I challenged the Education Minister over the continuous poor budget settlements for schools in Flintshire and asked what action she has taken “since publication of a report last September showing that seven of the County’s 11 secondary schools were in the red, with an overall deficit of nearly £1.5 million, made public shortly after an inspection by education watchdog Estyn found that Flintshire Council had allowed a small number of schools to carry a shortfall for too long”.
Successive Welsh Governments have short-changed Flintshire’s schools and both staff and pupils deserve huge credit in these circumstances.
Questioning the Health Minister, I called for the reinstatement of the Minor Injury Units closed in North Wales seven years ago, despite repeated warnings that NHS community bed cuts and Minor Injury Unit closures would add to pressure on A&E and GP services, which is exactly what has happened.
I called on the First Minister to respond to the calls of Welsh Women’s Aid, and other experts working in this field, to address concerns that survivors of sexual abuse are not being given the same priority as survivors of domestic abuse.
As a Member of the Assembly Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee, I spoke in the Debate on our report: ‘Rough sleeping - Mental health and substance misuse services’, highlighting the difficulties rough sleepers experience in accessing the services and emphasising the need for increased provision of ‘Tier 4’ residential detoxification and rehabilitation services.
Responding to the Statement by the Minister for Housing and Local Government on the Housing Support Grant, I spoke of my support for Cymorth Cymru’s ‘Housing Matters’ Campaign calling for an increase in the Grant in the Welsh Government's Budget for 2020/21, and warned that the consequence of not doing so would be increased pressure on the NHS, A&E and blue-light services.
Speaking at the Disability Wales National Summit on Brexit and Disabled People, I emphasised that the UK Government has stated that “there will be no change to rights for disabled people” now we have left the EU.
Engagements included Disabled Sailors Association, ‘Hospitality Cymru’, Society for Total Education, Legacy International, to discuss their work supporting Disability employment, ‘Therapy Dogs Nationwide’, Smart Energy GB, and the ‘Sign of the Times’ Choir from St Christopher’s School, Wrexham.
Engagements in North Wales included Help for Heroes ‘40,000 Strong – Wrexham Activation Event’, ‘Cymru Versus Arthritis’, Llangollen Railway ‘Corwen Station Project’ visit, and the Mayor of Mold’s Charity Dinner.
If you need my help, please email [email protected] or call 0300 200 7219.