Item 2 is the business statement and announcement, and I call on the Trefnydd, Jane Hutt.

Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. There are three changes to this week's business. Shortly, the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh language will make a statement on Tata Steel. Secondly, the debate on the legislative consent memorandum for the Victims and Prisoners Bill will now happen next week. Finally, the debate on the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill will now last four hours. Draft business for the next three weeks is set out in the business statement and announcement, which is available online.

Trefnydd, can I call for a statement on the Welsh Government's childcare offer? I've been contacted by a number of concerned constituents in my Constituency of Clwyd West who are expressing with dismay the lack of support with childcare costs that they are eligible for compared to their friends and family over the border in England, where the UK Government, of course, is rolling out 30 hours of free childcare for children aged two, three and four, whereas we have a much less generous offer here in Wales. But you do seem to be able to provide free childcare in Flying Start areas to people who can afford to pay for their children's own childcare, which seems absolutely ludicrous. The Welsh Government is getting the money to be able to offer a comparable free childcare offer to working parents in Wales. Why aren't you giving parents here that level playing field and making that support available? 

Well, indeed, Darren Millar, we are very proud of our childcare offer here in Wales, the best childcare offer in the UK, not just in terms of the 30 hours, but the extension of that childcare offer for three-year-olds to those who are in training—not available to anyone else outside of Wales—and that it also covers some of the all-important holiday periods.

Now, equally, we're immensely proud of our Flying Start initiative. The loss of Sure Start in England—the cut to Sure Start in England—after 14 years of austerity has had such an adverse impact in terms of the needs and circumstances of our youngest children, because, of course, Flying Start is about our earliest years. Evidence has proven that Flying Start, which we are going to extend—we have extended it in our co-operation agreement with Plaid Cymru, and we've extended it across Wales—. Of course, the Minister's taking this forward, in terms of the next steps, again in co-operation with Plaid Cymru, to ensure that we can ultimately reach up to all two-year-olds in terms of Flying Start.

Actually, I have to say that the First Minister and I visited a Flying Start setting with Jayne Bryant only a couple of weeks ago in my Constituency, in Barry, and we didn't actually have to go up to the parents; they came to us and said what a positive impact Flying Start had had on their lives—not just their children's lives, but their lives as well, because of the parenting engagement, but also recognising the impact that Flying Start had had on those children's lives.

Trefnydd, I'd like to ask for a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for economy. I'm sure you will have seen the news in terms of the 100 jobs that are at stake in Rhondda Cynon Taf in light of the news about Everest Windows. Many Members, of course, will recall that 496 jobs were lost back in October with the closing of UK Windows and Doors. These are jobs that we can't afford to lose, so can I ask whether the Cabinet Secretary would be willing to make a statement in terms of any negotiations or discussions that have taken place with the company? Also, what package of support is available for those workers, some of them facing redundancy or losing their jobs for the second time, which is heartbreaking? Thirdly, what assessment is being made of any other companies that are currently employers in RCT that are, perhaps, at risk of closure? How can we create a plan in orderin order to ensure that there are good jobs in Rhondda Cynon Taf, because the need is great and many of those who lost their jobs back in October still haven't found alternative employment, so this is heartbreaking news for many, but also very concerning news?

Thank you very much for your very important question.

Of course, we have the Minister for economy here in the Chamber, and I know these issues have also been raised by the local Member, Buffy Williams, as well, but you do it also in terms of the region—Rhondda Cynon Taf as a whole—in terms of job impacts. Of course, we are going to be having a statement very shortly from the economy Minister, which looks at this in terms of the impact of those job losses across south Wales and further beyond. So, I'm sure that the Minister will be following that up. Diolch. 

Cabinet Secretary, I've been supporting a constituent, Lucy Vers, whose six-year-old son, Elliot, has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a rare condition that involves muscular wasting and is life limiting. Much of her concern has been around access to clinical trials, and, on occasion, she's taken Elliot all the way from south Wales to Newcastle just for a blood test, as part of those clinical trials. And access to clinical trials for children is, of course, an issue for other conditions, not just Duchenne muscular dystrophy. I am aware that Welsh Government is doing work on these matters, and I wonder if the Cabinet Secretary for health could make a statement on that work and how Welsh Government, with partners, is addressing these issues.

Diolch yn fawr, John Griffiths, for that very important question. And you raise that point about the importance of those clinical trials, and their importance for your constituent. I think the Welsh Government, via  Health and Care Research Wales—. Importantly, we must report back that there's approximately £19.6 million in funding a year to support the delivery of those kinds of high-quality research studies across health and social care, particularly looking at not just a broad range of diseases, but rare diseases as well, and working with rare disease clinicians and charities. It is important to look at where there are specific research studies—and you've named one that your constituent has been accessing—and it's important that funding for travel is also available, so actually encouraging your constituent to discuss access to those trials with consultants and clinical teams. But, again, we've noted today what you've brought up, and we'll be sharing that with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care. 

