cardiff Bay; it is much harder to make it work in a village shop in Monmouthshire, an independent retailer in Cwmbran, or a family-run convenience store serving its local community. When Coca-Cola, the Co-op and Sainsbury's are all raising concerns, Ministers should pay attention. When Welsh producer Radnor Hills describes the scheme as a complete and utter mess, Ministers should definitely pay attention. Instead, to date, concerns have been brushed aside. So, I ask the Welsh Government: if this scheme is ready, where is the administrator? If implementation is on track, why are key operational decisions still unresolved? If businesses need certainty today, why has the Welsh Government left them waiting until tomorrow? Those are serious questions, and so far Plaid Cymru have not provided convincing answers. We support a deposit-return scheme, we support higher recycling rates, we support reducing litter and protecting our environment, but environmental ambition must be matched by common sense. A successful scheme must be affordable, workable and aligned with the rest of the United Kingdom. The Welsh Government should abandon this unnecessary disparity, remove glass from the initial roll-out and focus on delivering a scheme that actually works for Welsh consumers, Welsh retailers and Welsh businesses. I encourage all to support our motion.

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1. 1. Questions to the First Minister en

   First Minister, rather than solely focusing on the impact to the Welsh Government's budget, what is the Government actually doing to maximise the opportunities of the defence investment plan that it can present to employers such as BAE Systems in Glascoed in my constituency and the wider defence sector? There are over 285 defence companies in Wales, contributing a £1 billion to our economy. Surely we should be focusing on what we can make out of this, instead of just bemoaning the situation.

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1. 1. Questions to the First Minister en

   First Minister, as you will know well, the WLGA have long argued that the quantum of local government funding is not large enough to meet the very real and growing expectations on councils. Pressures are growing massively for them, as you'll know, especially in adult social care and children's services. Now, we have already this term discussed many times in this Chamber the crucial issue of social care and how it is fundamental to unblocking our beleaguered health service, enabling timely discharges. First Minister, with this in mind, then, how are you planning to uplift local government funding to enable you to address the desperate issues in social care, recognising the sector's crucial role in unlocking our struggling health service?

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2. 5. Statement by the Deputy Minister for Transport: Our Vision for the Devolution of Rail en

   Thank you, Minister, for your statement. Now, I'd like to pay tribute to a former Cabinet Secretary for transport, Ken Skates. Whilst we might not have always agreed, I know from my conversations and engagement with Ken that he, like me, wanted to improve rail services for our constituents, and always worked with that goal in mind. On a positive note for rail in Wales, it would be churlish not to acknowledge that there has been some improvement in recent years with aspects of rail services, namely the roll-out of the Transport for London-style tap-on system in south Wales, which has been a good initiative and has reduced the cost of travel compared with purchasing regular tickets. It's good to see this being rolled out across north Wales now as well. The electrification of the core Valleys lines has likewise brought much-needed improvement to railways that had long been viewed as forgotten by many, but we must remember Wales is not just Cardiff. Turning now to areas that still need to be addressed, I will begin with rail resilience. Now, we've seen lately—and we'll probably see again—hot weather. Ageing rolling stock and weaknesses within the network mean our rail remains far too fragile, and we need to put that resilience back in. The Marches line is, perhaps, the most susceptible to disruption. A delay in the south impacts the north, and, owing to the structure of the network, can quickly affect services across the whole of Wales. So, I welcome the Minister today acknowledging the need to increase capacity and resilience on this route. Passengers, however, have heard these commitments before and will rightly want to see action rather than warm words. Can the Minister therefore outline what specific interventions are being considered, and when we can expect to see tangible improvement delivered there? I think the proposed Magor and Undy station shows what can be achieved when local campaigning is backed by proper investment and co-operation. But we must acknowledge it was the support of the previous UK Conservative Government and the former Secretary of State for Wales that helped get this project off the drawing board and into development. The previous UK Conservative Government also delivered significant rail investment into Wales, including electrification of the Great Western main line to Cardiff, new intercity express trains and significant funds towards the core Valleys lines. I was part of the delivery of the Cardiff capital region city deal, which was focused around bringing forward the metro. That was, again, delivered because the UK Government enabled that to happen. Now, the real issue is not a lack of powers but a lack of fair funding. Wales has too often missed out on rail investment and should receive its fair share of rail spending, including full consequentials from projects in England. What Wales needs is more money for rail, not more powers over rail. Minister, much of your statement rests on the argument that further powers will unlock better outcomes, but passengers will rightly judge on what they experience on the ground. You referred to Transport for Wales's £14 billion rail vision and accelerating delivery of the Burns station programme. Can you clarify exactly which projects are being funded and what timescales have been agreed? Minister, you also cite the core Valley lines transformation as evidence for further devolution, but, before seeking additional powers, should the Welsh Government not first demonstrate that projects already under its control are being delivered on time, on budget and producing measurable improvements for passengers across Wales? The test should not be how many powers politicians can accumulate, but whether passengers see better outcomes. Minister, is the real challenge facing Welsh railways really a lack of powers, or is it a lack of investment and delivery? Would it not be better to focus on securing fairer funding and demonstrating that existing devolved responsibilities can deliver better services for passengers, before calls for more devolution?

