partyof./conference 2 Digital Conference Handbook VOTE FOR WALES

This spring, as last autumn, we meet in unpredictable times in a world that until 12 months ago was alien to us all.

The pandemic has affected us in different ways. Many have lost relatives and loved ones, businesses have suffered immeasurably, and our incredible NHS staff and all others on the front line have worked around the clock to keep us safe.

We come together in our Virtual Conference to recognise the sacrifice and loss of the past year, but also to discuss how our 'new normal' will replace the old.

The challenges left in the pandemic's wake, in rebuilding our economy and communities, are too great for a government whose currency is tinkering, managerialism and incremental change.

That is why 's offer is one that will bring about transformation in the areas that need it most - job creation, social care, mental health, education, and the future of our natural environment.

Over the course of two days you will hear more about this exciting offer from our prospective new Members and Ministers. They will be joined on panels by leaders and experts in their fields whose contributions are sure to enrich our discussions and debates about the future of our nation.

The Election on May 6th offers the opportunity to elect a new government with new ideas. A government which brings dynamism not lethargy, progress not stagnation, and a true sense of responsibility, not complacency.

With hope and determination we can look forward to our Welsh spring that succeeds in rebuilding society in a fairer, greener and more prosperous way.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy Conference and please stay safe.

Dros Gymru,

Adam Price MS Plaid Cymru Leader Spring Conference 2021 3 MAIN SPONSOR

We are extremely grateful to the Royal College of Nursing for sponsoring our spring conference. The past 12 months have seen the nursing profession working more tirelessly and selflessly than ever to treat and care for those stricken by the pandemic. Their work always has and will be valued by everyone in Plaid Cymru and we look forward to sharing ideas about how to build the best National Health and Care Service possible for Wales.

Marc Phillips Plaid Cymru Chief Executive

Safe staffing literally saves lives – that’s why our members campaigned so hard for Wales’s ground breaking safe staffing legislation, the Nurse Staffing Levels (Wales) Act 2016. And it’s why we’re continuing to campaign for its strictest provisions to be The Royal College of Nursing is a extended beyond acute surgical and professional organisation and trade union medical wards into the community, mental for nursing – the largest in the world. We health, children’s wards, and more. represent around 435,000 nurses, midwives, health visitors, healthcare support workers Check out our safe staffing comic on page and nursing students, including over 26,000 7! members in Wales. RCN members work in both the independent sector and the NHS. Wales already needs more nurses. NHS Around two-thirds of our members are Wales has at least 1,600 vacant nursing based in the community. posts, and for a variety of reasons, nurses are leaving the profession. As our We’re a UK-wide organisation and the RCN population ages, the problem is only going Wales Board was established in 1963. to get bigger – and harder to solve.

Did you know that low nurse staffing levels Vote for nursing – because nursing saves can increase a ward’s mortality rates by up lives! to 26%?

Research has also proven safe and effective nurse staffing levels reduce readmission to hospital, healthcare associated infection rates, medication errors, falls and pressure ulcers. 4 Digital Conference Handbook CONTENT

6. Thursday evening, 4 March An Evening with our Sections

8. Friday morning, 5 March on the Main Stage Fringe meetings

9. Friday afternoon, 5 March on the Main Stage

11. Friday afternoon, 5 March Fringe meetings

12. Friday evening, 5 March Conference Gig

14. Saturday morning, 6 March on the Main Stage Fringe meetings

16. Saturday afternoon, 6 March on the Main Stage Fringe meetings

17. Saturday evening, 6 March Art Auction

19. Fringe guide: Friday 12:50

22. Fringe guide: Friday 16:25

25. Fringe guide: Saturday 11:55

28. Fringe guide: Saturday 17:00

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THURSDAY EVENING, 4 MAWRCH An Evening with our Sections

An evening on Zoom with Plaid Cymru's Sections, for Plaid Cymru members only. The link to join the meetings has been emailed to members, or is available on the memers' section of the website: www.partyof.wales/members_section

17:15 There's a Home for you with Plaid A Panel Discussion with our Sections chaired by MP and MS

18:15 Women and Trade Unions with Merched Plaid and Undeb

The Undeb / Merched Plaid session is going to look at organising to support each other in the time of Covid-19. It's not fair that it's hit some groups of people more than others. New working arrangements such as zero-hours contracts and the gig economy have created precarious working conditions for many workers. Unions challenge inequalities- and campaign for a level playing field in the workplace. The Covid pandemic period in particular has provided new challenges for workers in Wales and this fringe meeting looks at those challenges and opportunities for women and trade unions in particular. We'll be asking how can we improve the world of work and wellbeing in Wales?

