Although child poverty has been rising since 2004 in devolved Wales under Labour and is highest amongst the UK nations, the First Minister rejected my question when I asked what consideration he had given to looking at measures being applied by the UK Government in England to the underlying causes of poverty, such as educational attainment, addiction, family breakdown and worklessness.
Speaking against the Welsh Government motion (which was passed) removing Welsh representation from the UK Social Mobility Commission, I noted that although the Commission will promote social mobility in England only, it must also publish an annual report setting out its views on the progress made towards improving social mobility in the United Kingdom as a whole.
A Welsh voice is therefore needed to ensure knowledge and understanding of Welsh circumstances, and to give credence to any unwelcome findings.
The Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission, which this would replace, has previously found that Wales had higher rates of children living in workless households, a lower employment rate, a higher unemployment rate and a higher proportion of the working age population without any qualifications than England, and pay levels 8 per cent lower than the UK average.
With the majority of 69 crashes in six hours across North Wales the preceding day in un-gritted Flintshire, Denbighshire and Anglesey, I called for clarified guidance to local authorities, where reliance on forecasts is flawed. My car was already iced up in Flintshire at 9pm the previous evening.
Although the Welsh Government has raised expectation that local preference for the Deeside corridor improvement to the A494, A55 and A548 will be listened to, the Finance Minister dodged my question on funding and timescales for this.
I was pleased to meet a Wrexham family at the Bobath Cymru ‘Early Intervention for Children with Cerebral Palsy’ Assembly event and, as Chair of the Cross Party Group on Fuel Poverty, to welcome representatives of the Flintshire Affordable Warmth Scheme for their presentation to us.
North Wales engagements included Bangor University Court, Men’s Shed and Aberconwy Business Forum.
I will be holding surgeries on Friday January 22nd at Mynydd Isa Community Centre between 10.30am and 11.30am and at Edith Bankes Memorial Hall , Northop, between 1pm and 2pm.
If you need my help, please email [email protected] or ring 0300 200 7217