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1. 7. Reform UK Debate: Nation of Sanctuary en

   I want to start from a position of seriousness and responsibility. Wales is and always has been a welcoming nation, to people such as we have seen from Ukraine, and we should be proud of that. We stand with those Ukrainians who needed help, and this debate is not about whether Wales should help Ukrainians fleeing war and persecution; we should, and we will. The real question is whether that support requires a permanent, overarching nation of sanctuary framework at all. We do not believe it does. In fairness, the public are entitled to question how their money is spent, especially if it is being spent on those who arrived here illegally, as this is obviously not a devolved function. We must not forget that practical support for those who need it can be provided through existing public services, local authorities and targeted programmes, without maintaining a separate strategy covering a policy area that is not devolved. As a past leader, I too welcomed Afghan interpreters into Monmouthshire. These were people who fought alongside my son in Afghanistan, and it was right and proper that we offered them sanctuary in Monmouthshire, and I'm very proud that we did that. Some have argued that this scheme is essential for integration, but the evidence does not support that claim. England, without a comparable overarching scheme, accommodates the vast majority of UK asylum seekers—around 88 per cent of the total—without a similar structure to the one we have here. So, we can be compassionate and supportive without a nation of sanctuary policy. In reality, much of the opposition to the nation of sanctuary plan is not directed at the practical support provided to legitimate people in need; it's directed at the overarching scheme itself. The Conservatives believe Wales can continue to provide help where it is needed, without maintaining a programme that has become increasingly divisive and controversial. We support assistance to Ukrainians fleeing the war, but we do not believe that we require keeping a wider programme in a non-devolved area that targets support at those who arrived here illegally. If the Welsh Government believes support for Ukrainians demonstrates the success of the scheme, the existence—as we've heard—of the Ukrainian crisis does not prove the necessity of a nation of sanctuary plan. The nation of sanctuary plan, as we have heard, operated for more than three years before the invasion of Ukraine. It was not created in response to that crisis, and therefore the Government cannot use Ukraine alone as proof that the wider framework is necessary. While we don't believe that the nation of sanctuary policy is needed, we do not share Reform’s approach. Reform have taken this debate to an extreme, particularly in their stance towards Ukraine, such as their request to have the Ukrainian flag taken down. We will not follow down that path. We will not question support for Ukraine, we will not undermine that solidarity, and we will not use rhetoric that risks damaging our international standing. There is a responsible, balanced position here, and that is where I and the Conservatives stand. So, let me be clear: we support helping those in genuine need, and we support standing with Ukraine, but we do not believe the Welsh Government should be using this framework to offer support, as assistance can be delivered through practical measures and existing mechanisms, rather than through a separate overarching strategy, namely the nation of sanctuary. Wales can continue to help those in genuine need without retaining a permanent nation of sanctuary framework, and for those reasons, we support scrapping the nation of sanctuary plan, while continuing to stand firmly with Ukraine and those others who need our help most. Diolch.

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1. 1. Questions to the First Minister cy

   8. Sut mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn cryfhau diogeledd a gwydnwch bwyd? OQ64237

   Official English translation

   8. How is the Welsh Government strengthening food security and resilience? OQ64237

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2. 1. Questions to the First Minister en

   First Minister, we have seen how fragile our food system can be, which is precisely why I brought forward my food Bill in 2022, to create a joined-up, long-term framework for how we produce, distribute and consume food in this country, not only ensuring our food security, but also addressing societal issues linked with malnutrition and obesity. It was sadly voted down when the past Labour Government and Liberal Democrat wouldn't allow it to continue, something I know that many of them still regret. Now, I recognise that your Government has spoken positively about many of these same ambitions, with some initiatives already under way. But what remains absent is a single, coherent, deliverable plan that brings the whole food system together and looks at it holistically. So, First Minister, given the clear alignment between the principles set out in my Food (Wales) Bill and the ambitions your Government has expressed, will you now commit to bringing forward a comprehensive, overarching national food strategy for Wales, one that will guide the whole food system from farm to fork?

