Tag: 2022

Eluned Morgan – 2022 Statement on Emergency Care Services for Winter in Wales
The statement made by Eluned Morgan, the Minister for Health and Social Services, on 11 October 2022.

I am pleased to update Members on our planning approach to support resilient urgent and emergency care services this winter.

It is likely the winter period will present additional challenges to an already stretched urgent and emergency care system if there are increases in prevalence of both COVID-19 and influenza, and within the context of the cost of living and energy crises. Members will know there are plans in progress focusing on COVID-19 and influenza vaccination, and additional support for vulnerable people most likely to feel the impact of rising costs this winter.

Planning for seasonal peaks in pressure is a year-round exercise and development of interventions that will enable additional resilience commenced many months ago. Additionally, a winter planning framework has been issued to NHS Wales organisations and Regional Partnership Boards to support them to plan and deliver resilient urgent and emergency care services this winter.

Since Spring 2022, Health Boards have been working with partners to develop local urgent and emergency care plans focused on a small number of priorities set by the Welsh Government that will support people to access the right care, in the right place, first time. To support consistency and harness momentum, the winter planning framework sets out expectations for Health Boards to work with partners to build on these priorities and develop enhanced interventions for the winter period. These priorities include:
- - A national communications campaign to raise awareness of NHS 111 Wales, encouraging the public to use the 111 service as a first port of call for free, trusted health information to help ensure they access the right service, first time;
  - Optimising the role of third sector services to improve experience and outcomes for vulnerable people who access care in Emergency Departments or hospitals;
  - Increasing opportunities for people with urgent care complaints to be assessed and treated away from the Emergency Department and within Urgent Primary Care Centres;
  - £3m for the recruitment of 100 new ambulance clinicians expected to be operational by the end of December;
  - Increasing emergency ambulance response capacity through implementation of new staff rosters to deliver efficiency equivalent to around 70 whole time equivalents;
  - Reducing long ambulance patient handover delays to improve experience and unlock ambulance capacity;
  - A further £2m has been made available for health boards to improve their emergency department environments, to enhance patient experiences this winter; and
  - Extending same day emergency care services to seven-day accessibility to help people who may have ordinarily been admitted to hospital to return home to sleep in their own bed.
In addition, Health Boards and Local Authorities have developed plans to increase community bed or bed equivalent capacity ahead of the winter period. These plans will aim to deliver additional step down to recover provision and community responses through a shared endeavour amongst partners.

This additional capacity will be delivered alongside additional measures to boost the community care workforce, and is a key element of our enhanced winter planning approach. It will support people to return home or to their local communities when ready and as a consequence it should improve timeliness of care in other parts of the urgent and emergency care system.

I expect Health Boards to work collaboratively with partners through Regional Partnership Boards to refine plans, drawing on learning from the previous winter and the ongoing challenges of the pandemic, with a focus on patient safety and wellbeing.

Health Boards will be expected to submit winter resilience plans to their respective Boards for approval, and a review of each Health Board’s plan will form part of Welsh Government Integrated Quality Planning and Delivery meetings in October.

I will provide Members with further updates throughout the winter period.
October 11, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Automatic voter registration pilots proposed in Wales [October 2022]

The press release issued by the Welsh Government on 10 October 2022.

The Counsel General, Mick Antoniw, said the proposals are designed to remove barriers to voting.

It comes as a consultation opens on new legislation to modernise electoral administration and wider electoral reform.

Currently people must register in order to vote, but under the new proposals anyone who is eligible would be added to the electoral register automatically by their local authority. This will make voting simpler, especially for young people and for those who have moved to Wales from another country.

The Welsh Government is proposing to work with a number of local authorities to run a series of pilots focusing on how best to collect data and use existing data to support automatic registration, and will be inviting local authorities to take part in pilot projects.

Views are also being sought on how best to improve student and young people’s registration rates, who have a proportionately lower rate of registration and participation.

Other areas being considered are the accessibility of information on parties and candidates, the equipment available to help disabled people vote, and the digitization of elections in Wales.

Mick Antoniw, Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution, said:

This is another step in improving the accessibility of Welsh elections. We want it to be as easy as possible to vote, with people able to play their full part in our democracy. We also want to create political structures that are more representative of the people they serve.

I’m proud to say that since we assumed responsibility for local and Senedd elections in 2017 we have lowered the voting age to 16 and enfranchised qualifying foreign nationals. As part of building a 21st century electoral system, the time is now right to accelerate our ambitious long-term vision for electoral reform in anticipation of the next major devolved and local elections in 2026 and 2027.

We have outlined a wide range of proposals about the best way forward, and encourage people from every part of society to have their say and help us deliver our vision.

