Speaking in the Debate on Membership of the EU Single Market, I welcomed the Prime Minister’s intention to build a powerful new relationship with the EU that works for the United Kingdom and Wales, and recognised the importance of trade with Europe and the rest of the world for the Welsh economy. The UK was the fastest growing G7 economy in 2016 and a new Civitas study has found that although the UK Government would need to provide almost £9 billion in support for businesses to cope with the impact of failing to strike a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU, the cost would be covered by tariffs on corresponding exports from the remaining 27 EU members to the UK. This is a stark reminder to EU leaders of the need to enter Brexit negotiations with the aim of achieving an outcome which benefits everyone.
Speaking in the Welsh Conservative Debate on Winter Preparedness, I called for the Welsh Government to refresh its Fuel Poverty Strategy. Age Cymru have stated Fuel Poverty is “a significant cause of excess winter deaths” in Wales. Welsh Government fuel poverty targets were missed and they should work with the Fuel Poverty Coalition Cymru to place fuel poverty at the heart of action to prevent illness and tackle poverty.
I referred to projects being delivered by British Red Cross in North Wales during the Short Debate on ‘Loneliness in Welsh Communities and How to Tackle it’.
The Vice President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine has said that A&E units across Wales are in a “state of crisis” this winter, fairing “worse [than] England” in some areas. Despite the best efforts of NHS Wales’ hardworking staff, nearly two decades with Labour in charge of the Welsh Health Service has left Wales with a higher comparable rate of patients waiting more than four hours in A&E; a higher rate of excess winter deaths than any region in England; A&E waiting times unmet since 2008; and the number of NHS hospital beds down 30%.
Assembly engagements included Alzheimer’s Society Wales, Shelter Cymru, Action on Hearing Loss Cymru and RNIB Cymru, and Construction Youth Trust.
North Wales meetings included North Wales Police Briefing, Vice Chancellor of Glyndwr University and Dystonia Society North Wales.
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