By Hannah Blythyn

MS for Delyn

During last week, Mold celebrated the Daniel Owen Festival – a week-long bilingual arts and literary festival held in my hometown to celebrate the author Daniel Owen. Daniel Owen is the foremost Welsh novelist of the nineteenth century and was born in Mold in 1836 and, earlier this month, it was a privilege to join the mayor of Mold, and a whole host of other people, to unveil a blue plaque at the house where he once lived. The Daniel Owen Festival includes walks, talks, singing and dancing and more. It was wonderful to watch some of the performances at Daniel Owen Square over the weekend and my puppy enjoyed it too – she wagged her tail along with the music!

I raised the festival in the Senedd during the week for a 90-second statement which I delivered in Welsh, highlighting our community and its literary achievements – and I’d like to extend my heartfelt thanks to every volunteer who helped to make the festival happen. You can see my statement in the Senedd on my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/HannahBlythynForDelyn.

Also in the Senedd last week, I raised the issue of the HyNet pipeline, which aims to capture carbon from industry in the Liverpool Bay area and store it at large scale under the sea and recently received the green light from the UK Government. I made the point to Rebecca Evans MS, the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, that there are concerns about the scale of the project and questions about whether it is the right route towards decarbonisation and I also focused on concerns around the potential impact on my constituency and the communities within it, whether that’s disruption from the construction of the spur pipeline from Padeswood to the proposed above ground installations near Northop Hall.

I serve, and I'm proud to serve, an area that has very much been scarred by industry in the past and I don't wish that to be our future – so it’s vital that local people are fully aware and involved with the process and that disruption and impact on landscape is mitigated, and that any community benefits are meaningful and mandated.

Regular readers will know that I have been keeping a close eye on plans to establish a new national park in North East Wales, which could bring significant benefits to our region. It’s crucial that communities feel engaged and informed about the proposal from the outset and so last week I met with Gareth from the Campaign for National Parks in the Senedd to discuss the proposals – although we talked about the positives from a climate, social and economic perspective, I stressed the importance of community engagement in the process of setting up a park. The public consultation is ongoing and will close on December 16th and it’s important that as many people as possible take part in it – you can have your say at https://ymgynghori.cyfoethnaturiol.cymru/north-east-gogledd-ddwyrain/waless-national-park-proposal-public-consultation.

During my Democracy in Action Day in September, many pupils from schools across Flintshire raised their concerns about the use and disposing of vapes – the students highlighted the environmental impact that disposable vapes have and what damage they can do once discarded. I was pleased to see that the Welsh Government has announced that the selling of disposable vapes will be banned in Wales from June 2025, with the UK Government following in Wales’ footsteps once again and announcing the same target date for their ban. It is good that the issues that young people have raised with me are being addressed and that our Welsh Government is delivering.

October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month, following Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month in September – two causes very close to my heart. During First Minister’s Questions last week, I told mine and my mum’s story in the Senedd – 19 years ago, my mum was diagnosed and treated for breast cancer thanks to a routine Breast Test Wales screening. Just four years later, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and a genetic test later revealed she carried the BRCA2 gene. In 2019, with the support of my mum and wife, I decided it was the right time for me to get tested – my own journey stopped there, as the results came back saying that I did not have the BRCA2 gene, but I know this isn't the outcome for everyone. I told my story in the Senedd because I wanted to raise awareness to make sure everyone has the information and support they need to make empowered decisions about their health and the importance of getting tested.

Finally, with Bonfire Night approaching many will be preparing to enjoy the fireworks, but we must all remember that fireworks aren’t fun for everyone. The RSPCA has found that 55% of pet and livestock owners are currently dreading the upcoming festivities because of their impact on their animals, so the organisation has kicked off its new campaign #BeAKindSpark this autumn. You can find out more at www.rspca.org.uk/getinvolved/campaign/fireworks/friendly.

As always, if you would like advice and/or support, please don’t hesitate to get in touch on any of the following contact details – 52 High Street, Mold, Flintshire, on 01352 753464 or by email hannah.blythyn@senedd.wales. You can also keep up to date via my Facebook page – www.facebook.com/HannahBlythynForDelyn. Constituents are, of course, welcome to contact my office to arrange an appointment to see me, you don’t need to wait for an advice surgery.