October 11, 2022
Jane Hutt – 2022 Statement on National Hate Crime Awareness Week

The statement made by Jane Hutt, the Welsh Minister for Social Justice, on 10 October 2022.

National Hate Crime Awareness Week is an annual campaign of action to raise awareness of hate crime, highlight the importance of reporting incidents, and signpost people to the support available.

This year, our Wales Hate Support Centre provider, Victim Support Cymru, has helped to co-ordinate a range of activities across Wales to mark the week, collaborating with police, local authorities, and the third sector. These activities have been developed under the theme, Wales Together, which underlines the importance of communities uniting against hate in all its forms. Victim Support Cymru has also co-produced a partner pack with resources to help stakeholders to deliver themed messaging throughout the week, with each day focusing on a different strand of hate crime.

On 11 October 2022, I will be speaking at the Young People and Hate in Modern Wales event hosted by Victim Support Cymru. The event will explore the harmful and isolating impact of hate crime on the lives of children and young people and provide a forum to highlight best practice in supporting those who have experienced hate.

It has been another important year of progress in Wales. We have embedded action to tackle hate crime in both the forthcoming Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan and the LGBTQ+ Action Plan, demonstrating a strategic approach to this issue. Our plans have been shaped by the views of the people of Wales, and it is clear from their input that tackling hate crime is a priority. The Welsh Government is committed to creating an anti-racist nation by 2030, where everyone is valued for who they are and the contribution they make. Tackling hate crime is a pivotal to this vision, and the actions contained in the plan are driving us forward towards this goal.

These action plans have fed into the work plan of the Welsh Government ‘s Hate and Community Tension Board Cymru. Through this board, we are working alongside the four Police forces in Wales, British Transport Police, Crown Prosecution Service Cymru-Wales, the Offices of the Police and Crime Commissioners, and Victim Support Cymru to take the work plan forward.

A fundamental part of our work to tackle hate crime is the Wales Hate Support Centre. In April, the Welsh Government launched this new support service, run by Victim Support Cymru, to provide an independent and high-quality support and advocacy service which promotes victim-centred choices for all victims of hate crime across Wales. The Centre is using innovative outreach and engagement methods to ensure it is reaching socially and geographically excluded communities and is focused on inclusiveness and intersectionality. The service is free and available 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

As part of this new service, the Wales Hate Support Centre is providing support to children and young people. Last year, the Welsh Government commissioned research into their experiences and their awareness of hate crime. The research highlighted gaps in knowledge and support for children and young people who experience hate, and a clear requirement for a service which better suited their needs. In response, this service will provide tailored and appropriate support and advocacy together with awareness-raising and engagement work with children and young people and the professionals that support them. This is part of a wider training and engagement programme delivered by the Centre to diverse audiences from all sectors across Wales.

To coincide with National Hate Crime Awareness Week, the Welsh Government is delivering a short burst of its anti-hate campaign, Hate Hurts Wales. This will include television and online advertising, running across ITV, S4C, Facebook, and Instagram. The aim is to supplement the awareness-raising activities happening across Wales and to encourage people to report. We are currently in the process of procuring the contract to deliver the next phase of Hate Hurts Wales, which will run until at least March 2024.

The Hate Crime in Schools Project ended in March 2022, with 145 schools across Wales receiving hate crime awareness raising training and critical thinking sessions. The Welsh Local Government Association delivered the project on behalf of Welsh Government and has produced an evaluation report. We are now considering how best to take forward the recommendations and learning from the project.

We have recently agreed to fund the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust to employ a support worker to encourage communities in Wales to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day 2023 through community events and activities. The Trust’s mission to highlight the dangers of allowing hate to go unchallenged is as important as ever and strongly links with our wider work to make Wales an anti-racist nation.

The National Hate Crime Statistics for England and Wales 2021/2022 were published by the Home Office on 6 October. The statistics show a 35% increase in recorded hate crimes across Wales compared to 2020/2021. There were 6,295 recorded hate crimes across the four Welsh Police Force Areas of which:

3,888 (62%) were race hate crimes;
1,329 (21%) were sexual orientation hate crimes;
227 (4%) were religion hate crimes;
864 (14%) were disability hate crimes; and
247 (4%) were transgender hate crimes.
It is uncertain to what degree the increase in police recorded hate crime is due to continued recording improvements, alongside the range of work to encourage victims to report incidents. For example, our Hate Hurts Wales campaign ran during half of 2021/2022 (October 2021 to March 2022) with digital communications, targeted outdoor advertising, and television advertising all aimed at increasing the confidence of victims to come forward and report. Nevertheless, any increase in hate crime is concerning and an indication of why our continued work in this area is required.

