National Assembly for Wales

The Wales procurement policy statement provides the framework to support the public sector in securing best value for money and delivering effective outcomes for local communities across Wales.

The latest figures show that, as at 31 March 2017, there were just over 1,300 empty social sector homes and around 27,300 private sector properties that had been vacant for six months or more.

I provided a written statement last week to update Members on the current situation. That orders decision will not now be taken by me, but will be made following the appointment of the new First Minister, likely to be sometime in the new year.

We expect the three emergency services in Wales to work together to provide safe, timely and joined-up emergency  services to all Welsh citizens, including those in south-west Wales.

Last month, the Cabinet Secretary announced a record level of investment to support health education and training in Wales. We also continue to work with health boards and with Health Education and Improvement Wales on recruitment challenges, supported by our successful 'Train. Work. Live.' campaign.

I continually assess the performance, successes and challenges of delivering services and improving health outcomes across Wales. In north Wales, we have made significant investment to deliver improvements and we are clear on the further work needed to deliver services fit for the future.

Health boards are using a variety of different tools to remind patients to attend appointments, including text messaging and phone reminders. Missed appointments cost the NHS, and patients have a role to play in ensuring that arranged appointments are attended.

We plan to raise living standards across all parts of Wales through investment in services, by building a strong economy and supporting people to overcome barriers to work.

The Welsh Government has adopted the social model of disability, recognising that we need to remove all sorts of barriers that prevent disabled people from living the lives they want. This is increasingly being reflected across our policies, including transport, education, environment and health, as reflected in our new framework.

Faith leaders meet with the First Minister and me twice a year through the faith communities forum to discuss issues affecting the economic, social and cultural life of Wales. The Welsh Government is committed to working with faith groups throughout the year to promote understanding and foster community cohesion.

We continue to implement our national strategy. I launched the VAWDASV perpetrator service standards last week, the statutory regional commissioning guidance will be published in the new year and we are working with the Wales Centre for Public Policy to scope reviews of refuge provision and sexual violence services.

The strategic framework for an ageing society will place older people at the heart of policy making. Preparatory work has sharpened our focus on the issues that matter to older people, including mental health.  The framework will drive a rights-based approach that has a practical, quantifiable impact on people’s lives. 

We recognise that children from Gypsy and Traveller communities face many additional barriers, including in relation to education, health and public perceptions. Our 'Enabling Gypsies, Roma and Traveller' plan contains a comprehensive suite of actions to improve their life chances and well-being.

Following their successful bid for lots 1 and 3 of the successor programme, I will be meeting with BT to discuss future roll-out.  However, the roll-out is just one part of our suite of interventions, with the Access Broadband Cymru and ultrafast connectivity voucher schemes available to secure connectivity.

The nature recovery action plan sets out our strategy and actions for wildlife, strengthening our approach for species and habitats across Government. This has, for example, seen us invest £4 million, securing an additional £11 million of EU funding, for three successful LIFE projects for important Welsh habitats.

LDPs must be prepared efficiently and effectively, maximising collaboration to ensure issues crossing administrative boundaries are effectively considered in the plan making process. The new 'Planning Policy Wales', published last week, reinforces this position by requiring authorities to work together, reflecting housing market areas, transport and commuting patterns.

COP24 in Katowice is focused on progressing the Paris agreement. The conference concludes at the end of this week. Wales is already driving forward action through our new legislative framework to 2050, with our interim targets and carbon budgets. Next year, we will be publishing a delivery plan.

Subject to planning and permitting controls, incineration is widely used to deal with difficult materials such as clinical or hazardous wastes. In the waste sector, the Welsh Government supports the limited use of high-efficiency energy from waste plants for the treatment of non-recyclable materials, in line with the waste hierarchy.