Mike Hedges: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I speak in support of the second supplementary budget and the Finance Committee's report. I agree entirely with the Finance Committee's recommendations, and would welcome more detail around how significant new allocations within the supplementary budget have been prioritised. I would, however, go further and ask: what are the projected outcomes of this...
Mike Hedges: Can I thank the First Minister for that response? Across Europe, North America and parts of England, universities act as major drivers of economic development and not just as major employers. For example, Mannheim has the Mannheim Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and provides a founder and incubator platform for students, young entrepreneurs and investors. Aarhus has, like...
Mike Hedges: 5. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am rôl prifysgolion yng Nghymru fel gyrwyr economaidd? OAQ51829
Mike Hedges: And what is the upload speed?
Mike Hedges: The structure of principal local authorities, including today, has been discussed regularly—for as long back as I can remember—but the structure of fire and rescue services does not seem to have been considered. Many believe that the structure of the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service was created for political reasons. I do not see the community interest of the ability to provide...
Mike Hedges: 8. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the current structure of the fire and rescue service in Wales? OAQ51789
Mike Hedges: 3. Will the Leader of the House provide an update on broadband provision in Swansea East? OAQ51788
Mike Hedges: I agree with the Minister that we can be very proud of our success in recycling; before devolution, 5 per cent of waste was being recycled, now it's 60 per cent. But a lot of that has been driven by the taxation on waste, and that's gone up. Local authorities have worked harder and harder in order to recycle. Now we need to look at taxation as a driver for changing people's behaviour. I think...
Mike Hedges: Can I thank you for that answer? I want to raise the importance of Mudiad Meithrin, which gets children to start using Welsh at a very young age, which leads on to them attending Welsh-medium schools and thus increasing the number of Welsh speakers in Wales. Will the Welsh Government produce a plan to increase the numbers attending Ti a Fi and Mudiad Meithrin, because that is going to be...
Mike Hedges: 7. Will the First Minister outline how much funding the Welsh Government is planning to give Mudiad Meithrin in the 2018/19 financial year? OAQ51790
Mike Hedges: All I was going to say is, of course, a number of people living on unadopted roads don't know those roads are unadopted until they have a problem.
Mike Hedges: Will you take an intervention?
Mike Hedges: That's what I asked for because, at the moment, they can't make that a condition on giving planning permission.
Mike Hedges: Unadopted roads can be split into three categories: unmade roads—I think Dai Lloyd's explained in great detail about those—private roads that have public access but have been made up by the local residents, and people probably don't know they are unadopted roads; and what I want to concentrate on is roads in new estates that have not been built to a standard that would allow the council...
Mike Hedges: Borrowing, as you just said, Cabinet Secretary, always comes with a cost, but we are currently at historically very low interest rates and so now is an incredibly good time to borrow, especially if you can get borrowing at fixed rates from the Public Works Loan Board. Has the Welsh Government considered using borrowing for our hospital renewal programme to cut the cost for health in running...
Mike Hedges: The one thing I'd like to tell the Cabinet Secretary is that there's massive cross-party support from people living in the Swansea bay city region to make Swansea bay city region a success. What I'm asking is: will the Cabinet Secretary confirm that all the money initially budgeted by the Welsh Government for the Swansea bay city deal is still available for the Swansea bay city deal?
Mike Hedges: Taxation exists to raise money for public services and to change behaviour—preferably both. No taxation: no public services. There are two taxes currently devolved and soon to be collected. Land transaction tax is there to raise money for public services, and, under the way it has been implemented, to put a greater cost on those who can most afford it That's something I applaud. Landfill...
Mike Hedges: Can I request two Government statements, the first a Government statement on financial transaction capital, including rules for its spending and for its paying back? There is public confusion over the use of this money, and a statement will clarify how it can be used and, more importantly, where it cannot be used, because there seems to be a general belief that it is just the same as other...
Mike Hedges: Only those that turn up.
Mike Hedges: Unfortunately, that judgment has been taken by some people to mean that paying council tax is optional, and that if you don't pay it, nothing can be done to you, so you might as well not pay it. And social media has been awash with people making statements like that. So, will the Counsel General discuss the impact of the recent court case regarding the legality of imprisonment for non-payment...