We are still waiting a response from the UK Government to the recommendations of the Law Commission’s Final Report on Hate Crime Laws, published in December 2021. I wrote to the UK Government this year to ask that it accept with immediate effect the recommendation that the aggravated offences which currently exist for race and religion should be extended to all other existing characteristics within the hate crime legislative regime, including sexual orientation and transgender identity. This would send out a clear message that hate crime motivated by sexual orientation, transgender identity, and disability is unacceptable and there are serious consequences for those perpetrating these hateful actions, but no action has been taken yet by the UK Government.

We want a Wales where everyone thrives and feels valued. The National Survey for Wales 2021 to 2022 showed that 84% of adults agreed that people from different backgrounds get on well together, while 82% agreed that people treat each other with respect and consideration. This is a positive indicator that we have connected communities with shared values in Wales, and a solid platform to work together to eliminate hate and prejudice from society.

October 11, 2022
Vaughan Gething – 2022 Statement on the Arfor 2 Programme
The statement made by Vaughan Gething, the Welsh Minister for the Economy, on 10 October 2022.

I am pleased to inform Members that as part of the Co-operation Agreement with Plaid Cymru, I have agreed proposals for an Arfor 2 programme.

A budget of £11m is being made available over the 3-year period 2022/23 – 2024/24 to support the programme which will, alongside our wider support package, deliver a range of economic interventions aimed at promoting entrepreneurship, business growth, community resilience and the Welsh language.

We have been working with Cefin Campbell MS, the Designated Member and local authority partners in the spirit of co-production to develop proposals which build on the learning from the original 2-year Arfor programme (2019/20 – 20/21) which sought to pilot a number of activities. The findings of the independent evaluation of that programme have also been key to help shape this new programme.

The Arfor 2 programme, which is to be delivered by the local authorities, will be operational in Gwynedd, Anglesey, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire. It will support a number of strategic interventions, including a focus on opportunities for young people and families to enable them to stay or return to their home communities – and to fulfil their aspirations locally.

This programme will make an important contribution to the Welsh Government’s wider Welsh language strategy – Cymraeg 2050 which aims to reach a million Welsh speakers by 2050 and aims to complement existing or planned activity which is of relevance for example Business Wales, Big Ideas, SMART innovation, Welsh Language Communities Housing Plan and other programmes.

The Arfor 2 programme will seek:
- To create opportunities for young people and families (under 35 years old) to stay in or return to their home communities – supporting them to succeed locally by engaging in enterprise or developing a career.
- To create enterprising communities within Welsh-speaking areas – by supporting commercial and community enterprises that aim to preserve and increase local wealth by taking advantage of the identity and unique qualities of their areas.
- To maximise the benefit of activity through collaboration– to ensure that good practice and lessons learnt are shared and that there is on-going monitoring to ensure continuous improvement.
- Strengthen the identity of communities with a high density of Welsh speakers – by supporting the use and visibility of the Welsh language, encouraging a sense of place.
The Arfor 2 programme will also look to promote the learning and sharing of good practice and to broaden our understanding of the links between economy and language, and where relevant housing, and identify those interventions which can make a difference.

Work will now continue on the detail of the proposed interventions, and I will update Members as the programme progresses.
October 11, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : £11 million Arfor 2 programme to boost economic prosperity in Welsh speaking communities [October 2022]
The press release issued by the Welsh Government on 10 October 2022.

The Welsh Government will invest £11 million over the next three years in Arfor 2, Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething and Designated Member Cefin Campbell have announced today.
- New Arfor 2 programme designed to strengthen the economic resilience of Welsh language strongholds.
- £11 million to be made available for communities in four counties with the highest levels of Welsh speakers.
- Funding will support a number of strategic interventions, including a focus on opportunities for young people and families, to enable them to stay in or return to their home communities.
- Programme will play a key role in the Welsh Government’s Welsh language strategy (Cymraeg 2050), which aims to ensure there are 1 million Welsh speakers by 2050.
Arfor 2 is a new programme to be delivered by local authority partners which will help strengthen the economic resilience of Welsh language strongholds.

As part of the Co-operation Agreement with Plaid Cymru and building on the experience and evaluation of the earlier Arfor programme launched in 2019, the Welsh Government funding will be available to the four local authorities of Gwynedd, Ynys Môn, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire.

The main objective of Arfor 2 is to support the communities that are strongholds of the Welsh language to flourish through economic interventions which will also contribute to increasing opportunities to see and use the Welsh language on a daily basis.

It will also help:
- to create opportunities for young people and families (under 35 years old) to stay in or return to their indigenous communities, supporting them to succeed locally by engaging in enterprise or developing a career
- to create enterprising communities within Welsh-speaking areas, by supporting commercial and community enterprises that aim to preserve and increase local wealth by taking advantage of the identity and unique qualities of their areas
- to maximise the benefit of activity through collaboration, to ensure that good practice and lessons learnt are shared and that there is on-going monitoring to ensure continuous improvement
- strengthen the identity of communities with a high density of Welsh speakers, by supporting the use and visibility of the Welsh language, encouraging a sense of place and local loyalty
Today’s announcement outlines that agreement has been reached with partners in the local authorities on a programme of activity that will help support our Welsh speaking communities, work will now continue on the detail of the proposed interventions.

