'I was updated as Shadow Minister for Social Justice on support in Wales for people fleeing Ukraine'

MS for North Wales

Questioning the Minister for Finance and Local Government, I stressed that self-catering accommodation is key to the tourism sector in North Wales and highlighted a tourism industry consultation which found that Welsh Government plans for local taxes on legitimate holiday-let businesses would “reduce local owners' ability to earn an income and cause a decline in secondary jobs in hospitality, retail, house maintenance and cleaning”.

Over a year on from my motion proposing a British Sign Language (BSL) Bill for Wales being passed in the Senedd, I noted that British Deaf Association (BDA) Wales would like to see the introduction of a cross-party BSL (Wales) Bill and called on the Welsh Government to support a Bill during this Senedd term.

During a call with the Welsh Government’s Minister for Social Justice, I was updated as Shadow Minister for Social Justice on support in Wales for people fleeing Ukraine.

Responding to her Statement in the Senedd, ‘Update on Ukraine’, I asked how she will ensure that safeguarding issues are “balanced against the need to support legitimate hosts in their genuine desire to provide sanctuary for Ukrainian refugees in their homes” and referred to the work of ‘Link International’ and its Ukrainian Link Programme in North Wales, having joined the previous day’s ‘North Wales Ukrainian Response’ zoom meeting hosted by the charity.

As Wales Species Champion for the Curlew, I called for a Welsh Government Statement on funding to rescue the Curlew from imminent country-level extinction, emphasising that there are only nine years left to prevent this.

Responding to the Statement by the Social Justice Minister on Welsh Government funding for additional Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs), I stressed that this is something that Welsh Conservatives have long been calling for, with support for PCSOs outlined in our 2016 and 2021 Manifestos.

Working with the National Deaf Children’s Society, I tabled a Statement of Opinion in the Senedd highlighting the challenges many young people face due to a lack of deaf awareness and calling for teachers to undertake deaf awareness training.

Cardiff engagements included Chairing meetings of the Welsh Parliament’s Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee and of the Cross-Party Group on Deaf Issues, events with Bowel Cancer UK, Royal College of Occupational Therapists and Solicitors Regulation Authority, and 'Iftar with the Wales Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce'.

North Wales engagements included the Launch of Wicked Wales Studios, Wales’s first virtual film production company run by young people to support young people.

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