By Mark Isherwood

MS for North Wales

Speaking in the Welsh Conservative Debate calling on the Welsh Government to repeal its default 20mph speed limit, I accused the Welsh Government of ignoring all inconvenient evidence to the contrary in its determination to pursue its road safety policies, and noted that although they had called figures showing a 17% fall in people killed or seriously injured (KSI) on 20mph and 30mph roads in the first six months after the limit was introduced ‘encouraging’, they failed to mention that the number KSI on 20 mph roads had risen from 4 per cent to 34 per cent of the total, or that the overall number of people KSI on our roads is up 10%. Our Motion was defeated by Labour and Plaid Cymru.

In the Debate on Welsh Government Priorities, I said increasing NHS waiting in Wales lists are likely to get worse this Winter because “the Welsh Government is not listening to the hundreds of thousands of fuel poor pensioners in Wales who will be adversely affected by the Labour UK Government’s cuts in Winter Fuel Payments”.

I also called on the Welsh Government to press the UK Government for consequentials from HS2 for Wales and to proceed with the electrification of the North Wales main rail line.

Questioning the Economy Secretary, I noted that the Wrexham Gateway Project should be secure, but again raised concern that Wrexham’s £20 million Town Fund and the £160 million announced for the North-East Wales Investment Zone could be scrapped by the new UK Government.

I Chaired the AGM and meeting of the Cross-Party Group on Fuel Poverty and Energy Efficiency, at which I was re-elected as Chair, and .attended meetings of the Cross-Party Groups on Beer and Pubs and on Stroke.

Other engagements included sponsoring both Autentic Autism Consultancy and Training, and Nurologik, which champions neuroinclusion, at the Senedd ‘Marketplace’; Novartis rare blood cancers event; Blood Cancer UK’s ‘UK Blood Cancer Action Plan’ Welsh launch, and National Association of Alienated Parents.

I also had meetings with Gylfinir Cymru, as Wales Species Champion for the Curlew; with Disability Wales’ Access to Politics Project Officer; and, as Chair of the Cross-Party Group on Disability, with Disability Wales, Learning Disability Wales and Wales Council for the Blind.

As President of North Wales-based NWAMI, “Networking for World Awareness of Multicultural Integration”, I attended their Interculture event.

I also attended the Civic Service of the Chairman of Denbighshire County Council, Councillor Peter Scott, at St Asaph Cathedral.

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