The Arfor 2 programme will also look to promote the learning and sharing of good practice and broaden our understanding of the links between economy and language and identify those interventions which can make a difference.

Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething, said:

I am pleased that through collaborative working with local authorities and with Plaid Cymru, we have reached agreement on a strategic programme of interventions for Arfor 2 which has potential to make a significant difference in our Welsh speaking heartlands taking forward our ambitions of spreading economic prosperity. By working with our local authority partners, we want to support communities that are strongholds of the Welsh language to flourish through economic interventions and contribute to increasing opportunities to see and use the Welsh language on a daily basis.

Designated Member, Cefin Campbell, said:

By working together we are building on the successes of the Arfor pilot which aims to support and grow the local economy and the Welsh language together. The investment of £11m in this scheme is a direct boost to the economies of the west that will further promote entrepreneurship, business growth and help protect the Welsh language. We want to make sure communities in these areas can thrive and people are able to stay in their local communities for work or to grow a business.

The Economy Minister and Designated Member announced the new funding package for Arfor 2 during a visit to Canolfan S4C Yr Egin in Carmarthen and met with local entrepreneurs.

One of the aims of establishing Yr Egin was to act as a catalyst for promoting and strengthening the Welsh language and economy in Carmarthenshire. Since opening, Yr Egin has become a busy community of creativity where there is focus on sharing, collaboration and business development.

The Minister and Designated Member also had a taste of Carmarthenshire honey by Mel Gwenyn Gruffydd, a Carmarthenshire based business which benefited from the first phase of Arfor. Gruffydd, Co-founder of Gwenyn Gruffydd Ltd, said:

Having had support through the Arfor Scheme has meant that a small honey business like ours has been given a chance to flourish in a rural Welsh speaking community. It has allowed me and my wife to be full time in the business and enabled us to create a further Welsh speaking job within the business too. It has meant that we have been able to stay in rural West Wales, build a business, create jobs and promote the use of the Welsh language through our work. Being part of Arfor has enabled us as a business to contribute to the Welsh language by giving talks and presentations to local groups and community too.

Leader of Carmarthenshire County Council, Cllr Darren Price, said:

We are pleased that Carmarthenshire based businesses and communities will be able to access support from the Arfor programme which will provide both economic opportunities across the county as well as support the development and sustainability of the Welsh language.

We look forward to hearing from local organisations and businesses on their exciting concepts to nurture and sustain the ethos of the new Arfor programme.

By working together with Arfor partners across the West, we have an opportunity to deliver a programme of innovative interventions that will encapsulate the relationship between the Welsh language and the economy.

The Leader of Anglesey County Council, Councillor Llinos Medi, said:

Our businesses and communities face a number of difficulties at the moment and it’s great to be able to announce such a significant scheme and financial package.

Arfor has already show its worth during the first stage of the programme. On Anglesey, 55 local businesses were assisted through an investment of around £400,000. This money either safeguarded or created 80 jobs and promoted the use of the Welsh language in 48 businesses.

Cllr Medi added:

I welcome this announcement and look forward to seeing our local economy continuing to benefit from implementing this important programme.

Councillor Dyfrig Siencyn, Gwynedd Council Leader, said:

I welcome today’s announcement and very much look forward to strengthening the links we have forged through the Arfor project. Our communities may seem vulnerable in some ways, but simultaneously they are vibrant and exciting places with much to offer. I am confident that this investment will help increase opportunity and so encourage our young people to stay and build their lives here, further safeguarding our language, culture and way of life.

Councillor Bryan Davies, Leader of Ceredigion County Council, said:

We welcome the Welsh Government’s commitment to once again invest in the Arfor Scheme, to continue the work of supporting economic growth, and to support the Welsh language in Welsh heartlands.

The young people and economy of Ceredigion have already benefited from support under the original Arfor scheme, and this further investment will boost our efforts to realise economic growth and opportunities for young people to take advantage of the opportunities that exist to build a successful career here in Ceredigion.
October 11, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Lamb from Wales on its way to USA [October 2022]

The press release issued by the Welsh Government on 8 October 2022.

Lamb from Wales will be shipped to the USA for the first time in more than 25 years today.

The consignment has been processed at Dunbia, Carmarthenshire.

Welsh Government, alongside Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales, have worked hard to see Welsh Lamb once again gain access to the USA.

The ban on British lamb to the USA has been in place following an outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).

