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Peredur Owen Griffiths, who represents Plaid Cymru, is one of four regional Senedd Members serving the South Wales East region.

Jack Lis

Last week was a tough week for the communities in and around Caerphilly. On Thursday, Jack Lis was laid to rest after an incident which shocked the country.

As tough as it has been for the communities in the local area, it has been nothing compared to the pain that Jack’s family are feeling. I only hope they can take solace in the way in which local people have rallied behind them.

I was one of the volunteers involved in helping to count the money from the many collection tins that had gone around Caerphilly and beyond. I was overwhelmed with the efforts that people had gone to to support Jack’s family. Many of the communities of Caerphilly may not be awash with cash but they are rich in things you cannot buy; generosity, kindness and community spirit. The response to Jack’s death has shown the best in human nature.

Plaid and Labour’s Senedd deal

Many of the political headlines in the last week were taken up by the deal struck between Plaid Cymru and the Labour Government. I’m proud that after years of calling on Labour to expand free school meal provision, Plaid Cymru has won this vital concession.

We will have gone from having the least generous school meal provision in the UK to having the best. That’s something I’m proud of because it will help the fight against high child poverty levels in Wales. The free childcare offer for all two-year-olds that will be introduced as part of the deal should also be a key component in bringing those poverty levels down.

There are too many policies that form this deal to name them all but if I had to select a few others, then moving towards an integrated health and social care system, the creation of national energy and construction companies and exploring ways of achieving net zero ahead of the 2050 target are eye catching to me. The contrast between this progressive programme of government that will assist those that most need help and the stale, compassion-less and sleazy government in Westminster is stark.

Disabled adult care

If anyone think this means that Plaid Cymru and Labour are now bound to agree on all matters, they are much mistaken. For example, we still vehemently oppose the Labour local authority’s approach to care for disabled adults who are still suffering greatly because of the huge cuts to day centre provision. In recent weeks I have found out that Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council has managed to maintain a combination of home visits and day centre provision which has prioritised those most in need. If one of the smallest local authorities in Wales can manage to do this, then why can’t one of the largest local authorities in Wales – Caerphilly County Borough – do it? In the eyes of many, the council has failed to communicate and liaise with families in a partnership between vulnerable person, carer and family which is a legal requirement.

Parents of severely disabled adults have warned they will have no choice but to put their sons or daughters into residential care as they cannot cope with the removal of up to 80% of the support they once received. I wonder how many parents will have to make this agonising decision before the Labour administration finally do what is right? They have so far rejected calls by the Plaid Cymru group on the council for a moratorium on the decision. We will not relent on this until disabled adults in Caerphilly County Borough are given the care they need and deserve.