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1. 6. Welsh Conservatives Debate: Hospital services and hospital closures en

   Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. I agree with you, it's very difficult to start this debate following such an important and emotional debate, and I commend the Member for bringing that forward.

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2. 6. Welsh Conservatives Debate: Hospital services and hospital closures en

   However, I am pleased to move the motion tabled in the name of my colleague Paul Davies. Llywydd, the Welsh Conservatives cannot stand by and support the continual systemic downgrading of our healthcare services across Wales. Today, we are calling on this new Welsh Government to draw a line in the sand and rule out the managed decline of our local hospitals. Every Member in this Chamber represents a constituency where local hospitals are facing serious structural and maintenance issues, but simply rationalising services and closing local facilities without addressing the root causes isn't just short-sighted, it's completely missing the mark. We do not need further downgrading, what we need is targeted, urgent investment to clear the staggering backlog of repairs. Now, I note that this new Welsh Government administration has pledged £20 million to begin addressing these estate issues, but to call that a beginning is a massive understatement. It is barely a drop in the ocean when you compare it with the £1.4 billion that the Welsh Government itself admits is required to bring our NHS estate up to scratch. We can't afford to wait decades to see the improvements needed. What we need from the Welsh Government is a clear plan as to how much they are going to be allocating to these much-needed repairs and how we are going to see improvements to the backlog of maintenance work required. It's no secret, Llywydd, that the Welsh NHS estate is quite literally crumbling after decades of underinvestment. To make matters worse, serious structural and maintenance issues have now been identified at all 12 of Wales's main hospitals. These aren't just cosmetic problems, they are causing severe operational crises. We saw it clearly when the Princess of Wales Hospital was forced to close its accident and emergency department due to major water supply disruption, as well as the roof collapse there in 2024. Let's be completely clear, the centralisation of NHS services and the downgrading of community hospitals are purely political choices. They are decisions made by previous Welsh Governments, and they are decisions that this new administration can choose to reverse today if they have the political will.  We are constantly fed the narrative that the Welsh NHS is being moved closer to home, yet for patients on the ground nothing could be further from the truth. Services are being routinely stripped away from the very communities they are meant to serve. If the Welsh Government were to support our motion today, Wales would take a massive step forward. We would finally show the public that the old, failing way of running our health service doesn't have to be the status quo. But, sadly, Plaid Cymru, looking at their amendment, have refused to back our motion. For the Welsh electorate, it will seem like a depressing case of same old, same old, business as usual, just a slightly different shade of Labour, which is hardly surprising given Plaid's close links with successive Labour administrations. Look at the consequences of this approach across Wales. Take Withybush general hospital, where emergency surgery was recently moved all the way to Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthenshire. Now, my colleague Paul Davies has long and tirelessly campaigned against the gradual erosion of vital services from Withybush, a hospital that serves not only a dedicated local community, but also hundreds of thousands of tourists who visit that beautiful part of Wales. He will no doubt expand on the controversial redesign of stroke services, currently causing deep anxiety across Hywel Dda. Tragically, the people of Wales have seen first-hand what happens when these services are downgraded. In my own region, we were promised that the Grange University Hospital in Cwmbran was intended to be a specialist acute facility. Instead, following the closure and downgrading of vital A&E units in Newport, Abergavenny and Ystrad Mynach, it has been forced to serve as the default A&E for 600,000 people. As a result, it has constantly failed to meet its targets. This new hub-and-spoke model is simply not working. Look at last week's health statistics; the proof is undeniable. In north Wales, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board remains trapped in a parlous state, languishing in special measures for nearly 11 years. Services are constantly redesigned, but always at the cost of front-line patient care. In Powys, we see the human cost of fiscal mismanagement. Patients are actively being told to wait longer for treatment because the health board cannot afford to send them to England, where they could be treated far more quickly. This rationing of care is expected to hit thousands of patients there. Llywydd, we have reached a tipping point where services are being redesigned, which is just a euphemism for downgrading or closing, because of severe cost-cutting and a self-inflicted workforce crisis. These are deep structural failures and we cannot rely on sticking-plaster solutions anymore. We need radical change. It is a national embarrassment that six out of our seven health boards are forecasting huge, substantial deficits. Yet, while the Government blames a lack of resources, we face this absurd situation where we have a workforce ready to save these services, but the jobs aren't being advertised. It is astounding that almost a third of all nursing graduates in Wales cannot find a position within the Welsh NHS and that a recruitment freeze has been slapped on newly trained paramedics. All of this is happening while ambulance red call targets are routinely missed. It now takes an ambulance on average over an hour and 20 minutes to respond to an orange call—a category that includes strokes, where every single second counts. Now, all of this is happening at a time when cancer targets are declining, all at a time when waiting lists are ballooning and all at a time when more than 11,000 people are left waiting over 12 hours for treatment in our overstretched A&E departments. So, Llywydd, the current trajectory is just unsustainable. So, today, I urge Members to support our motion, reject the politics of managed decline and vote for the investment and protection that our local hospitals deserve. Diolch.

