By Mark Isherwood

MS for North Wales

Speaking in the Senedd ahead of Fuel Poverty Awareness Day, I said that up that up to 98 per cent of low-income households in Wales are living in fuel poverty and that many households will struggle to keep warm and well throughout the winter, and called on the Welsh Government to use the funding it will receive in consequence of the UK Government’s Warm Homes Plan to help address the scale of the challenge in Wales.

Questioning the Minister for Children and Social Care following my recent visit to a Denbighshire Care Home with Care Forum Wales, I raised their concerns that placements in Denbighshire are being made ‘solely on the grounds of cost’, and not ‘quality and social value’ as outlined in the ‘National Framework for the Commissioning of Care and Support in Wales Code of Practice’.

I also stressed that in light of the UK Autumn Budget, issues threatening the sector’s viability include the extra cost of National Insurance contributions and the National Living Wage.

As Chair of the Senedd’s Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee, I led the Senedd Debate on our report ‘Scrutiny of Accounts: Museum Wales - Amgueddfa Cymru 2021-22’, which raised serious governance issues that led to significant costs for the public purse.

I stated: “The Committee remains unconvinced that lessons have been learned across the wider public sector in light of these issues, and we're concerned that a similar situation could occur elsewhere without more robust intervention from the Welsh Government”.

My meetings included Trustees of the ‘Shooting Star Cancer Support’ Charity, which supports the Wrexham Maelor Hospital Shooting Star Unit; RNID, to discuss how they can support my British Sign Language (BSL) (Wales) Bill; Qualifications Wales, to discuss their decision not to develop a GCSE in British Sign Language (BSL) for 2027; and Bute Energy, to discuss their proposed onshore wind energy park in Conwy County, Moel Chwa, with up to 11 wind turbines.

Other engagements included Royal College Mental Health Expert Advisory Group Wales event, Fast Track Cymru's event to mark World AIDS Day, Asthma + Lung UK Senedd Reception, One Voice Wales “Local Places for Nature and our Community and Town Councils” Senedd exhibition, and “Sanctuary in the Senedd: Lived Experience Driving Change” event.

Wonderful Charity ‘Your Space’ supports young people with Autism and their families, and I visited their Winter Festival at Llay Miners Welfare Institute.

I also spoke at the Wales Bereavement and Mental Well-Being Conference 2024 in Cardiff.

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