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

I hope everyone had a safe Christmas and a Happy New Year. Following a short break over the festive period, the Senedd has reconvened. In addition to my role as chair of Finance Committee scrutinising the government budget, I got the opportunity to make speeches in two plenary items of vital importance that affect some of the most vulnerable children in Wales.

The first speech came in response to the Government’s budget statement. I raised the importance of providing a firm financial footing for the two children’s hospices in Wales; Ty Hafan and Ty Gobaith. I have called on the Welsh Government to increase the levels of state funding to these vitally important places of care and respite. At present, Ty Hafan receives less than 10% of their funding from state sources. This is way behind other countries within the UK. For example, children’s hospices in England receive 21% of their funding from the UK Government. In Northern Ireland and Scotland, the differences are even more stark where funding for children’s hospices runs at 25% and 50% respectively.

I raised this anomaly within a few months of my election and the government said they would commission a review and report back by the autumn of last year. Well, autumn has been and gone and there have been no on-the-record assurances about an improved funding settlement for our children’s hospices. I have heard there have been some positive indications about improved funding but, as yet there has been nothing in the public domain. I will keep pushing for answers on this until our children’s hospices have the financial security they crave to do more for our sickest children and their families.

I also called for an undertaking that the Government’s budget includes enough of a commitment for recovery services for children. There has been concern from some experts in the field that recovery services for children who have already experienced abuse, neglect or trauma are not given the long-term funding they require. That needs to change, and I will be continuing to push the case for this funding to be secured.

I also spoke in the Plaid Cymru debate on health inequalities where we called for a strategy and action plan to tackle health inequalities in Wales. Some of the communities I represent have some of the highest poverty rates and highest levels of poor health in the country. I am proud that Plaid Cymru has used its influence to get free schools meals for primary school children which will go some way to tackling poverty but there needs to be more done to address the stark inequalities of wealth and health that sadly exist.

If any Caerphilly Observer readers have issues they would like to me help with and possibly raise in the Senedd, then please contact me by emailing Peredur.OwenGriffiths@Senedd.Wales