By Mark Isherwood

MS for North Wales

Speaking in the Chamber, I called on the Welsh Government to do all they can to protect the millions of pounds of planned investment in North Wales, including the £20 million Town Fund allocated to Wrexham, and £160 million for the North East Wales Investment Zone, following well placed speculation that it could be scrapped by the new UK Government.

In stating “you had this very pork-barrel, where there happened to be a Conservative MP scheme”, in her response, the Welsh Government's Trefnydd (Leader of the House) seemed strangely unaware that Merthyr Tydfil, Cwmbran and Barry were each also to receive £20 million town funds, or that a second Investment Zone in Wales was located across Cardiff and Newport.

Closing the Welsh Conservative debate, which called on the UK Government to reverse its decision to end the universal Winter Fuel Payment, I said Age UK estimates 2.5 million pensioners on low incomes – but not low enough to get pension credit – will struggle to pay their bills this winter, and Age Cymru have stated "that cutting the Winter Fuel Payment this winter, with virtually no notice and no compensatory measures to protect poor and vulnerable pensioners, is the wrong decision".

The Cabinet Secretary, Jane Hutt, sadly delivered a politicised, point-scoring and, frankly, uncaring response. Labour MSs defeated the motion by 1 vote.

I joined Women's Institute members to mark their Week of River Action; attended Cancer charity Maggie’s Senedd event; the Social Enterprise Stakeholder Group's Senedd briefing, and the Peaceful Protest outside the Senedd against Labour Welsh Government Policies.

I also attended Fairtrade Wales' Fairtrade Fortnight Senedd event, and was a member of the Panel for the panel discussion on ‘How is Wales uniquely placed to be a world-leader of innovative neuroscience research?’ at the British Neuroscience Association event in the Senedd.

Other engagements included Chairing meetings of the Welsh Parliament Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee, and Cross-Party Autism Group, and a meeting with members of the Welsh Parliament Legislation Team, the Secretariat of the Cross-Party Group on Deaf Issues, which I Chair, and the British Deaf Association, to discuss the Consultation for my British Sign Language (BSL) (Wales) Bill, which should be launched soon.

I also attended the International Green flag Award Celebration at Community Clubhouse and Gardens in Mold, took part in the Great British Beach Clean event in Rhyl, and attended the 90th anniversary of the Gresford Colliery Disaster memorial service at All Saints Church in Gresford.

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