Trefnydd, I'm again calling for the Welsh Government to make a statement on the ongoing situation at Withyhedge landfill site in my Constituency. I wrote to the First Minister, who didn't even give me the courtesy of a response and instead just passed it on to the Cabinet Secretary for rural affairs, who basically confirmed that the Welsh Government will not intervene in this matter. Therefore, I'd be grateful if the Welsh Government could provide a statement outlining what criteria need to be met before the Welsh Government will intervene on a serious environmental and public health issue. This issue is affecting people's health and well-being, and there are huge air pollution and environmental concerns, and so it's infuriating that the Welsh Government can't do the right thing here and intervene to support the community. And so I'd be grateful if a statement could be made urgently, clarifying the Welsh Government's position and explaining what criteria need to be met before it will intervene on such serious issues. 

Secondly, Dirprwy Lywydd, I'd also like to request a statement from the Cabinet—

[Inaudible.]

Okay, thank you very much. 

Diolch yn fawr, Paul Davies. I know that this issue you've raised with us, and you've raised with me as Trefnydd in the Senedd. And I assure you that the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs recognises that concern that you raise again, the concern within the local community, and also the need for swift action; I know that's what you're calling for. And your point about the swift action really has to be directed to Natural Resources Wales, and also ensuring that residents are reporting instances of the odour so that action can be taken. 

But I think, just in terms of Natural Resources Wales's priorities, it's been action to remediate the most likely source of fugitive landfill gas emissions, to identify and then remediate that source, while, obviously, looking at other potential impacts of this work. So, that is the next point in terms of the update, but I have to say that the site is controlled by an environmental permit, which contains conditions that the operator must comply with. 

The miners' pension scandal has gone on for decades, and I request a statement from this Welsh Government setting out how it will demand that this injustice be made by Westminster. Our miners paid a terrible price for their labour, in the dust that choked their lungs and in their blood that stained the mountainsides of our valleys. But their pension fund is making rich people in London richer, and keeping the miners themselves in poverty. It is daylight robbery of the men who worked in darkness, the men who suffered physically and mentally, the men and women who ripped the coal from the earth and had their health and happiness ripped from them. So, I'd like a statement setting out how the Welsh Government will demand that Westminster relinquish their entitlement to the investment reserve and transfer the billions they've stolen to the miners themselves, and, what's more, when they will commit to implement the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy's inquiry's own recommendations into the mineworkers' pension scheme. We owe these miners better than this.

Diolch yn fawr, Delyth Jewell. Thank you for drawing attention to this injustice, an injustice that I know the Counsel General Mick Antoniw MS has been addressing, as MS and in a ministerial capacity. But it is something that, again, our finance Minister will be aware of. So, we will take that back, to explore it further. 

The Llywydd took the Chair.

Trefnydd, over the weekend, we saw the JD Welsh Cup come back to where it belongs—back across the border to Cymru, with Connah's Quay Nomads Football Club as champions, a fantastic achievement from all those involved at the club, and left one proud club ambassador on Sunday evening. Trefnydd, it was topped off by a graduate of our academy, Josh Williams, scoring an amazing volley to win the game. We've already seen videos of current academy players trying to replicate his goal. Can I ask for a Welsh Government statement from the Cabinet Secretary responsible for sport on how we can build on successes like Connah's Quay Nomads in the Welsh Cup and promote grass-roots football across Cymru? Diolch.

Diolch yn fawr, Jack Sargeant. I'm sure that all of us here in the Chamber want to congratulate Connah's Quay Nomads. You've named Josh Williams, and I think he needs to be down on the records. He was of course the club ambassador, I understand. They won on Sunday in the Welsh Cup final. Of course, our term of government remit letter to Sport Wales, which has a budget, sets out our expectation that Sport Wales will promote equal access to sport, and it is clearly supporting young and talented athletes in grass-roots clubs. So, I'll ask my colleague the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice to also write to him, further outlining how grass-roots sport is promoted across Wales.

Good afternoon, Trefnydd. I wonder if I could have a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for—I've forgotten now—social justice and something else—culture; apologies—on the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill, and its effect on our citizens here in Wales and those seeking asylum. We've heard about the cold, callous Conservative Government policy of literally picking up people who are waiting for decisions on their asylum applications and placing them in detention, with the possibility of then putting them on a plane to Rwanda. I wonder if I could ask the Cabinet Secretary for a statement on how she is interacting with the Government in London to ensure that this doesn't happen to people who we have welcomed in Wales as a citizen of sanctuary. Diolch yn fawr iawn.

