Speaking during this afternoon's debate on the Queen's Speech, Kirsty Williams, Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, said:

"The Welsh Liberal Democrats' priorities have always been to build a stronger economy in a fairer society, and Liberal Democrat policies in the Queen's Speech are very much delivering on that.

Commenting on the publication of consultation proposals for the reconfiguration of health services in South Wales, Kirsty Williams, Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, said:

"Labour has spectacularly failed our NHS over the past decade and this whole reorganisation process is down to their incompetence.

William Powell AM, Welsh Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Energy and Environment, has called on the Welsh Government to ensure that the green sector is rooted at the heart of Wales' economic growth strategy.

William Powell AM, Mid and West Wales, said:

"The green sector has seen phenomenal growth in recent years despite the economic challenges the UK has been forced to endure.

Eluned Parrott has accused the Welsh Labour Government of being more interested in having a spat with the UK Government than in offering help to people in need of council tax benefit support.

The Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committeehas conducted an inquiry into the Welsh Government's handling of regulations regarding council tax reduction schemes. This followed the UK Government's announcement that the benefit system, which gives households additional help to pay their council tax bills, would be devolved to local councils rather than run at a UK level. The Welsh Labour Government's subsequent mishandling of this situation in Wales resulted in the recall of the Assembly during recess in order for people to be given this support.

Wales needs its own a whistleblowing hotline to allow NHS staff to be able to anonymously report their concerns, according to Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Kirsty Williams.

The Welsh Government Health Minister recently confirmed to Kirsty Williams in a Written Question that there is currently "no whistleblowing hotline for NHS staff". Instead, staff are expected to contact a number, run by the Royal Mencap Society, that covers NHS and social care employees in both England and Wales.

Aled Roberts, Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Minister for Education, has described today's announcement that fixed penalty notices will be issued to parents whose children are regularly absent from school, as counter-productive.

The Minister's decision has been based on the results of a consultation carried out between November 2012 and February 2013.

The Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for South Wales West, Peter Black has accused Centrica of making vague promises over their huge British Gas profits in the first months of this year.

Mr. Black was reacting to the news that Centrica has said that it will use the profits it has made from the 18% increase in gas usage as a consequence of this year's unrelenting cold weather to hold energy prices 'for as long as possible.'

Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Education Spokesperson Aled Roberts has called for clarity in proposed changes to Post-16 funding in Wales. The proposals are contained in the Welsh Government's Post-16 Planning and Funding Review: Final report which was published this week.

Commenting, Aled Roberts said:

Responding to the Government statement on Jobs Growth Wales and the news that 66.5% of the 6000 jobs created for young people have been filled, Eluned Parrott AM, Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Economy Minister said:

"I congratulate the government on creating over 6,000 job opportunities and filling two thirds of them; that alone is a substantial task and deserves credit.

William Powell AM, Welsh Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Energy, has called on the Welsh Government to deliver on their Low Carbon ambitions in the wake of the First Minister's Energy Wales update today.

William Powell AM, Welsh Liberal Democrat for Mid and West Wales, said:

"Despite Welsh Government policy being big on rhetoric regarding green energy and a low carbon transition, we continue to be confronted with relatively little quantifiable progress as a direct result of specific Welsh Government action.

In the debate this afternoon on 'Strengthening Local Government Democracy', the Welsh Liberal Democrats are calling for 16 and 17 years olds to be given the right to vote in elections to local councils.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats amendment is part of the party's ongoing campaign to ensure that 16 and 17 years olds are allowed to vote. The party is hoping their calls for this change in the law will be supported by other political parties in the Assembly, therefore sending a clear message that Wales supports votes at 16.

Research by the Welsh Liberal Democrats has revealed that over the past four years, 24 serious medical errors classed as 'never events' have been reported to the Welsh Government by Local Health Boards.

Never events are serious, largely preventable patient safety incidents that should not occur if the available preventative measures had been implemented. These are incidents that are so serious they should never happen.

The main business organisation representing employers, the CBI, has predicted that the Welsh economy should pick up later this year and that growth will continue into 2014. CBI Wales said the Welsh economy was slowly growing, while manufacturers have said they were getting more orders.

The organisation also pointed out that the Welsh government could do more to help the construction sector by cutting red tape and "spending wisely" the available Treasury money.

Commenting on today's published list of Welsh Government Trade Missions and Exhibitions over the next twelve months, Shadow Liberal Democrat Business Minister Eluned Parrott AM said:

"I welcome the news that the Welsh Government are attending lots of events with the aim of boosting the Welsh Economy however the Welsh Government must ensure that they get useful outcomes from these trips as our export economy is continuing to struggle.

The Coalition Government has reaffirmed its commitment to get empty homes back into use, detailing the series of measures being introduced to ensure more empty houses become homes again.

These include introducing refurbishment schemes and a new Community Right to Reclaim Land, reforming planning laws, encouraging local authorities to take a lead by providing a financial reward for bringing long-term empty homes back into use, and reviewing what further steps can be taken to end the bias for demolition in the state sector.

Thousands of pensioners stand to benefit from today's Queen's Speech, with a fair flat-rate pension for all.

The Queen announced a reform of the pensions system, ending the confusion state pension provision by introducing a single, flat-rate pension. This is in addition to the triple lock, championed by the Liberal Democrats, which has ensured record rise in the state pension of £12.50 a week since 2010. The triple lock will continue to safeguard an increase in the state pension in line with earnings, inflation or 2.5% - whichever is higher.

Eluned Parrott, Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Minister for Business and Enterprise, has welcomed that The Queen's Speech will help over 35,000 businesses in Wales by cutting National Insurance Contributions (NICs).

The National Insurance Contributions Bill announced by the Queen will introduce a National Insurance employment allowance of £2,000, reducing the cost of employment and supporting small businesses who want to grow and hire their first employee or expand their workforce.

Following the announcement of the second phase of the Health Technologies Fund, Kirsty Williams has urged the Welsh Labour Government not to repeat its previous mistakes by ensuring that this time the fund is used for innovative equipment.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have long argued for increased investment in modern medicines and treatments in Wales' NHS. In budget negotiations last year, the party proposed their idea of an innovative treatments fund, which the Welsh Government agreed to take forward. However, much of the first phase of spending was eventually used to replace already existing, outdated equipment. The Welsh Government has today announced that the second round of funding, worth £10 million, is now available and is inviting Health Boards to submit applications for the fund.

Prior to the ambulance debate this afternoon, Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, Kirsty Williams has called on the Welsh Government to regain control on ambulance response times and performance after an internal report reveals that the Ambulance Trust is severely missing nearly all of its internal targets.

William Powell AM, Welsh Liberal Democrat Rural Affairs Spokesperson, took the opportunity in this morning's Environment and Sustainability Committee's Ministerial scrutiny session to invite Alun Davies, Minister for Natural Resources and Food, to reflect on the wisdom of some of his recent comments. In an address to a large gathering of farmers at Trefeglwys, Montgomeryshire to discuss the recent cold weather crisis, Mr Davies compared farm stock losses with the experience of a sweet shop owner in his own Blaenau Gwent constituency, who had a few days' lean trading, following the blizzards.