Closing the Welsh Conservative Debate on Local Authorities, I referred to the unfair local authority funding formula and my support for Flintshire Council’s #BackTheAsk campaign to take the fight down to the Welsh Government in Cardiff “to get a fair share of national funds”.
Calling for a Ministerial Statement on rail services in North Wales, I noted that Transport for Wales's Live Travel Updates had showed that all the South Wales services had ‘minor delays’ or ‘good service’, whereas North Wales had ‘severe delays’ and cancellations.
Questioning the Leader of the House, I referred to the £120 million for the North Wales Growth Deal announced by the UK Government, and asked when the Welsh Government will be announcing its financial commitment and responding to the Growth Bid’s calls for the delegation of powers by Welsh Government to North Wales.
Responding to the Statement by the Public Services Secretary on ‘Our Valleys, Our Future Delivery Plan 2018’, I noted that West Wales and the Valleys, which has continued to produce the lowest value of goods and services per head of all UK regions, includes four North Wales Counties, and asked whether their exclusion from this was because he believed that the North Wales Growth Deal was ticking the boxes there.
Responding to the Statement on the ‘Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (Wales) Act’, I raised pre-custodial perpetrator programmes and Relationships Education in schools, and highlighted the work of both KIM Inspire in Holywell and the Domestic Abuse Safety Unit on Deeside.
Questioning the Economy Secretary, I highlighted a shortage of units for small businesses.
Speaking in the Debate on Poverty, I noted that many of the levers to tackle poverty in Wales lie with the Labour Welsh Government and that the recent EHRC Wales Annual Review found that Poverty and deprivation are higher in Wales than the other nations in Britain.
Speaking at the British Deaf Association’s ‘Advocacy Wales Service’ launch, which I sponsored, I stated that key to this is that it “is a project for Deaf people led by Deaf people”.
Other Assembly engagements included Community Transport Association, World AIDS Day 2018, NUS Wales ‘Gender-based Violence’, Electoral Commissioner Wales, Vodafone, and 'Calling Time for Change' for people over 50 with alcohol problems.
North Wales visits included the Flintshire Schools Regional Finals of Raytheon’s Quadcopter Challenge 2018, Mold Tesco Food Collection, Cross Party Group for North Wales and Clwyd Special Riding Centre’s Christmas Fair.
If you need my help, please email mark.isherwood@assembly.wales or call 0300 200 7219.