When I Chaired last month's meeting of the Assembly Cross-Party Group on Disability we heard from ‘Shared Lives Cymru’ about the proposed all-Wales Dementia Initiative for learning-disabled adults who develop dementia, and I called for a Welsh Government Statement detailing what support it can offer.
Responding to the Welsh Government Statement “Update on European Transition”, I quoted the UK international Trade Secretary’s statement that “there had to be compromises, but Brexit had been backed by 17.4 million, and legislation implementing that decision had been approved by MPs”, and the new British Council Report showing both that the combined GDP of the Commonwealth is likely to overtake the Eurozone by 2020, and that Ipsos Mori research into the perceptions of young people across the G20 found that the EU referendum result has had a significant net positive effect on the UK's perceived attractiveness in the Commonwealth countries of India, South Africa, Australia and Canada.
I also referred to that week’s UK-EU negotiations aimed at accelerating completion of the EU Withdrawal Agreement.
Responding to the Rail Statement by Economy and Transport Secretary, Ken Skates, when he said that Wales only received 1 per cent of the UK rail enhancement budget, I noted that Wales actually received 9.6 per cent of net UK Government funding for franchise train operators and Network Rail.
Responding to the Health Secretary’s Statement on Donna Ockenden's Review of Older Person's Mental Health Services in North Wales, I noted her statement that “as recently as the end of 2017 actions promised following reviews and inspections in previous years were found not to have been carried out by BCU Health Board”.
I questioned the Leader of the House on delays to the Welsh Government's successor Broadband programme, on the WCVA 'Empowering Communities' Report and the Auditor General for Wales’ call to reshape services and place the citizen at the centre, on disabled children in Wales being denied proper access to play areas, and on the lack of support for learning disabled young people and their families highlighted by the Children's Commissioner for Wales.
Speaking in support of the Member Proposed Autism (Wales) Bill, I quoted a Flintshire group of parents of autistic children who identified “Agencies' culture of dismissing families, blaming, or threatening”.
Assembly engagements included Chairing the Cross Party Group on Violence against Women and Children, and the Friends Against Scams campaign.
North Wales engagements included the "Grand Opening" of the West Shore Miniature Railway, Llandudno.
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