Rural Affairs Minister Lesley Griffiths said:

Wales produces some of the very best lamb in the world, and it is great news people in the US will now be able enjoy it.

This is a real boost for the industry. Securing access to the US market has been a long running effort, with Welsh Government and Hybu Cig Cymru having raised this issue with American authorities over a decade ago. I want to thank everybody who has worked hard to get to this point.

October 11, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Minister delivers major announcement on building safety [October 2022]

The press release issued by the Welsh Government on 7 October 2022.

The Minister provided a number of key updates which included progress on the Welsh Government’s Developers Pact – a pledge designed for companies to confirm their intention to address fire safety issues in buildings of 11 metres and over in height that they have developed over the last 30 years.

The Minister confirmed major developers have signed up to the pact and, in some cases, remediation work has started.
Developers who have signed the pact are Persimmon, Taylor Wimpey, Lovell, McCarthy and Stone, Countryside, Vistry, Redrow, Crest Nicholson and Barratt.

The Minister said:

I have always made it clear that I do not expect leaseholders to bear the cost of repairing fire safety issues that are not of their making and that I expect developers to step up to their responsibilities.

I am very pleased that following our roundtable meeting in July a number of major developers have acknowledged their responsibility by signing up to the Welsh Government’s Developers Pact.

I met with these developers yesterday to confirm next steps, and their plans and timescales for remediation.

I wish to commend them for their engagement to date and look forward to a productive relationship in the future.

In some cases, developers have started their remediation works, and are making the repairs necessary and I look forward to this work continuing at pace.

The Minister also provided key updates on vital survey work carried out through the Welsh Building Safety Fund, reforming the current legislative system, the Leaseholder Support Scheme and on reimbursing those who have already paid for survey work.

The Minister added:

I have been made aware that in a number of cases, survey work was undertaken prior to the launch of the Welsh Building Safety Fund, funded by residents, building owners or managing agents.

Where this has happened, and subject to certain eligibility criteria being met, I can confirm that surveys costs will be reimbursed by Welsh Government.

While it is right that developers take responsibility for defects that they are accountable, building owners and Managing Agents also have accountabilities when it comes to ensuring the safety of buildings and it is important that effective maintenance programmes are in place.

I would encourage all residents to assure themselves that maintenance on their buildings is being carried out in accordance with their lease agreements.

October 11, 2022
Julie James – 2022 Statement on Building Safety in Wales

The statement made by Julie James, the Welsh Minister for Climate Change, on 7 October 2022.

I have always made it clear that I do not expect leaseholders to bear the cost of repairing fire safety issues that are not of their making and that I expect developers to step up to their responsibilities.

I am very pleased that following our roundtable meeting in July a number of major developers have acknowledged their responsibility by signing up to the Welsh Government’s Developers Pact. This confirms their intention to address fire safety issues in buildings of 11 metres and over in height that they have developed over the last 30 years. These developers are Persimmon, Taylor Wimpey, Lovell, McCarthy and Stone, Countryside, Vistry, Redrow, Crest Nicholson and Barratt.

I met with these developers yesterday to confirm next steps, and their plans and timescales for remediation. I wish to commend them for their engagement to date and look forward to a productive relationship in the future. In some cases, developers have started their remediation works, and are making the repairs necessary. I look forward to this work continuing at pace.

I remain disappointed that three developers are yet to provide me with assurances that they do not have any medium or high-rise developments in Wales or, if they do, are prepared to meet their responsibilities in respect of these developments.

The three developers yet to reply are: Laing O’Rourke, Westmark, and Kier (now Tilia).

I am urging these developers to contact my officials immediately to confirm their position. I want to make clear I am exploring all options, including legislation, to ensure that those developers will face consequences for their unwillingness to accept their responsibilities.

I am proud of the commitment we have made in Wales that a holistic approach is necessary to effectively address fire safety issues. This means that both internal and external factors are considered, rather than a focus on cladding alone.

I have made £375 million available to tackle building safety and have taken steps to ensure all appropriate routes are being explored to make sure that all medium and high-rise buildings in Wales are as safe as they can be from fire.

To deliver on this commitment, it is essential that we understand the needs of individual buildings and design bespoke solutions to best address their fire risk. A comprehensive survey provides this information, and the Welsh Building Safety Fund, which is still open for expressions of interest from responsible persons, is supporting this aim.

Both the digital and intrusive survey work is paid for by the Welsh Government. By funding and commissioning the surveys, Welsh Government will gain a clear, consistent and comprehensive picture of building safety issues across Wales.

Where buildings are found to be low risk, our consultants will provide an EWS1 certificate. This will help to reassure leaseholders and remove barriers to them accessing financial products such as mortgages.

