Mr Simon Thomas: I must make progress, because everyone has had their chance to be heard and now is my chance to respond to what they said. I’d like to thank Bethan for particularly bringing attention to energy noir, as it were—the really positive side of energy in the Scandinavian countries. I’m glad to say I went to Denmark myself three weeks ago and thoroughly enjoyed it, crossing the bridge several...
Mr Simon Thomas: Thank you, Presiding Officer. I’d like to thank everyone who took part, and begin by particularly thanking the Cabinet Secretary for her endorsement of today’s motion, and particularly the way she set out how our own legislation does in fact help us deliver our commitment within Paris, something that I set out at the beginning as well. I was particularly interested to hear what she said...
Mr Simon Thomas: I did think for a second that a statement had wandered into a speech, but there we are. The Member’s right, of course, and we had the evidence this morning in the committee. The commitment has been reduced, and I think the Government has a real question to answer. My colleagues will address the energy efficiency point, in particular, during this debate, because I think there’s a challenge...
Mr Simon Thomas: Diolch yn fawr, Lywydd. I’m very pleased to bring a Plaid Cymru debate to the Assembly today, which I genuinely hope everyone in the Assembly will support, because the purpose of the debate is to endorse, from Wales, the international agreement on climate change reached in Paris last year just before Christmas. We do that in advance of the international assumption of the agreement on 4...
Mr Simon Thomas: Thank you, Llywydd. I thank the Cabinet Secretary for his statement. In addition to being a huge blow to local people in Merthyr Tydfil and the surrounding area, of course, as has just been mentioned, this is going to be a blow to the food chain in general in Wales. We heard in the Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee this morning from your colleague, Lesley Griffiths,...
Mr Simon Thomas: I thank the Counsel General for his kind invitation to read his speeches, which I’m sure will be taken up by many Members, as many Members as those asking the questions, I’m sure. [Laughter.] When we look at the Wales Bill and recent developments, we see with the concession on the devolution of teachers’ pay and conditions that at least the door has been opened a little to improvements...
Mr Simon Thomas: I thank the Minister for that response, and I would agree with every word. It’s impossible to attain that target that we all want to see achieved without there being a significant increase in Welsh-medium education. But, to date, there’s been no link between the targets within the Welsh in education strategic plans at a local authority level and the national targets set by Government for...
Mr Simon Thomas: Both questions do throw up an interesting conundrum, I think—both the saga that’s happened in Haverfordwest and Eluned Morgan’s question. And it is a difficult task, because what’s likely to happen now in Pembrokeshire is we’re likely to have some 11-16 schools, some schools with sixth forms and some provision in further education college but in a separate sixth form provision in...
Mr Simon Thomas: 2. Will the Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government’s targets for growth in Welsh medium education? OAQ(5)0040(EDU)[W]
Mr Simon Thomas: 1. What recent discussions has the Counsel General had regarding the Wales Bill? OAQ(5)0005(CG)[W]
Mr Simon Thomas: Thank you for that statement. It would have been good to have a statement rather than hearing through the press about something that is so important, both economically and environmentally. But I’ll put the environmental questions to one side in terms of climate change and a third runway at Heathrow, and the placing of that at Heathrow rather than somewhere else, and turn to what exactly...
Mr Simon Thomas: In asking the Cabinet Secretary for further information today, I can say to him that the paediatric service in Withybush, which is valued enormously by the local people, goes beyond maternity and is, in fact, part of the accident and emergency service that is provided there. The Royal College of Emergency Medicine say that you need a 24-hour paediatric service in order to maintain an A&E...
Mr Simon Thomas: Or HMRC takes it all.
Mr Simon Thomas: I would like to, obviously, associate myself with the comments regarding the loss of jobs and the effect on families and just ask you, Cabinet Secretary, whether the scale of loss here, though it's, relatively speaking—you know, in a national sense, it's not huge, but, of course, in a very local sense, it's impactful, and it's particularly impactful as regards the relationship with the...
Mr Simon Thomas: May I ask the First Minister what he’s doing to enhance people’s understanding of renewable energy in Wales, particularly in terms of the distribution of renewable energy locally for local people in order to increase support for that method? Now, if Sian Gwenllian could be here today, I’m sure she would want me to mention Ynni Ogwen, which is a co-operative scheme to distribute energy...
Mr Simon Thomas: The statements are tomorrow.
Mr Simon Thomas: May I recommend the Machynlleth Comedy Festival? It’s certainly worth a visit, and it’s used as a practice ground for the Edinburgh festival, so the quality is excellent.However, can I turn to cycling? You’ve just mentioned one of the important tours that takes place in mid Wales, but there are all sorts of opportunities to develop cycling in mid Wales, for holidays and major events,...
Mr Simon Thomas: Will the First Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government’s support for a third runway at Heathrow? EAQ(5)0059(EI)
Mr Simon Thomas: I’d like to thank the committee for the very detailed and comprehensive work that they’ve done on the Wales Bill, and particularly thank the Chair for outlining so clearly, I think, the concerns that the committee has with the Bill, and that are related to the Bill in going forward, if the Bill had not been amended in the way that the committee has recommended. We’ve had a pledge, of...
Mr Simon Thomas: I’m very pleased to follow my colleague on the Finance Committee, and I agree with a lot of what Mike Hedges has said, apart from perhaps his final comments on STV. I think this is an important debate, because we are trying to tease out in the debate further information from an important statement that the Cabinet Secretary made some weeks ago on the future of local government. Plaid Cymru...