Thank you very much for that very important question.

Thank you for raising this with us today. We want to be a nation of sanctuary, we want to have that welcome. But can we just start by expressing our condolences for the recent tragic loss of life in the English Channel? And despite UK Government claims, the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill will do nothing to stop these perilous journeys. It's fundamentally clear that what we need are sufficiently safe and legal routes to protection in the UK, and international co-operation must be developed with our European neighbours to undermine the business models of smugglers. And that is what we've said to the UK Government.

Of course, migration policy is not devolved, so solutions to some important issues, the supporting issue, lie with the UK Government. I know that the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice—as I did, in my former role—will continue to make clear our Opposition to the Illegal Migration Act 2023, and our opposition to the newly passed Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024. The provisions are unworkable, leave most people in limbo and undermine other priorities. As I say, we weren't given advance notice of the UK Government operation to detain individuals residing in Wales pending removal from the UK, and we do understand a small number of individuals have been detained. So, can we today—and, I hope, across this Chamber—urge the Home Office to ensure detained individuals are given prompt access to legal advice in terms of addressing this issue? We have to recognise, in Wales alone, over 3,000 people are sat in limbo, with worsening mental health, no right to work and a UK policy that makes community integration impossible.

I will refer Members to my declaration of interests in terms of property ownership. Last month, the Minister at the time, Julie James, for housing, informed the Welsh Parliament that the Minister for Finance and Local Government had encouraged local authorities on empty premiums, on the second home council tax premiums, to publish the information about how much additional revenue has been raised. We were told £17 million. Now, I am concerned that that figure promoted might be incorrect. For example, having submitted freedom of information requests asking, in relation to council tax premiums on second homes, for the financial losses from property owners—an issue that's been raised with me—switching from council tax to business rates, several local authorities have reported losses: Ceredigion has seen a financial loss of £1 million; Conwy, £1.8 million; Pembrokeshire, a financial loss of £3.6 million. So, the figures would be higher if it was assumed that the properties—that's just three out of 22 local authorities—switching from second homes to business rates in one financial year then remaining qualified for business rates in the following financial years. We need, Cabinet Secretary, to get to the truth of the figures in terms of the impact of the second homes premium. So, as such, could you ask the Cabinet Secretary for finance to make a statement on the possibility of requiring an audit into these figures? Diolch. 

Diolch, Janet Finch-Saunders. Of course, regular monitoring in terms of the implications of implementing a policy that is important to the future of Wales in terms of housing provision, in terms of the impact of the second homes premium—. I'm sure that Ministers concerned—the Cabinet Secretaries—will be able to provide an update on those impacts, which we believe, in terms of the second homes premium, are so important to address our housing need in Wales. 

Trefnydd, can we have an urgent statement from the Cabinet Secretary for Education, following the shocking incident in Ysgol Dyffryn Aman last week, into what plans the Government has to hold an immediate review of school safety? I feel certain, having spoken to staff, students and parents over the last few days in Ammanford that they certainly would welcome a review of this kind. And I think among the issues that a review could usefully look at would be the current proposal to phase out the funding for school community police officers, the accessibility and resourcing of pupil referral units and other relevant services in terms of child and adolescent mental health services and children's social services, the powers available to staff in dealing with challenging behaviour and the guidelines around that, and the latest data that we have on the prevalence of knife possession in Welsh schools. I feel certain there is a need now, isn't there, to rebuild trust and security amongst staff, students and families to make sure that people know that we are making our schools as safe as possible, and I think a review at this time would be a very, very important step forward. 

Well, thank you very much, Adam Price, and thank you for the way Members, and yourself and your colleagues, and our colleagues across the Chamber, engaged so clearly last week, and, of course, we acknowledge family members as well. I think the Cabinet Secretary for Education, definitely in Cabinet yesterday, was saying this is a priority for her at the moment to look to how she can and we can support the community, support Ysgol Dyffryn Aman, recognising the huge courage and also the cohesion of that community response and with the local authority. Her focus has been on the provisional support for the welfare of those pupils, staff and anyone impacted by that incident, and, of course, as the investigation proceeds, lessons will be learnt and taken forward.

But I know you are referring to much wider issues that can affect many other schools in Wales. I think it's important to just look at issues around security. Welsh Government guidance is available to support schools in planning to deal with any incidents such as this, in 'Emergency planning and response guidance for education and childcare settings'. On the point about access to safe learning environments, education settings have a legal duty to ensure children and young people are safeguarded, and guidelines are in place to support organisations with this. So, on the wider issues, yes, I'm sure the education Cabinet Secretary will want to respond in greater depth. Thank you.

I thank the Trefnydd.