The next item will be the business statement and announcement, and the Trefnydd and Chief Whip will be making that statement. Jane Hutt.

Thank you very much, Llywydd. There is one change to this week's Plenary business. The time allocated to Senedd Commission questions tomorrow has been reduced to 10 minutes. Draft business for the next three weeks is set out on the business statement and announcement, which are available to Members electronically.

I would like to call for a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning on the breakdown of Denbighshire County Council's ability to roll out kerbside waste collections, which was, to some degree, a scheme created in collaboration with the Welsh Government. The reason that my constituents are so angry at the moment is that the issues go far beyond teething problems. Denbighshire County Council has had six years to plan for this roll-out, but so far we've seen a display of complete incompetence and, clearly, a lack of due diligence in planning the roll-out of the Trolibocs scheme. The Welsh Government provided funding for new electric refuse trucks, which can only collect a fraction of the waste that the previous vehicles could, it has been revealed lately. This, on top of the staff shortages, has caused a complete breakdown in the council's ability to perform one of the most basic duties that taxpayers expect of it. The communication between residents and the council has also been appalling.

So, given that the Welsh Government share some culpability due to the financial incentives placed on the council, I would like the Cabinet Secretary to outline how the Welsh Government are working with Denbighshire County Council to rapidly find a solution and ensure that residents are properly updated on any developments. Thank you.

The Deputy Presiding Officer (David Rees) took the Chair.

Diolch yn fawr, Gareth Davies. Well, I thought we had a very useful exchange, actually, earlier on. I'm sure you found it helpful as well, the questions to the First Minister, and his responses to them—I think they came from Darren Millar. Obviously, I have answered questions each week on this issue, and I think it was also really helpful to hear from the North Wales Senedd Member Carolyn Thomas, as she had a Cabinet role in Flintshire council in terms of waste collection, and the way that we are, together across Wales—all our local authorities—delivering on the most important changes that we need to endeavour to achieve with the collection of waste.

I think I can only add to what I've said on previous occasions that the changes Denbighshire are implementing—and, of course, it is to move to that kerbside-sort recycling service—do bring them into alignment with the collection blueprint, and that's the best practice recommended by the Welsh Government. We understand and are aware—. And I've actually had many responses from my responses last week, and I do respect the issues that residents have raised, and, of course, the Cabinet Secretary for climate change is responding to those.

I just hope that, actually, the expert advisers, WRAP Cymru, who are working with Denbighshire to resolve immediate issues, monitor the service, identify how this can be bedded in, to deliver those improvements, and, ultimately, we hope the issues are short lived, as we've seen successful transitions that have already been delivered by other authorities across Wales.

Trefnydd, I would like to request a statement, please, from the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice, and also the Cabinet Secretary for Education. With the summer holidays fast approaching, I've had a number of organisations that usually support families during the holidays, such as foodbanks and so on, as well as schools, asking for information as to what provision and support will be made available. There is still uncertainty in terms of what will be running and what won't, and what support will be available with the cost of transport, for example. And we know that, for many families, how crucial this provision is in terms of the ability of parents to work and so on over the summer, but also to ensure that many children, as you know, in my region, who do unfortunately suffer because of child poverty, to ensure that they can access food easily and so on. So, can we have some clarity, please, as to when this information will be available, and when will we, as Senedd Members, be informed of this too, in order to ensure that we provide the right advice to those who approach us?

Thank you, Heledd Fychan, and thank you for drawing our attention to this issue. This is a very important matter to families in Wales. Thank you very much for your very important question.

I think this is something where we are looking at the provision of not just the school holiday enrichment programme, which you know has been rolled out by local authorities across Wales, but also you bring all of the elements of how we can help families and children, particularly those in our most disadvantaged areas, in terms of access to food as well as leisure, and issues relating to childcare, of course, as well. And this is a cross-Government initiative and responsibility, so I'll certainly ask the relevant Cabinet Secretaries to come back to report on the ways in which we're supporting families, children and the people of Wales in the forthcoming summer holiday. 

I would like to ask for two statements. Whilst campaigning in the election, I have been disappointed with the number of empty houses, and that includes a detached five-bedroomed house. Whilst the loans for upgrading and the extra council tax are having some effect, can I request a statement on what further action the Government can take, and request that the Government consider a range of options, including allowing councils to compulsorily purchase a property that has been empty for five years?