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1. 1. Questions to the First Minister en

   First Minister, as you'll know, there is no longer a requirement for RSLs to have elected representatives on their boards. Indeed, many of them are already divesting themselves, or have done already, of local representatives. How can you, the Welsh Government, be confident that these organisations are acting in the best interests of local communities, without that direct democratic oversight? Are you satisfied that RSLs are being held to account effectively in the absence of elected representation?

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2. 6. Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care: Delivering on our priorities: Reducing waiting times and strengthening primary care en

   Thank you, Cabinet Minister, for your statement. Of course, I welcome extra funding to drive down waiting times, but I'm concerned that this alone won't be sufficient when we're looking at all of the problems the Welsh NHS is facing, and I know you would agree with that. I say this as we have seen a marked increase in patients waiting over two years for treatment, and I'm especially concerned then that Betsi Cadwaladr, for instance, despite having received significant funds from Welsh Government to tackle its waiting list for several years, makes up a third of the patients waiting over a year for treatment and two thirds of the patients waiting more than two years. Therefore, Minister, are you confident then that this funding strategy will help to drive down waiting times in Betsi Cadwaladr? Because if it's not going to do it there, it's not going to really deal with our problem. Turning to accident and emergency waiting times, again we see a slight decrease in the figures, to 64 per cent, of people being seen within four hours. However, this figure decreases substantially when looking at major emergency departments, where just over half of patients are waiting less than four hours. When the Royal College of Emergency Medicine reports that over 1,000 people died waiting over 12 hours for treatment in 2025, we know there is an urgent problem to be tackled. Cabinet Minister, you have made cutting corridor care a key part of your pledges to Wales. How will this funding be used to free up more bed space in Welsh hospitals? That's something I think we all need to know. And turning to accident and emergency, in my constituency we have just one hospital, the Grange, to serve an A&E for 600,000 people, a fifth of the Welsh population. Nearly 1,200 people were waiting over 12 hours to be seen at the hospital in May. So, Minister, do you agree with me that it's a ridiculous situation to have just one A&E to serve such a wide area and, as such, we should reopen A&E units in hospitals such as the Royal Gwent in Newport? Turning to cancer, while cancer survival rates have recovered to pre-pandemic levels, this is essentially a levelling off from 2019 after improvements in the early part of the century. Additionally, as we see from this month's cancer statistics, just over half of cancer patients are being treated within 62 days. Cabinet Minister, I'm concerned that the NHS is potentially losing ground on cancer rates. How will your approach ensure that more cancer patients receive vital treatment earlier so that they are able to live healthier, longer lives? In your statement this afternoon, you talk about recruiting a pan-Wales director for out-of-hospital services. Can you please elaborate on what you expect this role to deliver, and outline what you envisage the director's remit will be? And I'm pleased about your focus on prevention, as it is crucial, as we've all repeated—it's been said here many times today. A review of how GP surgeries are funded is welcome, especially as we have lost over 100 practices since 2012. Can you please outline how the Welsh Government is going to ease the pressure on GPs whilst also ensuring residents across Wales have timely access to a GP when they are in need? We know that extra pressure can be placed on hospitals because patients often do not know where they should be going to get the treatment, possibly going to minor injuries units for treatment when in fact they should be helped under the common ailment service instead. Signposting is key, Cabinet Minister, so what work will the Welsh Government do in this area? And finally, Cabinet Minister, I note there is much to say about the surgical hubs—yes, they are important—but my main concern is that the current NHS estate is crumbling. The fact that there is over £1 billion of maintenance backlogs that are deemed high or significant risks should send a shiver up all of our spines. How can we expect to drive down waiting lists if there are pigeons in clinical areas, closures of A&E departments because of disrupted water supply and roofs collapsing in hospitals? Therefore, what efforts are you making to support the NHS estate so that patients and staff can expect safe and clean hospitals? Diolch.

