Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader and Member of the Senedd for Mid and West Wales used her first question to the First Minister to demand action on ending violence against women and girls.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have welcomed the decision by the Welsh Government to take a cautious approach to relaxing the current Covid-19 restrictions.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have condemned both the Welsh Government and the Government owned rail company Transport for Wales (TfW) following news that they are to scrap the sale of advance rail fares.

Reacting to the news that the four nations Covid recovery summit has been called off, Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS has called for the summit to be rearranged ASAP.

Commenting on the continued speculation on the future of Rob Roberts MP for Delyn, following the recommendation that he be suspended from Parliament for six weeks, the Welsh Liberal Democrats have said that he should face either a recall election or voluntarily resign to re-stand should he wish to continue as a MP.

Following the news today that the annual Six Nations Rugby Union Tournament will remain available on free to air TV, Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Jane Dodds, who's party campaigned against a possible move to pay per view, has described the news as a victory for the fans.

Last night’s rioting in Mayhill and Waun Wen shows that we need a cross services response that’s going to keep our community safe and now is the time for Swansea Council to take action to prevent a repeat of the horrific and dangerous scenes in the Waun Wen area we saw last night say the Liberal Democrats.

Responding to the announcement from Welsh Government on how an additional £100 million will be spent in the Welsh NHS, Jane Dodds MS has called for the money to be used to rebook operations and treatments cancelled as a result of the pandemic. She has also called for greater investment in NHS staff welfare, as many workers have reported an increased level of burnout and deteriorating mental health over the past 15 months.

Jane Dodds MS Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats has welcomed the concerns raised by NFU Leaders in Wales over the proposed trade deal with Australia and called on the Conservatives not to break the promises they made with local farmers regarding food standards and animal welfare.

The call comes amid rumours that the government is preparing to sign a zero-tariffs trade agreement to Australia with no exceptions for agriculture. The position, said to be supported by International Trade secretary Liz Truss, has been met by a stern warning from the NFU that Welsh farming will struggle to compete if zero-tariff trade on lamb and beef goes ahead with a post-Brexit trade deal with Australia.

Commenting on the developments leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Jane Dodds MS said:

“I am disappointed to hear that in a rush to conclude a trade deal with Australia, full tariff liberalisation is on the table. This would be a disaster for Welsh family-owned farms. The Conservatives have repeatedly positioned themselves as great supporters of Welsh farmers, yet the Conservative party seems willing to sell them down the river.

“Allowing Australian farmers to sell their produce tariff-free to the UK would be catastrophic for small family farms.

“This proposed trade deal with Australia threatens the high animal welfare standards that we have enjoyed for decades.

“Australian animal welfare standards are significantly below ours and are below what consumers expect, which means they produce cheaper products. The only way Welsh farmers would be able to compete would be to lower their own excellent standards – a move producers or customers don’t want to see.

“These developments are so concerning because not only could they cause enormous damage to local farmers in the short term, but they could be used as a per cent for free trade agreements with other agricultural producers with low standers including the US and Brazil.

“The NFU are absolutely right to insist that the UK Government safeguards both food and animal welfare standards. Protecting high-quality animal welfare and environmental standards is absolutely vital and I urge Conservative MPs across Wales to urge the government to publish specific steps they will take to ensure that Welsh family farms are able to compete and our food standards aren’t lowered.”

Reacting to the news that the UK Government plans to legislate to introduce a requirement for voters to show photo ID to vote, Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Jane Dodds MS said:

“Voting is a right that we all enjoy and the government is seeking to undermine that by introducing new obstacles which will inevitably drive turn out down.

“This will not strengthen democracy, it will simply disenfranchise more people at a time when we should be encouraging turnout.

“Requiring voters to show ID was trailed in 2018 across ten English counties and over 2,000 people were refused a vote with around 750 of them not returning to vote later on.

“There are many ways the UK Government can and should be strengthening democracy such as voting reform and lowering the voting age to 16.

“This is illiberal, unnecessary, unjust and will drive down turnout.

“The Welsh Government must not follow the UK Government on this issue.”