Secondly, that we've not got enough dentists is apparent to anyone seeking an NHS dentist. Following the vote to withdraw from the European Union, in the dental practice that I'm aware of, a large number of eastern and southern European dentists just left. Whilst the Government is making progress on training dentists, can we have a statement on recruiting dentists from overseas, similar to what is being done with nurse recruitment, and on progress in getting dentists to sign the new NHS contract?

Thank you very much, Mike Hedges, for those two really important questions. Just in terms of empty homes, I know that you've raised this question in previous business statements, and also, I'm sure, to the Cabinet Secretary for local government and housing. We know that empty homes not only can be a blight on and a nuisance in our communities, but they are a waste of living accommodation for people who need those homes.

So, just to summarise those interventions and funding streams that we have to reduce the number of empty homes in Wales: in January 2023, we announced the empty homes grant. That's to bring 2,000 long-term—and many of them are long term, as you say—empty properties back into use. There's Leasing Scheme Wales, a social housing grant and the transitional accommodation capital programme. And, in fact, the empty homes grant provides grants of up to £25,000 to remove significant hazards from their properties, and there have been 721 valid applications to the scheme to date, as well as 65 properties completed, with all category 1 hazards removed.

I think this is something where we support local authorities to use the full range of their legislative powers. We also provide training to councillors and officials, and also all local authorities have produced empty property enforcement action plans, which each identify at least 10 empty properties for priority action. So, this is an important area of policy that I'm sure all Senedd Members will want to look at and monitor with their local authorities.

On your second point about dentistry, this is an issue, really, around overseas recruitment and retention that you've raised, of dentists. It's challenging due to the General Dental Council's registration rules. There's no provisional registration like there is in medicine for doctors. That means that dentists who actually have studied outside of the European Economic Area have to sit an additional exam to achieve GDC registration.

Before the UK General Election was announced, the General Dental Council launched a consultation about making changes to enable provisional registration. That's been put on hold until after the election. We just hope that the new UK Government will pick it up immediately to open the doors to the overseas recruitment of dentists. This is important, as we need to recruit and retain these dentists, and we need them in the NHS. Of course, this is something where the contract that we have in Wales is important, encouraging dentists to deliver care and treatment on a risk and need basis.

Trefnydd, I'd like to call for a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for health regarding continuing healthcare funding. I've had a significant number of e-mails from people who are seriously concerned about the changes in the level of continuing healthcare funding from Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board—ultimately, the responsibility of the Welsh Government—and the impact this is having on capacity and the basic dignity of people who need care, and that funding for their care. You'll know that there are many vulnerable people who rely on the funding for their healthcare needs. A real-terms cut to that at the moment is leaving some people with a weekly gap of around £114 to be able to meet the healthcare needs that they have. One resident put it to me in an e-mail that this feels like just another rash and uncaring decision, leaving the most vulnerable and needy elderly people in crisis. Clearly, Trefnydd, people are extremely worried about this, and they're right to be so. So, a statement from the Cabinet Secretary to address these concerns would be very welcome.

Thank you for that question. The funding of community healthcare, as you know, is very much dependent on appropriate assessment of the care needs of a patient. This is something where, of course, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care is very engaged. Indeed, it's also very linked, often, to consideration of assessment relating to continuing care, social care and options and appropriate clinical diagnosis for transfers of care as well from our hospitals. I will ask the Cabinet Secretary for an update to clarify the availability of continuing care in terms of funding, but also in the context of the assessment, which is a clinical assessment in terms of the need for clinical care funding for patients in this situation.

Today, we should celebrate the achievements of Douglas Gowan, following his observations of birth defects in cattle as part of his work for the National Farmers Union back in 1967. We now know that pollution was coming from the Brofiscin and Miskin quarries nearby, which were being used as landfill sites, particularly by Monsanto in the dumping of polychlorinated biphenyls. Although this is a historic issue, it would appear that PCBs don't degrade and they're still very powerful pollutants. He spent 50 years campaigning against the dumping of these things in landfill sites, particularly in poor communities. Yesterday, a series of podcasts by a couple of investigative journalists, Dan Ashby and Lucy Taylor, revealed the extent of Gowan's work, which eventually killed him back in 2018. I wondered if we could have a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for climate change on (a) what indemnity deposits Monsanto had to make before they sold their factory in Newport to another company, as clearly there are some legal obligations here that are outstanding, and (b) if the Cabinet Secretary could also outline how many of these sites were used for the disposal of PCBs, whether the Welsh Government is able to locate them, and what is their current status.