To date, the digital surveys have identified 163 buildings across Wales that require intrusive surveys. All responsible persons have been contacted to advise them of the need for intrusive surveys, and to arrange for permission to access the building to undertake this work.

In some cases, our consultants have faced restricted access to buildings, which has delayed our programme of surveys. I would urge responsible persons to do all they can to facilitate access, so that our surveyors can continue this important work. I have written to responsible persons / managing agents to press this message.

I have been made aware that in a number of cases, survey work was undertaken prior to the launch of the Welsh Building Safety Fund, funded by residents, building owners or managing agents. Where this has happened, and subject to certain eligibility criteria being met, surveys costs will be reimbursed by Welsh Government. If responsible persons / managing agents are in this position, please contact my officials at buildingsafety@gov.wales.

While it is right that developers are accountable, building owners and Managing Agents also have accountabilities when it comes to ensuring the safety of buildings and it is important that effective maintenance programmes are in place.   I would encourage all residents to assure themselves that maintenance on their buildings is being carried out in accordance with their lease agreements.

I am also aware that in some cases, leaseholders are in severe financial difficulties as a result of fire safety issues and to address this I launched the Leaseholder Support Scheme in June.

As I committed when I launched the scheme, I have instructed officials to review the criteria to ensure that those in greatest need are receiving support. This review is underway, and I will announce any further changes to the scheme and eligibility criteria shortly.

Building Safety in Wales must both address our present situation and undertake fundamental reform of the building safety regime to ensure the problems we face now cannot arise again in future. Alongside investment over the next three years for building safety work, plans are underway for a significant programme of legislative and cultural reform to establish a fit for purpose building safety regime in Wales. Reforming the current system of building safety is a key commitment for this Government and also forms an important part of our Co-operation Agreement with Plaid Cymru. In addition to this, a number of provisions that apply in relation to Wales were included within the UK Building Safety Act 2022.

The Act received Royal Assent in April 2022. The provisions that apply in relation to Wales focus primarily on the reform of the building control system (Part 3 of the Act) but do extend to other areas, including several provisions intended to add further protection for leaseholders.

Some of the key provisions which have been commenced include:

•         Amendment of the Building (Approved Inspectors etc.) Regulations 2010 to make the approved inspector sector more resilient and flexible in the face of insurance market fluctuations, and to create alignment on insurance requirements between approved inspectors and other professions

•     The extension of the Defective Premises Act 1972 time periods and provision to deal with the lack of redress availability where a development company no longer exists.

We have completed our design and construction phase transition plan which enables us over the next three years to make the legislative changes necessary to ensure that the problems identified with the current building control regimes are rectified.

The first of the public consultations on this work was published in September. This consultation is focused on the rules and standards we will expect Building Control Bodies both in the public and private sector to comply with.

This can be found on the Welsh Government Consultation pages.

https://gov.wales/operational-standards-rules

A full understanding of the impacts of any proposed changes is integral to this new regime, as is providing all stakeholders the opportunity to shape future policy. To this end expect to see further related consultations over the coming months.

We will be publishing more detail of our transition plan on our webpages shortly.

October 11, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : It is necessary to intensify common efforts to create an air shield for Ukraine – speech by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the video conference of the leaders of the Group of Seven and Ukraine [October 2022]

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 11 October 2022.

Dear colleagues, dear friends!

Thank you Chancellor Scholz for convening this extraordinary G7 summit and thank you to all the countries that supported this initiative and to all the leaders who are here today.

For the second day now, Ukraine has been suffering from massive Russian missile strikes. And for the 230th day – from the Russian terrorist war.

Starting from yesterday, the enemy used more than a hundred cruise missiles and dozens of different drones, including Iranian “Shaheds”. And every ten minutes I receive a message about the enemy’s use of Iranian “Shaheds”. As an example, here’s one hour of this morning:

5:01 – “Shahed” was shot down over the Black Sea.

5:11 – one more down.

5:13 – one more.

5:28 – “Shahed” again.

5:30 – one more “Shahed”.

5:36, 5:49 – two more “Shaheds”.

And it’s like that almost every hour! Plus 28 launches of Russian missiles today. And that’s just this morning. And 84 missiles yesterday.

We should all be aware that this is the enemy not only of Ukraine. It is the enemy of each of you.

It is not limited to missiles. We see sabotage against gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea and against critical cables in Europe. We see an energy crisis. Food crisis and artificial threat of famine for African and Asian countries. And who does all that? Who provokes and incites that? A terrorist state. And this is Russia. Today it is so.

Russia wants to provoke chaos in Ukraine and in the entire democratic world, and therefore uses everything – from missile strikes to the seizure of a nuclear plant, threats of a radiation disaster, from sabotage against infrastructure in Europe to a deliberate attempt to destroy Ukraine’s energy facilities. Destroy all of them. We must stop all this.