19:00 Young Councillors in Wales with Councillors and

Join Plaid Ifanc and the Councillors Section in a discussion with some of our young councillors around their experience of becoming elected. What motivates people to become young councillors? How easy or difficult did they find the process? What can be done to encourage more of our younger members to stand for election. Find out what made our panellists want to pursue politics, how they got started and their hints and tips for anyone thinking of becoming a young councillor.

19:45 Plaid BME and Plaid Pride go mythbusting!

Join Plaid Pride and Plaid BME in a warm, welcoming, and open session where we answer your questions and bust some myths! We’re the newly ratified and official sections of Plaid Cymru’s LGBTQIA+ community and the black and minority ethnic communities. All members of the party are welcome to come, especially those who wouldn’t normally think of coming to our sessions. Let’s learn from each other and work together to build a free Wales, where all are free from prejudice and inequality.

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FRIDAY MORNING, 5 MARCH on the Main Stage

All main Conference events will be streamed on our social media platforms. This will commence at 10am on Friday the 5th of March.

10:00 Welcome

10:10 Speech MS

10:40 Panel discussion Building Back Best: Priorities for the Next Welsh Government

11:35 Speech Siân Gwenllian MS

Panel discussion 11:55 Ending Poverty for Good: What can the next Welsh Government do to tackle poverty and social injustice? Fringe Meetings

On Zoom, for Plaid Cymru members only. The link to join the meetings has been emailed to members, or is available on the members' section of the website: www.partyof.wales/members_section

12:50 Royal College of Nursing How can the next Welsh Government deliver safe and effective care?

Choice of 3 meetings: CollegesWales more information on Further Education: Enabling Renewal and Helping to Build Better each on pages 19-20 Citizenship, Occupations and Business Communities in Wales

WLGA A Local Vision for Rural Wales Spring Conference 2021 9

FRIDAY AFTERNOON, 5 MARCH on the Main Stage

Open to the public on our social media platforms and on Plaid Cymru's website.

14:00 Speech MS

14:25 Leader's Speech MS

15:25 Panel discussion Investing in our young people: Realising Wales' Potential

Spring Conference 2021 11

FRIDAY AFTERNOON, 5 MARCH

Fringe Meetings

On Zoom, for Plaid Cymru members only. The link to join the meetings has been emailed to members, or is available on the members' section of the website: www.partyof.wales/members_section

16:25 British Heart Foundation Cymru The Heart Attack Gender Gap

Federation of Small Businesses Choice of 4 meetings: Our Business is Wales - a way forward for the Welsh economy more information on each on pages 22-23 Leonard Cheshire Disability Rights in Wales: enshrining the UNCRPD into Welsh law

Bevan Foundation The case for a Welsh Benefits System 12 Digital Conference Handbook

FRIDAY EVENING, 5 MARCH Conference Gig

Open to the public. Tickets £10 per household; the majority of the proceeds will go to the performers and the remainder to Plaid Cymru. We are happy to be able to support our performers at a time when public performances are not possible.

7:30pm Friday Evening 5 March

MR EÄDYTH PHORMULA GWILYM BOWEN RHYS

£10 per household www.plaid.cymru/gig

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SATURDAY MORNING, 6 MARCH on the Main Stage

Open to the public on our social media platforms and on Plaid Cymru's website.

10:30 Speech Delyth Jewell MS

11:00 Panel discussion Why is Climate Justice important? Towards a fair 'green recovery' for Wales Fringe Meetings

On Zoom, for Plaid Cymru members only. The link to join the meetings has been emailed to members, or is available on the memers' section of the website: www.partyof.wales/members_section

11:55 National Museum Wales A National Museum for everybody in Wales: Your Museum, Your Say

Choice of 3 meetings: Asthma UK and British Lung Foundation Wales more information on Beyond the Limits: Tackling Air Pollution in Wales each on pages 25-26

FUW and NFU A Welsh Way Forward: Devolved rural policies for a devolved nation

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SATURDAY AFTERNOON, 6 MARCH on the Main Stage

Open to the public on our social media platforms and on Plaid Cymru's website.

13:00 Speech MS

13:20 Panel discussion Making Wales a Safer Place: Priorities for our next Police and Crime Commissioners

14:15 Q&A Session Meet our Candidates for the 2021 Senedd Elections

15:10 Speech Nadine Marshall, Candidate for South Wales PCC

15:30 Panel discussion Gaining our Indepedence: Towards an Independence Referendum for Wales

16:25 Speech MP

Fringe Meetings

On Zoom, for Plaid Cymru members only. The link to join the meetings has been emailed to members, or is available on the members' section of the website: www.partyof.wales/members_section

17:00 Building Communities Trust The Foundational Economy and Community Resilience Choice of 2 meetings: more information on Royal National Institue of Blind People Cymru each on page 28 The digital revolution in healthcare: Wales without barriers? Spring Conference 2021 17

SATURDAY EVENING, 6 MARCH Art Auction

Art Auction on Zoom to close the conference. Open to the public, pre-registration required.