Secondly, on a completely separate matter—

Jenny, you've had two minutes already on the first matter. 

Diolch yn fawr, Jenny Rathbone. You have drawn attention to a very important issue. Thank you for acknowledging the impact of this, particularly on the person who was so involved in addressing this and drawing this to the attention of the appropriate authorities. Just for clarification, and for the record, Brofiscin quarry was successfully remediated back in 2012-13, by capping the site. That work was overseen by Natural Resources Wales. They were the regulatory body responsible for securing the site's remediation, following its determination as contaminated land under Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, and that was by Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council. Of course, the Welsh Government liaised very closely with NRW and the council throughout the investigation and remediation process. Financial support was provided to enable remediation and also to mitigate a potential pollution risk. I will draw the Cabinet Secretary for climate change's attention to the questions that you've asked and ask him to respond to this in writing to you. But I'll share this—with your permission—in the library for all Members. I think it's important that we do recognise that we've previously operated a discretionary contaminated land capital grant programme. That's been funded over the years, and it has supported local authorities and NRW to target sites that pose the greatest risk to health and the wider environment.

Trefnydd, I'm again requesting a statement from the Welsh Government regarding the ongoing situation at Withyhedge landfill site in my Constituency. I listened carefully to the First Minister's comments earlier in response to the Leader of the Opposition, but in all his comments there was still no commitment from the Welsh Government to actually intervene and support the community. It's really frustrating and, frankly, quite appalling that it took a Channel 4 documentary for the Welsh Government to even call for a review, while I've asked week after week after week for support for my constituents, who have been living in this terrible situation for months.

The current situation cannot be allowed to continue. People cannot continue to suffer at the hands of this operator. In my view, the site should now be closed down permanently. This scandal has led people to question whether Natural Resources Wales is now fit for purpose. It's crucial that there is an independent public inquiry to get to the root of this mess. Given that the Welsh Government is now undertaking this review, we need to know what this entails and what it actually means. The Government must now bring forward a statement explaining exactly what that review will look like and how the Welsh Government is going to support those affected by this terrible situation.

Diolch yn fawr, Paul Davies. I do acknowledge that you have raised this question with me on a number of occasions at business statement, and, of course, it has been raised with the Cabinet Secretary for climate change, and, indeed, with the First Minister. And, of course, it was addressed very fully this afternoon in First Minister's questions. Clearly, the concern is acknowledged amongst the local community, and the need for swift action to prevent further distress and odours arising from the site has been emphasised to Natural Resources Wales. Again, I will repeat that Natural Resources Wales have increased their presence onsite and will continue to update the community.

On the point you make, Paul Davies, about the community and the communication, they have their website in terms of information, but also they are engaging. Of course, Pembrokeshire County Council, as you will well know, is also involved and considering an injunction requiring the operator to abate the public nuisance. The council is also working with NRW in progressing its legal challenge against the operator. We can't, obviously, comment on this ongoing legal action, but you know that NRW are working with the local authority in Pembrokeshire, Public Health Wales and Hywel Dda health board to develop this joint approach to address the issues of public concern at Withyhedge landfill site. 

Just finally to say, Deputy Llywydd, enforcement notices have been served on the landfill operator, who's required to cover all exposed waste and complete landfill engineering work to contain and collect landfill gas. If the landfill operator fails to comply with the final deadline of the notice, Natural Resources Wales will be looking to take appropriate enforcement action, in line with their enforcement and prosecution policy.

And finally, Janet Finch-Saunders.

Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I just want to know what one has to do as an elected Member of this Senedd to obtain a brown sign. When the Cabinet Secretary now was the Minister, the Great Orme copper mines put in for a brown sign. We've also got the cable cars, the ski slope and the tram in Llandudno—major tourist attractions. However, on the A55, or anywhere, there is not a brown sign indicating there's anything going on in Llandudno at all, and requests have been made for this. So, I was just wondering whether I could have a statement, or just some help, really. We need a brown sign on the A55 or, indeed, on the A470, showing Llandudno to be the prime tourist resort that it is. I has probably taken me about seven years. They applied seven years ago. The application is still there, live, and they've waited seven years. It's not good enough. So, anything that you can do—a statement, or anything—would help me greatly. Thank you.

Thank you, Janet Finch-Saunders. We have brown signs all over Wales, leading us to some very beautiful places, and I'm sure yours will come your way. 

I thank the Trefnydd.