David Melding: I have to say I'm very disappointed by one thing in particular, in that I think it was possible to have had a motion today that the whole Assembly could have agreed on, because we are genuinely disappointed by the outcome on the tidal lagoon and I do hope it will be possible for us to revisit things as soon as possible into the medium term. It is incumbent on those who have proposed the...
David Melding: What discussions has the Cabinet Secretary had with cabinet colleagues on the impact that cuts to Literature Wales may have on educational attainment levels in English language and literature?
David Melding: I didn't correct myself very quickly, so my error was more egregious. Can I thank Simon Thomas for taking the lead in today's debate and getting a really good consensus? I thought we even had UKIP, but it seems, unless their amendment passes, they won't quite come on board, but it was a largely constructive contribution that we've just heard. I do think that the motion as put this afternoon...
David Melding: Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. Can I congratulate you on the alacrity with which you readjusted your position there? On two occasions I forgot to call Ann Jones when she was the Chair of a relevant committee, and I felt so bad on the second one I bought her a box of chocolates. [Laughter.] I'm not suggesting that that's a precedent.
David Melding: Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd, and I'm delighted to take part in this—
David Melding: Like everyone else, I find Barclays's decision quite baffling, and I do have some sympathy with you; quite how you can anticipate such a random decision is very difficult to consider. I think what you say about the resilience of the sector is key, because jobs continue to be generated, and perhaps against expectation with automation the service is becoming more skilled—highly skilled in...
David Melding: Cabinet Secretary, can I support Lee Waters's call and remind you that, under the UK's digital strategy, they do have a digital skills partnership, which brings together public, private and third sector organisations to tackle the digital skills gap in a co-ordinated and coherent way? Do you not agree that we should be focusing on a cross-sector approach to spark innovation across the...
David Melding: Cabinet Secretary, I wonder whether you've had a chance to look at Professor Graeme Reid's report into research funding. He concludes, 'I have found great strengths and national assets in Welsh Universities and in research and innovation centres that have been developed in Wales during the last decade but I am not convinced that the potential of these assets is fully exploited for the benefit...
David Melding: Can I say we are very keen to support these regulations that ban microbeads from personal hygiene products? These regulations have already been passed, and indeed they come into effect today in England and Scotland. So, we're pleased to see the Welsh Government following that course of action. So, at least, in the UK, we'll have a consistent approach. I do believe this is a welcome and...
David Melding: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Cabinet Secretary, can I welcome the statement? I think the principle of responsible ownership that is mentioned towards the end of your statement is key, but I do think that more needs to be done with it. Several Members, including Gareth Bennett, have mentioned the need for education, and it is, after all, pet owners who are going to be able to deliver...
David Melding: First Minister, we're already seeing, from the population statistics for Rhondda Cynon Taf and Aberdare, being very important, that there's an increase in population of people who are between 30 and 40, as some people are relocating to those areas to purchased family-sized housing. This is leading to a larger and more diverse social mix, which itself regenerates areas like Aberdare. But an...
David Melding: I welcome this report. I do believe it seeks to examine some of the areas that currently lead to people sleeping on the streets and see where the policy gaps are. I think it's already had a broad welcome across the sector, so congratulations on that. I think the recommendations are constructive and well thought through, and, as is noted, the legislative framework is a pretty robust one now,...
David Melding: As another Blaenau Gwent electoral old boy, if that's the right way of putting it, I think we've all met with limited success. That's been turned around by you lately, but certainly Mr Lee and I found limited appeal. Can I commend the work of Robert Jones, who I know—and I've had the pleasure of hosting an event at which he was the principal speaker here in the Assembly—but also the work...
David Melding: Minister, I'm sure you'll join with me in commending the work of WWF, which has looked at this area of Government policy and would like to see more action. They've come up with some very specific ideas, including reducing the use of resources through increasing business resource sufficiency and resourcing from sustainable certified producers. Additionally, WWF suggests that we could improve...
David Melding: Llywydd, on this side of the house, can I extend our deepest condolences to Martin's family? Minister, to demonstrate that the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 is being integrated across Government, it is vital that the resilience goals reflected in the contract by calling on businesses to demonstrate how they will contribute towards, for instance, sustainable management of...
David Melding: Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. Minister, last month I welcomed the announcement that the Welsh Government's new economic contract will require businesses to have proposals to become carbon light or free. It is crucial that the Welsh Government sets standards to improve the green credentials of businesses in Wales, especially if we're going to invest and support those companies using public money....
David Melding: Could I just intervene—
David Melding: We know the initial rate the Government is setting when it comes to land transaction tax, and it does seem odd to have this debate on this hugely important principle, which I broadly support, but we can't do anything to set the original rate. So, you can go high, you can go middle, you can go low. We can't say. You'll have this power immediately from regulation to do that and that does not...
David Melding: Can I begin by broadly welcoming this legislative initiative? It follows the operation of a similar measure in Scotland from 2012, and there's proposed legislation at Westminster; I think that was launched last month. So, there's a clear public need for reform in this area of law, and the Bill will seek to create a more transparent private rented sector and market, and we do support those...
David Melding: First Minister, many cities around the world are striving to become carbon neutral, some by as early as 2025, and this would obviously have a significant impact on air quality. The mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, has brought forward their target for carbon neutrality by a decade. We in the Welsh Conservatives have recognised the need for greater ambition here and have called for...