7:30pm Saturday Evening 6 March REGISTER - CATALOGUE - EARLY BIDS: www.partyof.wales/auction

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FRINGE GUIDE

Friday 12:50 - 13:50

Royal College of Nursing How can the next Welsh Government deliver safe and effective care?

Safe staffing saves lives. Research has found low nurse staffing levels can increase mortality by up to 26%. There is currently an estimated 1,600 nurse vacancies in NHS Wales. Simply put, Wales needs more nurses!

Other health professions are also facing challenges in recruitment and retention. The health and social care sector need the support of the next Welsh Government.

Join us at our fringe event to hear how Wales can support the health and social care workforce to deliver safe and effective care beyond 2021.

Who are we: The RCN is the world’s largest professional organisation and trade union of nursing, representing around 435,000 nurses, midwives, health visitors, healthcare support workers and nursing students, including over 26,000 members in Wales.

Welsh Local Government Association A Local Vision for Rural Wales

How to secure sustainable, thriving, innovative rural communities at the heart of Welsh life? These communities are the nation’s backbone and home to a large swathe of the population. But more so than ever, rural Wales faces far-reaching challenges from many fronts.

Join Plaid’s council leaders as they discuss the Rural Vision recently published by the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA). Touching on housing policies, sustainable tourism, and investment in infrastructure, this is an all-important and timely discussion which will outline how the next Welsh Government can enable councils to re-energise these vast parts of the country. 20 Digital Conference Handbook

FRINGE GUIDE Friday 12:50 - 13:50

CollegesWales Further Education: Enabling Renewal and Helping to Build Better Citizenship, Occupations and Business Communities in Wales

In 2019, ColegauCymru approached a team of internationally renowned researchers across a range of fields to explore the role Further Education could play in the future of Wales’ social and economic development. The project adapted to address the developing pandemic.

The resulting report, which covers the themes of better citizenship, occupations and business communities, makes for interesting reading. Suggested actions are based on how Further Education could use its educational and organisational expertise to assist reforming labour demand. In particular, it needs to play a more active role in building new occupations and be an active player in drawing all relevant players together to help revitalise and strengthen local business communities.

Join ColegauCymru, Professor John Buchanan, Professor Caroline Lloyd, and Professor Karel Williams as we present the results of the research and look to the future.

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FRINGE GUIDE Friday 16:25 - 17:25

British Heart Foundation Cymru The Heart Attack Gender Gap

Coronary heart disease kills twice as many women as breast cancer in the UK and women are at risk if they don’t recognise the signs of a heart attack and then delay getting help. Together with gender inequalities in heart attack care, this is costing women’s lives. It’s time to put this right.

Research funded by the BHF and others has uncovered that at every stage - diagnosis, treatment and aftercare - women who have heart attacks receive poorer care than men.

Underlying this is a common misperception that coronary heart disease and heart attack is a man’s disease. Yet 35,000 women are admitted to hospital following a heart attack in the UK each year - an average of 98 women every day.

Federation of Small Businesses Our Business is Wales - a way forward for the Welsh economy

FSB invites you to take part in a timely conversation about the future of Wales’ economy, and how we build back from one of the most devastating economic events of recent years.

Many businesses have spent more time closed than open over the last 12 months and have been forced to rely on government support in order to sustain jobs, keep the business afloat and maintain their vital role in our communities.

Ahead of the election, FSB has published an ambitious manifesto – Our Business is Wales – FSB’s Vision for 2021 – 2026 – which challenges the next Welsh Government take action both to support Wales’ business community in the short-term in order to deal with the effects of Covid-19, and providing a strong foundation for a long-term recovery through an Economic Development Bill in order to make the next Senedd term about building a better Welsh economy. Spring Conference 2021 23

FRINGE GUIDE

Friday 16:25 - 17:25

Leonard Cheshire Disability Rights in Wales: enshrining the UNCRPD into Welsh law

Has the time come to enshrine the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities into law?

Hosted by disability charity Leonard Cheshire, this session will set out:

background information on rights that are already enshrined in UK laws, and rights that are not; the merits of explicitly enshrining the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) into law; and how this might be achieved.

The session will also explore the merits of establishing a Commissioner for Disabled People, whose responsibilities might include investigation of any breaches of the rights of disabled people.

Bevan Foundation The case for a Welsh Benefits System

Devolved grants and allowances provide a vital lifeline for people on low incomes. Together they are worth £400 million – the same amount as is spent on Universal Credit and Jobseeker’s Allowance last year.

Join us and guests to find out more about how schemes could be quickly reformed and transformed, lifting thousands of people out of poverty.