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1. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care en

   Diolch, Llywydd, and can I congratulate you, Cabinet Minister, on your position? And I wish you well. Cabinet Minister, you know that I chaired the Health and Social Care Committee during the latter stages of the sixth Senedd, when you were also a member. Together we heard about the immense pressures facing our health service, not least within GP services, ophthalmology, gynaecological cancer care and some of what we've just heard in the previous question about social care and unpaid carers. The committee published its legacy report in April, setting out a series of recommendations for future work. The message was clear: without clear targets, measurable outcomes and a genuine shift in funding, prevention will always lose out to short-term pressures. Can I therefore ask you, Cabinet Minister, whether you will commit to implementing all of the recommendations set out in the committee's report?

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2. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care en

   Well, thank you, Cabinet Minister. So, you didn't quite answer if you were going to agree to all of the recommendations in the committee report, but I'm sure you'll be reflecting on that report, and I look forward to your views on it. Cabinet Minister, Plaid Cymru talks a lot about ambition, cutting waiting lists, hiring 100 GPs, creating surgical hubs. These are all laudable aims, but they require funding and sustained commitment. Yet nowhere in your plans do you set out a detailed workforce model, binding national targets or clear consequences for failing health boards. Your Government will have to make difficult decisions on funding, including where resources are reallocated from, and whether you will commit to a period of double funding, which was another key recommendation from the committee. At the moment, you are offering a list of initiatives, but not the framework or funding needed to deliver them. Without those, why should anyone believe your plan will not simply repeat the same cycle of missed targets, rising waiting times and a lack of accountability that Welsh patients have endured for 27 years?

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

   Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Cabinet Minister, can I also congratulate you once again on your appointment? Now, your manifesto talks about reviewing the funding formula for local government, and that is very much welcome—as you know, I've called for that for a long time—but your manifesto also states that the structures of government in Wales, including town and community councils, will be kept under continuous review. Now, this has caused quite a lot of confusion and concern amongst local authorities. Can you therefore clarify, once and for all, that your Government will not be looking to restructure local authorities and instead will work with them to ensure they can deliver the public services that the people of Wales deserve?

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4. 3. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning en

   Well, thank you, Cabinet Minister, for the clarity on that; that's very much welcome. I know your anxieties around corporate joint committees and things like that, so I can see that you will be looking at those regional entities. But, to move on, one aspect that caused voters to turn away from the previous Welsh Government is the fact that they spent too much time looking for additional powers, rather than using the ones they had to provide the basic services that the people of Wales depend on. Now, right now, local authorities, as we've heard several times, are facing increasing financial pressures and are being forced to raise council tax just to ensure that they can stay afloat. Now, the last thing they need are new additional projects being brought forward on the whim of policy makers down here in Cardiff Bay. Would you agree with me that councils should be given the resources needed to deliver key and statutory services and that the Government should refrain from loading new burdens on them?

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1. 1. Questions to the First Minister en

   First Minister, underperformance and systemic inconsistency in secondary schools remain a challenge for councils and schools, with many schools in my constituency and, no doubt, across Wales, carrying significant budget deficits. First Minister, how will your Government drive the continuous improvement we need to see, when so many schools have a financial millstone around their necks holding them back?

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

   Diolch, Lywydd. Cabinet Minister, this is going to be a similar set of questions in many ways, but it will be, because it's such an important issue to so many of our community. Your role directly influences people in Wales, and it decides if they will be better off, not just whether policies sound good on paper. Your manifesto, as you've talked about again, includes commitments like that expanding childcare, which I know will be discussed later on, and the Welsh child payment. But many of these are framed as pilots, phased roll-outs, or long-term structural reforms. For families, as we've just heard, struggling right now with food, rent and energy bills, those kinds of timelines can feel like delay rather than delivery. So, can you be very clear? I know you've laid out some of your thinking just then, but what specific, immediate financial difference will a low-income family see within your first year—not in theory, but in their bank account or weekly costs? And if that's too much of a tall order, what would you expect them to see after two years of this Government?

