I Sponsored the 'Young Disabled Persons Political Skills Day' Event held in the Assembly on UN World Youth Skills Day, organized by Leonard Cheshire Cymru, Children in Wales and Whizzkidz. As I said, all too often society has failed to recognise disabled young people’s talent, creativity and lived experience, which can help identify and tackle the barriers to access and inclusion they face.
Questioning the Local Government Minister, I raised both this and Oxfam Cymru’s ‘Sustainable Livelihoods Approach’, which helps people get their lives on track and is now being implemented across Wales in partnership with the DWP.
I asked the First Minister to respond to concern raised with me by a North Wales charity supporting Autistic children that carers often have to give up careers and full-time work due to long-term caring responsibilities and family stress.
Leading the subsequent Welsh Conservative Debate on Autism, I called on the Labour Welsh Government to implement the recommendations of the Independent Evaluation of the Integrated Autism Service (IAS) they commissioned, to address the IAS’s weaknesses. Labour voted our motion down. As an Autistic person involved in the North Wales IAS told me, “we need autistic people actively involved every day”.
I called for Welsh Government Statements on the Campaign for Changing Places toilets for disabled people and on calls by our Community Health Councils for the new ‘People’s Voice’ body which the Welsh Government proposes to replace them with to be independent and genuinely stronger.
Responding to the Brexit Minister’s Statement on ‘Brexit Preparedness’, I noted that an estimated 75 per cent of Wales’ exports go to the rest of the UK, with 15 per cent to the EU, that the German State of Bremen told us that 10-15% of Germany’s GDP is exposed to the UK market, and that there is therefore an equivalence in risks of not coming to a deal on both sides.
It was good to see North Wales Tourism at the Cross Party Group on Tourism. Other Cardiff engagements included Marie Curie Cymru, Royal Mail, Oxfam Cymru, Help for Heroes, Disability Sport Wales and Welsh Water.
North Wales engagements included an update on plans for the Flintshire Corridor Scheme and the North Wales Metro, Boots UK and ‘Dementia Books on Prescription’ Launches in both Denbigh and Colwyn Bay Libraries, a Community Pharmacy Wales visit to Morrisons Pharmacy in Colwyn Bay, Rhyl Tennis Club Open Day and the Chairman of Denbighshire County Council’s Civic Service.
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