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FRINGE GUIDE

Saturday 11:55 - 12:55

National Museum Wales A National Museum for everybody in Wales: Your Museum, Your Say

Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales is developing a ten-year strategy. We have consulted with partner organisations, stakeholders and communities across Wales, so that our future work meets the needs of the people of Wales.

Please join us to be part of this discussion.

Asthma UK and British Lung Foundation Wales Beyond the Limits: Clean Air reform for Wales

AUK-BLF Wales is proud to sponsor 'Beyond the Limits' Plaid Cymru roundtable event. The roundtable hopes to capture discussions around the fundamental reformative changes from local air quality management, clean air zones to the World Health Organization recommended air quality limits.

Joining us will be Head of Devolved Nations at AUK-BLF and Chair of Healthy Air Cymru, Joseph Carter, Leader of Ynys Môn Council, Cllr Llinos Huws, Air Quality Expert, Professor Paul Lewis and our special guest the Shadow Minister for Environment and Rural Affairs MS to discuss the future of Clean Air reform. Chaired by MS, the roundtable promises to be informative, interactive and constructive as we discuss the future of Air Quality in Wales and the Charity’s calls for a new Clean Air Act for Wales in the first 100 days of the new Welsh Government. 26 Digital Conference Handbook

FRINGE GUIDE Saturday 11:55 - 12:55

FUW and NFU A Welsh Way Forward: Devolved rural policies for a devolved nation

While Wales' farming systems and rural communities share much in common with those in other parts of the UK, many aspects of the Welsh landscape, our rural economy and heritage are unique, and it is for this reason that devolved Welsh Governments have previously implemented agricultural and rural policies that are very different to those introduced in other parts of the UK.

Brexit provides us with an even greater opportunity to formulate bespoke targeted agricultural and rural development policies aimed at meeting the specific social, economic, environmental and cultural needs of our Nation, helping us create a more prosperous farming industry and thriving rural communities while also meeting environmental targets and preserving a culture that dates back thousands of years.

In this fringe event, leaders of the Farmers' Union of Wales and National Farmers Union Cymru will set out how they believe this should be done - and why they believe the current proposals to emulate England's plans fail to honour the principle and history of devolved government in Wales.

www.partyof.wales/donate

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FRINGE GUIDE Saturday 17:00 - 18:00

Building Communities Trust The Foundational Economy and Community Resilience

Across Wales community groups have been at the heart of the response to COVID providing emergency support to vulnerable people in their localities. This has been successful partly due to the resilience of social enterprise, community groups and organisations which have been operating in Welsh communities for many years.

As we try to build out of COVID, these organisations’ work in their local economies will prove critical in ensuring we have a fair recovery, especially in some of our most economically marginalised communities.

The Fringe, which features Meleri Davies from Partneriaeth Ogwen, Ian Thomas from Welcome to our Woods in Treherbert and Chris Johnes from Building Communities Trust will hear how community organisations across Wales are building stronger economies to help their neighbourhoods recover from COVID and how the next Welsh Government can provide a supportive environment to their vital work.

Royal National Institute of Blind People Cymru The digital revolution in healthcare: Wales without barriers?

Delegates are invited to join RNIB Cymru for this debate which will explore the digital revolution taking place within health services in Wales. The transformation of how healthcare professionals engage with patients is underway and the coronavirus pandemic has meant more and more health services being moved online, from prescriptions to appointments and follow ups.

Delegates are invited to join RNIB Cymru for this debate which will explore the digital revolution taking place within health services in Wales. The transformation of how healthcare professionals engage with patients is underway and the coronavirus pandemic has meant more and more health services being moved online, from prescriptions to appointments and follow ups.

Come and hear about the innovations that RNIB is involved in with global technology giants which have the potential to revolutionise health services to make them accessible and inclusive for all. There will be ample opportunity for questions and discussion. 1 | Help Shape the Future

Eich Amgueddfa, Your Museum, Eich Llais Your Say

6 Mawrth 2021 6 March 2021 11:55am-12:55pm 11:55am-12:55pm

Mae Amgueddfa Cymru yn Amgueddfa Cymru – National datblygu strategaeth ddeng Museum Wales is developing mlynedd. Rydym wedi a ten-year strategy. We ymgynghori â sefydliadau partner, have consulted with partner rhanddeiliaid a chymunedau organisations, stakeholders and ledled Cymru, fel bod ein gwaith communities across Wales, so that yn y dyfodol yn diwallu anghenion our future work meets the needs pobl Cymru. of the people of Wales. Ymunwch â ni i fod yn rhan o’r Please join us to be part of this drafodaeth hon. discussion.

www.amgueddfa.cymru/eichllais www.museum.wales/yoursay [email protected]