Mr Neil Hamilton: I know the Labour Party doesn't believe in red lines; it believes in raising white flags on these issues—the white flag of surrender to the EU on all matters of major importance. Labour is an internationalist party, and constantly virtue signalling on the interests of poor countries in other parts of the world for reasons that I, to a great extent, share. The customs union of the European...
Mr Neil Hamilton: Of course, asking for something that's not on offer is not an answer to the question. He knows as well as I do—someone as well-informed and sophisticated as the finance Secretary must know—that the European Commission could never actually grant to the United Kingdom the kind of deviations from EU regulations on free movement that the Labour Party has been talking about. In fact, this is...
Mr Neil Hamilton: Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. Labour now believes, according to their proposed amendment last week to the EU withdrawal Bill, that we should have full access to the internal market of the European Union, underpinned by shared institutions and regulations, with no new impediments to trade and common rights standards and protections as a minimum. It's perfectly clear from the conduct of the...
Mr Neil Hamilton: 8. Will the Leader of the House make a statement on the integration of refugees and asylum seekers within communities in Mid and West Wales? OAQ52376
Mr Neil Hamilton: Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the impact that the Wales infrastructure investment plan will have on Mid and West Wales?
Mr Neil Hamilton: I'm certainly not going to apologise for the Government's failure in a negotiation of which I have had no part. If Nigel Farage and I had been in charge of the negotiations, the outcome would have been very different indeed. [Interruption.] So, I accept the implied compliment from the Member for Llanelli. It's extraordinary that the Government has not played a stronger hand in these...
Mr Neil Hamilton: Diolch, Llywydd. I beg to move the amendment standing in the name of Caroline Jones. Just over two years ago, the Government published, at the taxpayers' expense, a glossy 16-page document, which went to every house in the country, predicting the end of the world if the British people had the temerity to vote for national self-government. David Cameron made speeches up and down the land...
Mr Neil Hamilton: I thank the First Minister for that reply. As he knows, a significant part of Mid and West Wales is within the Betsi Cadwaladr health board area. As of the end of March, there were 5,714 patients that were waiting more than nine months for treatment in hospital. Under Betsi's current plans, many orthopaedic patients will still be waiting more than a year for treatment, and 4,200, generally,...
Mr Neil Hamilton: 6. How does the Welsh Government assist health boards in the planning of healthcare in Mid and West Wales? OAQ52383
Mr Neil Hamilton: Thank you, Llywydd. I wasn't anticipating having to make this speech, as no notice had been given to me by Mandy Jones of her objection, but having said that, I will now take the opportunity to respond. I made my arguments in the debate on the dignity and respect policy, and I made the point that all people in public life should be entitled to a private life and, in the context of that...
Mr Neil Hamilton: That was a very informative reply, and I'm very glad to hear that the Cabinet Secretary has taken those steps. The other area that the industry is very concerned about, of course, is the impact of controls on the movement of labour between the EU and the UK. We all want to see the maximum degree of flexibility in this respect, without prejudicing overall immigration controls. Where skilled...
Mr Neil Hamilton: Thank you for that response. We don't know yet what sort of agreement might be finalised with the EU. One thing we do know is that the UK as a whole is only about 75 per cent self-sufficient in food products. There is a substantial imbalance of trade between Britain and the EU in food and drink products, so there is enormous scope, if the EU should be so foolish as to apply substantial...
Mr Neil Hamilton: Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. I'm sure the Cabinet Secretary will agree with me that it's regrettable that the UK Government has not made more progress in seeking consensus from devolved administrations on the future of farm support post Brexit. This is very important to clarify at the earliest opportunity. Michael Gove has said that he wants to seek a consensus with us. He's also said that farm...
Mr Neil Hamilton: In spite of the trenchant criticisms that have come from Siân Gwenllian, which I fully understand, today, I think it's important to recognise that there is widespread agreement around this Chamber about the direction of policy in which the Government is going. Although the style of the new Minister is perhaps somewhat different from the rumbustious style of her predecessor, I think she is...
Mr Neil Hamilton: I think it's a credit to the external affairs committee that, despite the very strong feelings that there are on the issues involved in relation to the European Union, it consistently produces fair, balanced and authoritative reports. I'd like to commend, in particular, David Rees on his chairmanship of this committee and the way that he has directed its work. I particularly agree with the...
Mr Neil Hamilton: I've no difficulty with signing up to the first three paragraphs of the aims of this dignity and respect policy. Of course everybody should feel safe, respected and comfortable when they engage with the National Assembly, and people who work here should feel safe, respected and comfortable in their working environment. I also agree that the culture of the Assembly is diverse and inclusive....
Mr Neil Hamilton: I thank the Commissioner for that response. It's clear from the statement of objective 4 that it applies to integrating diversity and inclusion into all our work and the work of the Commission. Does the Commissioner therefore agree with me that it's very important that Commissioners themselves should lead by example in this area? Although everybody thinks immediately in terms of racial...
Mr Neil Hamilton: I thank the leader of the house for that reply. I was very pleased to hear her say that domestic violence and abuse can apply to men as well as women. Welsh Women's Aid and other organisations do wonderful work to provide refuges and helpline services, and of course we commend their work, but there is a hidden—again, in plain sight—problem with men who are victims of domestic violence and...
Mr Neil Hamilton: I fully accept what the Cabinet Secretary and, indeed, Vikki Howells have said on this, although dereliction is a separate issue in itself, which could be dealt with in other ways other than by a tax. But I'm also concerned about the potential impact of such a tax upon small house builders in rural areas. It's easy to demonise big companies, but there may be a variety of reasons why even...
Mr Neil Hamilton: I wonder if the finance Secretary would agree with me also that there ought to be some kind of de minimis element in this, in as much as I referred to the case yesterday of Harry Hyams and the Centre Point building that was empty, right in the centre of London, a prime space, for many, many years in the 1970s. The problem that we're trying to address, if there is such a problem, relates to...
