During the Debate on the Local Government Settlement for 2018-19, I asked how the Welsh Government could justify a funding formula which gives Flintshire £368 less per person than the best funded authority.
Labour AMs voted to give Flintshire the 19th lowest revenue per head out of 22 local authorities, with Wrexham in 18th position.
I questioned the Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths AM, over speculative housing development, after she had written to me stating that the underlying cause of Flintshire's exposure to speculative planning applications is their failure to adopt a Local Development Plan and that Flintshire is likely to be the last authority to adopt one.
The Welsh Government has not met its target to eradicate fuel poverty in Wales by 2018 and I also called on her to work with the Cross Party Group on Fuel Poverty and Energy Efficiency, which I Chair, to introduce a revised Fuel Poverty Strategy.
Calling for a Welsh Government Statement on local bus services following the demise of Acrefair-based bus company D. Jones and Son, I stated that Wrexham Council's Lead Member for Transport had told me they had seen no tangible actions coming forward from Transport Secretary Ken Skates’ Bus Summit in January 2017.
I also called for a Statement on the accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers after concerns were raised with me that these are still not being met in North Wales.
Questioning the First Minister, I referred to research from the Money Advice Service which found that many young people about to turn 18 in Wales are ill-prepared for dealing with adult financial responsibilities.
The Motion was passed when I led the Debate calling for cannabis to be made legally available for medicinal purposes by prescription. I referred to clinical evidence of the effectiveness of cannabis for medicinal purposes and to last October’s meeting of the Cross Party Group on Neurological Conditions, which I Chair, attended by people from across Wales with a range of conditions who find a benefit from using cannabis for medicinal purposes, but by doing so run the risk of prosecution.
Speaking in the Debate on the UK Government's European Union (Withdrawal) Bill, I stated that the Welsh Conservative Group would support the Motion on the basis that it noted only a proposal for a Welsh Continuation Bill to restore the fundamental principle on which devolution rests, that everything is devolved unless it is expressly reserved to Westminster. However, I also welcomed the statement by the Secretary of State for Scotland that amendments to the Bill will be brought forward in the House of Lords to achieve this.
North Wales was well represented when I Chaired the first evidence session for the Cross Party Group on Hospices and Palliative care Inquiry: ‘Inequalities in access to hospice and palliative care: challenges and opportunities’.
I also took part in a discussion on ‘The Politics of Higher Education’ at last Friday’s Festival of Law and Criminology at Aberystwyth University.