I attended Tuesday’s meeting of the Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet via Zoom, at which Welsh Conservative Local Authority Leaders stated that Welsh Local Government needs the Welsh Government to support its proposals for accelerated economic stimulus.
Taking part in the ‘Hybrid’ Plenary Meeting of the Welsh Parliament, I questioned the Health Secretary over access to NHS services during the pandemic and referred to cases in North Wales where those with diagnosed or suspected cancer have had their investigations, treatments and operations postponed.
In his preceding comments, the Minister spoke of patients having ‘elected to defer their appointments’ during the pandemic and of ‘some people opting not to come in for treatment’. Then he told me that they are looking ‘to give people the confidence to come into the service’. His careless responses will cause huge concern for people in North Wales with diagnosed or suspected Cancer, insulted by his repeated attempts to blame them for not accessing non-existent Welsh NHS services which they are desperate to access.
Speaking in the Welsh Conservative debate on ‘Covid-19 and Transport’, I condemned the Labour Welsh Government for failing to provide bus operators with the support they need during the pandemic. Our wide-ranging motion included proposals for the Welsh Parliament to call on the Welsh Government to ‘urgently review and increase the support available to bus operators in Wales to enable them to increase the frequency and capacity of bus services for the people of Wales’. As bus operators told me, “Wales is now the only country in the United Kingdom that has not agreed funding for transport operators to begin to ‘ramp up’ services to cover costs for additional services”.
As Chair of the Cross Party Group on Neurological Conditions, I had an online meeting with the Neuro Therapy Centre, based in Saltney, a fantastic charity that supports people with long-term neurological conditions and their Carers, to discuss the Centre’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Other online engagements included a meeting with the Principal Clinical Psychologist at Wrexham Young Adult Diabetes Service, to discuss Diabetes Psychology in Wales, hosting a joint information session on the EU Settlement Scheme with the EU Citizens Rights Project Lead at Citizens Advice Flintshire, a call with the Head of the Police Liaison Unit in Welsh Government to discuss how senior Police Leaders from across Wales can engage more fully and constructively with Senedd Members, and a briefing on ‘Grŵp Llandrillo Menai during Covid-19’.
Stay safe. If you need my help, email Mark.Isherwood@senedd.wales or call 0300 200 7219.