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

   Thank you, Cabinet Minister. That sounds reassuring. But words are fine; let's see what the action is. Because a recurring issue in Wales—and we've all seen it for many, many years—is that we don't see improvement in poverty or living standards. In fact, it has been the same for 20 years, as I see it, with several hundred thousand children living in poverty. Your manifesto talks about new strategies, new ways of working, and that's really great—we look forward to that—but can you be clear on what we can expect in regard to real measurable targets so we can monitor progress? Because what I've seen in this place ever since I've been here is you cannot track performance. There's no performance management, really, for us to hold people to account. Will we see those targets? We need to ensure that your policies don't become just another set of commitments that don't deliver, and then the responsibility gets deflected back to the last Government or the Government before. Minister, if child poverty is still at an unacceptable level two or three years into your Government, who should people actually hold to account? You, your Government, or will it be somebody else?

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1. 1. Questions to the First Minister en

   First Minister, the cost-of-living crisis and the cost-of-doing-business crisis is evident. When in opposition, you and your colleagues spoke regularly about these concerns. Now you have the levers of power, will you use them to ease the burden on the pockets of citizens and businesses? I heard your answer just now, where it looks like you may be looking at certain things. So, First Minister, will you be reviewing land transaction tax for first-time buyers, to put them on a fair footing with first-time buyers in England, which is very much an issue in my constituency near the border? And will you review business rates to at least help our small and medium-sized businesses combat the damaging policies levelled on them by Labour in Westminster? The clock is ticking and the honeymoon is coming to an end.

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2. 3. Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning: Priorities for Local Government, Housing and Planning en

   Thank you for your statement, Minister, and congratulations; I know how passionate you are on the whole housing front, as I worked with you for many months in a previous life. I wish you well, because you're going to try and achieve a huge amount in 100 days, so we hope you get there. Minister, the Chartered Institute of Housing has declared that Wales is in the middle of a deepening housing emergency. It's vital, then, that this Welsh Government gets to grips with the scale of the challenge. As it stands, one in every 14 households are waiting for a social home, which means that at the current rate, it would take 35 years to meet that demand. Your pledge for a home for all is very much welcome, but, Minister, the previous Welsh Government failed on its 2021 manifesto commitment, as we've heard, to deliver those 20,000 new low-carbon social homes for rent by the end of the Senedd. You've said today that you will create 20,000 new social homes by 2030. What makes you so sure that you can meet this target when the previous Government failed? We've heard many times in this Chamber that Ministers will work closely with local government and other stakeholders, so it would be nice to know what you're going to do differently this time. Your arm's-length company, Unnos, or whatever it's going to be, is another quango in my mind. I share some concerns that this might just be another talking shop, which is going to push things further down the line. I hope I'm wrong; I hope it will speed up the delivery of social housing. Turning to housing affordability, whilst I'm sure that we will all agree that more needs to be done to support first-time buyers, I don’t see that there needs to be a long-drawn-out process to reform land transaction tax for young people. We know that it will work—cutting tax for first-time buyers will stimulate housing and enable people to find that home that you said you want to find for all. I wonder if you've given any deeper consideration to how you can review land transaction tax in a meaningful way so that at least first-time buyers can get on that housing ladder. Being fourth in the pecking order to speak, many things have been talked about, and local government is one that I'm quite keen on, as you will know. You've said that you're already reviewing the local government funding formula. I've heard your answers already and I absolutely welcome that—it's something I've been calling for for 20 years. It needs to happen via an independent review, otherwise how do we know that we're going to get right to the bottom of this? In the past, I've heard this kicked into the long grass so many times because some council leaders don't want it—you know, turkeys don't vote for Christmas and all of that sort of thing. So, how can you guarantee that this will not be kicked into the long grass, that this will deliver the sustainable change going forward? Because if we stay as we are, we know that, under the current system, some will sadly fall over unless we can put this right, and I know you're aware of that, Minister. Finally, Minister, families in Wales have seen council tax triple in normal terms since 1999, rising faster than the average rates in England. However, at the same time, local authorities are struggling to provide their core services. The previous Welsh Government was far too happy to continually put financial pressure on local authorities by underfunding them, knowing full well that councils would have to hike up council tax to make up for services. The current system, if left as it is, will further put pressure on those councils to deliver the services that they need. So, we strongly need to ensure that local authorities aren't forced into ever-increasing council tax hikes. But where they are needed, they have to conduct referendums, if we are to see increases above 5 per cent. It's something that we campaigned on, and have campaigned on for many years, as it is currently in place in England. This would protect families by ensuring that the Welsh Government could not just continue to get away with expecting local authorities to pick up the financial shortfall from decision making in Cardiff. So, with just four years to create a sustainable future for local government, Minister, what can the sector expect from your Government, or will it see the same old excuses and blame levelled by previous Governments?