I thank you for all the help already provided. It is big, it is significant. But the Russian leader, who is now in the final stage of his reign, still has room for further escalation. This possibility of his is a threat to all of us.

But we can overcome this threat. We have a formula for peace. And now, reacting to Russian terror, sham referenda and the attempt to annex our territory, we can apply the peace formula so that the terrorist state stands no chance.

The first point is defense support. Air shield for Ukraine. This is part of the security guarantees that are an element of our peace formula.

When Ukraine receives a sufficient number of modern and effective air defense systems, the key element of Russian terror – missile strikes – will cease to work.

I thank Germany and Chancellor Scholz personally for speeding up the delivery of IRIS. I thank the USA and personally President Biden for the decision to provide modern missile defense and air defense systems. And we believe, Mr. President, that these will be medium and long-range systems that will allow us to create an echeloned defense system.

I thank everyone who has already helped us secure our air defense system, which allows us to neutralize some of the Russian missiles and drones. But! According to our intelligence, Russia ordered 2,400 “Shaheds” alone from Iran.

And that’s why, dear Mr. Chancellor, dear President of the United States, it is important that we have sufficient missiles for the air defense and anti-missile systems provided and that these systems are integrated with our defense system. Tomorrow in the format of Ramstein I would ask that our defense ministers discuss this.

Mr. President of France! Mr. Prime Minister of Italy! We are very much looking forward to the delivery of the SAMP-T systems. And if possible, they are needed in the coming months.

Dear friends!

Mrs. Prime Minister Truss! Prime Minister Trudeau! Prime Minister Kishida! Dear President Charles Michel! Dear Ursula von der Leyen! I am asking you to strengthen the overall effort to help financially with the creation of an air shield for Ukraine. Millions of people will be grateful to the Group of Seven for such assistance.

The second point is the territorial integrity of Ukraine. It is also an element of our peace formula. And it is logically combined with the third point – with punishment, which is an integral element of any peace formula.

The one who started the armed aggression is an international criminal. He must be convicted.

The protection of the territorial integrity of Ukraine is the protection of the entire international legal order, starting from the UN Charter. Various potential aggressors in the world are now watching the reaction of democracies to the farce arranged by Russia with sham referenda and attempted annexation.

Russia must be completely isolated and punished. Punished both politically and in terms of sanctions.

I thank our European friends for the eighth sanctions package. But look – the eighth package is not a punishment for Russia. Russia has started a new stage of escalation, and therefore a new sanctions package is needed – a strong package. And I ask you to develop it!

We have to respond symmetrically at the level of the entire Group of Seven, our entire democratic world: when Russia attacks the energy sector and energy stability of our countries, we must block its energy sector with sanctions, break the stability of Russian revenues from oil and gas trade. A tough price cap is needed for the exports of oil and gas from Russia – zero profit for the terrorist state.

Such steps can bring peace closer – they will encourage the terrorist state to think about peace, about the unprofitability of war.

We must also recognize the obvious fact: there can be no dialogue with this leader of Russia, who has no future. He himself rejected the dialogue. Despite all our efforts to negotiate peace over the years! He speaks with ultimata, terror is his attitude to the world, to other people.

After the Russian strikes, all the murders, all the abuse of civilians and international law, your societies will not understand you if you do not cut off any prospects for this leader of terror.

All of us in the world should realize: talks can be either with another head of Russia – who will comply with the UN Charter, the basic principles of humanity and territorial integrity of Ukraine – or in a different configuration, so that the key terrorist does not have the opportunity to influence key decisions through terror. Now one person is blocking peace – and this person is in Moscow.

Now, while we have no opportunity for diplomacy because this Russian leader only believes in terror, we need defense support. It is on the battlefield that peace is gained. But also in the sphere of diplomacy – in our work on security guarantees for Ukraine and supplementing the existing security architecture in Europe. The Kyiv Security Compact project is a real contribution to security, it is a visionary element of the peace formula for all of us. I am asking you to support this Compact!

And one more thing.

Peace is possible not only when there is peace with one neighbor, but when there is peace with all neighbors. And I want to draw attention to one country. The territory of Belarus is already used for strikes against Ukraine. And now we see a bigger threat.

Russia is trying to directly draw Belarus into this war, playing a provocation that we are allegedly preparing an attack on this country. Indirectly it has already involved them. And now it wants to involve them directly.

Ukraine did not plan and does not plan military actions against Belarus. We are only interested in restoring our territorial integrity. But in order to completely remove this provocation, to remove these narratives by Lukashenko, to remove even the assumption of any alleged threat from us, we offer our solution.

A mission of international observers may be stationed on the border of Ukraine and Belarus to monitor the security situation. The format can be worked out by our diplomats. And I ask you at the level of the Group of Seven to support this initiative of ours.

