Responding in the Chamber to the First Minister’s Statement ‘Trade Policy - The Issues for Wales’, I stated that the UK Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, David Davis, said that he wanted a free trade deal with the EU, but also the freedom to strike deals with other countries where trade opportunities are growing. The First Minister called again for continued membership of the EU Single Market and Customs Union, which would make this impossible. He should come clean and admit that what he is calling for would mean that we had effectively not left the EU at all.
I also asked him to acknowledge that the 30% Labour Welsh Government cut in hospital beds since devolution has generated ambulance queues outside hospitals and consequently delayed responses to distress calls. December figures show that 17,400 patients in Wales waited more than the four-hour target time in A&E, with the highest proportion – 27% - in Betsi Cadwaladr, where 1,460 waited longer than 12 hours from arrival.
The Welsh Government ignored my call in the Chamber for a Debate on Prevention and Early Intervention Services. Although the Welsh Government repeatedly claims to support prevention and early intervention services, in practice its actions are stripping these out at additional cost to our health and social services. I provided several examples, including the recently announced closure of Afasic Cymru following the Welsh Government's decision to end the Children and Families Delivery Grant and switch the funding elsewhere. Afasic Cymru is the only charity representing families of children with speech, language and communication needs in Wales, supporting hundreds in North Wales alone over the last year.
Assembly engagements included the Marie Curie 2018 Great Daffodil Appeal launch, Bowel Cancer UK and a meeting with the Welsh Local Government Association’s North Wales Regional Co-ordinator, to discuss future plans for the Assembly Cross Party Group for North Wales.
I visited Toyota Deeside with the Assembly External Affairs Committee for a tour and discussion on Wales’ future relationships with the EU, and Chaired the Assembly Economy, Infrastructure & Skills Scrutiny Committee Visit to North Wales, to take evidence on Enterprise Zones.
North Wales engagements included a meeting with the North Wales Police Chief Constable and North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner, a visit to Wrexham Glyndwr University to further discuss proposals for student nurse placements at North Wales’ NHS Hospitals and visit their excellent nurse training facilities, and a meeting with local Deaf Community representatives at the Centre of Sign- Sight-Sound (formerly North Wales Deaf Association) in Colwyn Bay, to discuss the need for the deaf community to be full partners in the design and operation of British Sign Language (BSL) services.
If you need my help, please email mark.isherwood@assembly.wales or ring 0300 200 7217.