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3. 4. Statement by the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality: Priorities for Social Justice and Equality en

   I too congratulate you, Deputy First Minister, on your appointments, and look forward to raising questions on behalf of our group. Social justice and equality must be at the heart of any Government's work. They are not abstract principles. They are about whether people in Wales feel safe, supported and able to live with dignity. Deputy First Minister, you spoke about practical, tangible action, but people will judge this Government not on the language used, but on what actually is delivered. We know that Plaid Cymru's approach is their reliance, and, quite frankly, obsessive calls for further devolution, whether that be justice, welfare or wider constitutional change. But the question people across Wales are asking is very simple: what is being done with the powers already available? The truth is that Welsh Government already has significant levers over housing, education, health and community safety, all of which are fundamental to improving social justice outcomes. Whilst I'm sure calls for additional powers will form part of every conversation your Government has with Westminster, they cannot become an excuse for inaction today. And again, today, we have heard about new strategies, pilot schemes and expert groups, and some, I'm sure, of these pilots will be welcome, but what people need is delivery, not another layer of process. There is also a broader point about fairness and neutrality that goes to the heart of social justice. Recent commentary has highlighted concerns about organisations and public bodies appearing to take sides in contentious issues, including cases referenced by the Westminster shadow Minister for equalities, where questions have rightly been raised about whether institutions such as South Wales Police are acting in a way that is balanced and impartial. We should be clear: organisations that serve the public, particularly those in receipt of public funding or with a public role, must uphold the highest standards of fairness and neutrality. That does not mean avoiding difficult decisions, but it does mean ensuring that all individuals are treated equally, and that differing views are respected, and that no group feels excluded or marginalised by the actions of those institutions. Because once neutrality is lost, trust is eroded. Without trust, the very foundations of social justice, fairness, equality and inclusion are undermined. I welcome the commitment to dignity, respect and inclusion for LGBTQ+ people, because equality must mean that everyone feels safe and valued. But we must see parity across Wales. Following the recent Supreme Court ruling on the meaning of 'sex' in the Equality Act 2010, the Equality and Human Rights Commission has set out clear guidance. But we are still seeing hesitation from the Welsh Government to fully align with that position, at a time when organisations need certainty so as not to risk confusion and inconsistency. If we are serious about equality, the law must be applied clearly and consistently. Your planned actions on this would be welcome. This Welsh Government must be clear in its expectations that organisations operating in Wales act fairly, transparently and without bias, putting the interests of all people they serve first. The Welsh Conservatives will continue to challenge the Welsh Government to focus on what really matters. That is using the powers they already have, delivering on the promises they've already made, and putting the people of Wales first. Time is ticking, Deputy First Minister, on Plaid's first 100 days in office, and we are yet to see the results. We've heard a lot of fine words. We look forward now to seeing the change that will follow. Thank you.

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1. 1. Questions to the First Minister en

   First Minister, we see so many people across Wales stuck in hospitals because of the lack of social care. To make sure our social care system works as it needs to, in your manifesto you said there is a need for workforce expansion and pay reform. To deliver that, you will be expecting, no doubt, local government to invest more. To enable this, can our councils expect a significant uplift in their future funding, or will you be expecting councils to find this within their existing resources?

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1. 3. Statement by the First Minister: The First Minister's Priorities en

   First Minister, can I congratulate you on your appointment, and all of your Cabinet colleagues? I wish you well in delivering the positive change that we desperately need in this country. Whilst many of your manifesto commitments are commendable, I think we all will have serious questions, as we've already heard, about how you will fund them, both in revenue and in capital terms. You said they are achievable, but your commitments depend in many ways on action from the UK Government, as well as further devolution of powers—something they seem to be ruling out in every respect. Clearly, your commitments will require efficiencies, cuts to public services or increases in taxation. First Minister, can you tell the people of Wales today what they can expect? Is it those cuts to services, is it deep efficiencies, or is it tax increases?

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