Dear colleagues!

Now is the crucial time.

This leader of Russia, feeling the approach of his end, is trying to force the democratic world to surrender with a terrorist rush. To retreat. To lose. This can only be the desire of an insane person – more than a hundred missile strikes in less than two days against civilians, against civilian infrastructure, sham referenda, a criminal attempt at annexation… Think about it – radiation blackmail!

The terrorist must lose. He must constantly feel that there is responsibility for terror. Let’s make it happen!

I thank you for your help! I apologize for not having time to thank each country separately, each leader personally. But Ukraine knows how to be grateful, we will be grateful, we are grateful.

We bring peace together!

Glory to Ukraine!

October 11, 2022
G7 – 2022 Joint Statement on Ukraine
The joint statement issued by G7 leaders on 11 October 2022.

G7 Statement on Ukraine, 11 October 2022
1. We, the leaders of the Group of Seven (G7), convened today with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Our meeting took place against the backdrop of the most recent missile attacks against civilian infrastructure and cities across Ukraine, leading to the death of innocent civilians. We condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms and recall that indiscriminate attacks on innocent civilian populations constitute a war crime. We will hold President Putin and those responsible to account.
2. The G7 firmly condemn and unequivocally reject the illegal attempted annexation by Russia of Ukraine’s Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhya and Kherson regions in addition to the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol. We solemnly reiterate that we will never recognise this illegal annexation or the sham referenda that Russia uses to justify it.
3. Russia has blatantly violated the principles enshrined in the UN Charter. They cannot and do not give Russia a legitimate basis to change Ukraine’s borders. We call upon all countries to unequivocally reject these violations of international law and demand that Russia cease all hostilities and immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its troops and military equipment from Ukraine.
4. We have imposed and will continue to impose further economic costs on Russia, including on individuals and entities – inside and outside of Russia – providing political or economic support for Russia’s illegal attempts to change the status of Ukrainian territory.
5. We deplore deliberate Russian escalatory steps, including the partial mobilisation of reservists and irresponsible nuclear rhetoric, which is putting global peace and security at risk. We reaffirm that any use of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons by Russia would be met with severe consequences.
6. We condemn Russia’s actions at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant and the pressure exerted on the personnel of the facility. This is a further irresponsible escalation and we will hold Russia responsible for any incident caused by their actions. The safety, security and safeguards of the nuclear facility are paramount and we support the International Atomic Energy Agency’s efforts in this regard.
7. We reiterate our call on the Belarusian authorities to stop enabling the Russian war of aggression by permitting Russian armed forces to use Belarusian territory and by providing support to the Russian military. The announcement of a joint military group with Russia constitutes the most recent example of the Belarusian regime’s complicity with Russia. We renew our call on the Lukashenko regime to fully abide by its obligations under international law.
8. We reaffirm our full support to Ukraine’s independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty in its internationally recognised borders. In line with international law, in particular the UN Charter, Ukraine has the legitimate right to defend itself against Russian aggression and to regain full control of its territory within its internationally recognised borders.
9. We reassured President Zelenskyy that we are undeterred and steadfast in our commitment to providing the support Ukraine needs to uphold its sovereignty and territorial integrity. We will continue to provide financial, humanitarian, military, diplomatic and legal support and will stand firmly with Ukraine for as long as it takes. We are committed to supporting Ukraine in meeting its winter preparedness needs.
10. With a view to a viable post-war peace settlement, we remain ready to reach arrangements together with interested countries and institutions and Ukraine on sustained security and other commitments to help Ukraine defend itself, secure its free and democratic future, and deter future Russian aggression. We will continue to coordinate efforts to meet Ukraine’s urgent requirements for military and defense equipment. We look forward to the outcomes of the International Expert Conference on the Recovery, Reconstruction and Modernisation of Ukraine on October 25.
11. No country wants peace more than Ukraine, whose people have suffered death, displacement and countless atrocities as the result of Russian aggression. In solidarity with Ukraine, the G7 Leaders welcome President Zelenskyy’s readiness for a just peace. This should include the following elements: respecting the UN Charter’s protection of territorial integrity and sovereignty; safeguarding Ukraine’s ability to defend itself in the future; ensuring Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction, including exploring avenues to do so with funds from Russia; pursuing accountability for Russian crimes committed during the war.
12. We are deeply troubled by the deliberate damage to the Nordstream pipelines in international waters in the Baltic Sea and strongly condemn any deliberate disruption of critical infrastructure. We welcome ongoing investigations.
13. We will act in solidarity and close coordination to address the negative impact of Russia’s aggression for global economic stability, including by continuing to cooperate to ensure energy security and affordability across the G7 and beyond.
October 11, 2022