Responding to the announcement by Communities Secretary, Carl Sargeant AM, that he was phasing out the Welsh Government’s ‘Communities First’ tackling poverty programme, costing nearly £0.5 billion between 2001 and 2016, I noted that the ‘Valuing Place’ report, based upon research in three communities including Connah’s Quay, said that establishing a local network to connect people together who want to take local action should be a priority, and that the Bevan Foundation said ‘Communities First’ did not reduce the headline rates of poverty in the vast majority of communities or Wales as a whole, and that a new programme should be co-produced by communities and professionals, not directed top down, i.e. by local authorities.
Speaking in the Wales 2017/18 Police Settlement Debate, I noted that North Wales faced the smallest increase in the amount council tax payers pay towards police services and welcomed both the fall in crime reported by the Crime Survey for England and Wales, and North Wales Police’s recruitment of seventeen extra Police Officers. Although North Wales Police has to deliver further planned savings, they state their Efficiency Review will invest more in growth pressures.
In the Banking Services debate, I referred to branch closures across North Wales, noted that closures by mutual Building Societies emphasised that this is about more than private profit, called on the Welsh Government to examine the not-for-profit community banking model developed in Wales by Responsible Finance, and welcomed both the independent ‘Access to Banking Protocol One Year on Review’ and the new Post Office Partnership agreement with UK Banks.
Speaking in the debate noting that February is LGBT History Month, I highlighted the health and social care inequalities facing LGBT people in Wales.
I Chaired a session at Wales Annual Fuel Poverty Conference in Cardiff and, speaking at Pennysmart’s cross border 'Celebrating Fuel Poverty Awareness Day' event in Chester, called for a revised Fuel Poverty Strategy in Wales.
I met pupils and staff from Mold Alun High School and Denbigh High School’s all-girl engineering ‘Team Tachyon’ in the Assembly.
I also met injured Welsh Armed Forces veterans to discuss their improved support needs, Chaired the Cross Party Group for Funerals and Bereavement, met the Building Societies Association and attended the Rare Disease Day 2017 Senedd reception.
If you need my help, please email mark.isherwood@assembly.wales or ring 0300 200 7217.