'28 per cent, of owned cats in Wales are still not microchipped'

MS for North Wales

Opening my Short Debate on ‘The Spot Leukaemia campaign and access to blood tests’, I referred to the most recent Public Health Wales Observatory data showing that Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board was the Health Board with the highest leukaemia mortality in Wales, with leukaemia being attributable to 311 deaths in five years between 2017 and 2021.

I stressed that a full blood count is all that is needed to diagnose leukaemia early or to rule it out and called on the Welsh Government to ensure that everyone who presents with symptoms of leukaemia is given one. As I said, this is why the Leukaemia Care and Leukaemia UK ‘Spot Leukaemia Campaign’ aims to increase awareness of the signs and symptoms of leukaemia among the public and healthcare professionals, and to reduce the number of people receiving an emergency diagnosis, which is linked to reduced survival.

Speaking during Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2024, two years after challenging the Health Minister over actions “to ensure faster and equitable progress in improving eating disorder services across Wales”, I expressed concern that the Welsh Government has still not published a service model/framework, with timescales, for achieving the vision of the 2018 Eating Disorders Service Review.

Questioning the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, I said that 156,800, or 28 per cent, of owned cats in Wales are still not microchipped and asked her what plans and timescales she has for introducing and monitoring compulsory microchipping.

I joined the Farmers protest outside the Senedd to show my support. It is deeply disappointing that later that day, Labour defeated our motion to scrap the current Sustainable Farming Scheme proposals.

I sponsored and attended the Pancreatic Cancer UK event to promote the launch of their 'Faster, Fairer, Funded' report and 'Don’t Write Me Off' campaign, which calls for improvements to treatment and care for people with pancreatic cancer across Wales.

Other engagements included meetings of the Cross-Party Groups on Hospice and Palliative Care, which I Chaired, on Eating Disorders, and on Smoking & Health, and events with British Heart Foundation Cymru, Rare Autoimmune Rheumatic Disease Alliance (RAIRDA), and Angelman Syndrome, a genetic disorder that causes learning difficulties and issues with walking and balance.

I also joined the Principal of Coleg Llandrillo for a tour of the impressive new Rhyl Engineering Centre at Coleg Llandrillo Rhyl, and met Vodafone to discuss their ‘Connecting the Countryside’ report and how to deliver a nationwide 5G network for Wales.

For my help, email Mark.Isherwood@senedd.wales or call 0300 200 7219.