It was a pleasure to present the Donald Wayte Award to CSI Jamie Scaddon at the North Wales Police Force Awards, to visit the Domestic Abuse Safety Unit Deeside for an update, and to attend Wrexham Area Civic Society’s Annual Awards Evening.
Leading the Welsh Conservative Debate on the Armed Forces Covenant, I called on the Welsh Government to consider the 23 recommendations in the Assembly Cross Party Group on the Armed Forces and Cadets' Report into the impact of the Armed Forces Covenant in Wales. These included the appointment of an Armed Forces Commissioner for Wales to improve the accountability of public sector organisations for the delivery of the Armed Forces Covenant, the introduction of a Service Pupil Premium to support service children in schools in Wales, as in England, and the review and increase of funding for Veterans NHS Wales.
Speaking in the Debate on Tackling Substance Misuse, I noted that although alcohol-specific deaths in Wales rose 7% in 2016, the highest number since 2012, alcohol-related deaths rose 9%, the highest number since 2008, and drug misuse deaths rose 14.3% in 2015 to the highest recorded levels since comparable records began in 1993, the total number assessed by specialist substance misuse providers fell by 5% and the total number starting treatment by 4.6%. I also called on the Welsh Government to invest in in-patient detoxification and residential rehabilitation, recognising that this is not an alternative to recovery-focused services within the community, and warned that “to do otherwise will cost more lives and more money”.
I called on the First Minister to respond to concerns over Supporting People programme funding, which prevents homelessness and supports over 60,000 at risk people in Wales each year to live independently in their own homes, and with dignity in their community. Although the Labour Welsh Government pledged to protect Supporting People funding for two years in its draft budget deal with Plaid Cymru, it has since written to local authorities effectively removing this protection.
I also called for a Welsh Government Statement after publication of figures showing that the number of pupils taken out of school in Wales to be taught at home in 2016-17 had more than doubled over four years to 1,906, with many believed to be on the autism spectrum. National Autistic Society Cymru has called for mandatory training in autism awareness in schools.
It was good to meet Volunteering Matters’, which believes that everyone can play a role in their community. Their programmes include a new age-friendly project in Leeswood, Flintshire.
Other Assembly engagements included White Ribbon Day 2017, symbolising men’s opposition to men’s violence against women, Leonard Cheshire Disability, British Lung Foundation, and Countryside Alliance.
If you need my help, please email mark.isherwood@assembly.wales or ring 0300 200 7217.