By Mark Isherwood

MS for North Wales

Speaking in the Welsh Conservative Debate on Ambulance response times, I highlighted waiting times at Wrexham Maelor A&E Department, quoting a senior clinician who recently told me "the issue was that there is no space to see patients. He said that there are commonly several doctors sitting around doing nothing because there is nowhere to see the patient".

Challenging the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution over the Welsh Government's programme to improve the accessibility of Welsh law, I spoke of the public confusion which still exists over devolved powers and called for this to be addressed through the programme, and called on him to ensure that improvements extend to Members of the Senedd.

Questioning the First Minister, I asked him to respond to calls by Colegau Cymru - Colleges Wales for the Welsh Government 'to provide a legal basis for learners aged 14-16 to progress to vocational and technical pathways provided independently via Further Education Institutions', highlighting that it is now many years since Welsh Conservatives called for the creation of two equal education streams, academic and vocational, beginning at age 14.

Questioning the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution, I spoke of the benefits to North Wales of the UK Government's new Levelling Up Fund, and other Funds, and stated "these are at last delivering internal devolution in Wales by involving Local Authorities and Communities in the design and delivery of programmes".

I also asked him for an update on progress with Common Frameworks in areas such as food, animal welfare and the environment, where, at the time of the EU Withdrawal Bill, the UK Government agreed that UK-wide Frameworks to replace the EU rule book would be freely negotiated between the four UK Governments, and to respond to the proposal to reform the Welsh Tribunals Unit into a non-ministerial department.

I chaired meetings of the Welsh Parliament's Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee, which considered Auditor General for Wales Reports on matters including the Covid-19 Pandemic, and Cross-Party Group for Funerals and Bereavement.

Other engagements included online meetings with the British Psychological Society, to discuss their new guidelines for practitioner psychologists who work with Autistic people and their families and carers, the Chief Executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, and charity 'Young Enterprise' to discuss their proposed financial literacy project to benefit young people and the wider Welsh speaking community in areas of North Wales where farming is significant to the local economy.

If you need my help, email Mark.Isherwood@senedd.wales or call 0300 200 7219.