David Melding: Thank you for that answer, but as you well know, there's been an incredible decline in the teaching of modern foreign languages in Wales, as was demonstrated by the British Council. It is sadly also the case in other parts of the UK, but here in Wales between 2002 and 2016 the number of pupils studying a foreign language to GCSE standard declined by 48 per cent, and at A-level declined by 44...
David Melding: 3. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the teaching of modern foreign languages? OAQ52033
David Melding: 2. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the Bowel Screening Wales programme? OAQ52035
David Melding: Move.
David Melding: Move.
David Melding: Move.
David Melding: Move.
David Melding: Move.
David Melding: Move.
David Melding: Can I just finally say, as I've said, I've followed the model in the abolition of the right to buy Act? I don't think it makes any sense to have powers that go beyond the actual purpose of the Act. There has to be a time when that point is reached and we know that what's been done has been done. Therefore, I urge the amendments are approved.
David Melding: Move.
David Melding: Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. I so move. Amendments 14, 15, 16 and 17, in group 5, are amendments to clarify that the regulation-making powers in this Bill are to make consequential amendments only. Amendment 18 is a further amendment to ensure that the regulation-making powers shall lapse when the ONS confirms that RSLs have been reclassified. The explanatory note to the Bill states that section...
David Melding: Formally.
David Melding: Formally.
David Melding: I hold to the amendments being clearer and establishing a better policy for the future in terms of when interventions have to be made, and giving too extensive a power to the executive, which isn't defined more tightly, I think, is not best practice. However, as the Minister's put on record her full position in terms of how this would operate, and referred to ONS, and, in particular, as I'm...
David Melding: Thank you, Llywydd. The purpose of group 4's amendments is to ensure that any appointments made under section 6, the removal or appointment of an officer of a registered social landlord, and section 8, the appointment of a manager of a registered social landlord, end when the relevant requirement is complied with, or the relevant failure is remedied. Under these sections, an officer can be...
David Melding: They do say they're satisfied, yes, so—
David Melding: But they've not gone through the issues that they raise and the issue of the distant sources of finance and there is no way you can verify whether they've had a full discussion, what that discussion was or what is the evidence on which they're basing their different view. It is a one-liner. The Minister wants me to read it, so I suppose I better had: 'Dear X'—X being the official—'I can...
David Melding: This one is for the purists. All I can say is that I've taken detailed advice from our advisers in terms of the legal requirements. It's often the case that the Government will say, 'Ah, if you emphasise this by putting it on the face of the Bill, it will cause ambiguity elsewhere where you've not done the same', and you'll have this massive Bill, all of a sudden, because you want to make...
David Melding: Thank you once again, Llywydd. The three amendments in this third group, namely amendments 6, 11 and 12, ensure that a failure to comply with the regulatory framework and the associated performance standards is explicitly recognised on the face of the Bill as a failure to comply with a requirement imposed under an enactment. Again, this amendment arises from a recommendation of the...
