Russell George: 8. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the delivery of the digital competence framework by primary schools in mid Wales? OAQ(5)0103(EDU)
Russell George: Leader of the house, two weeks ago I asked the First Minister a non-partisan question on behalf of my constituents. I welcomed the growth in passenger numbers on the T9 bus service to Cardiff Airport, and I asked whether the Welsh Government had looked at diverting subsidies to other bus services across rural Wales. Now, at no point did the First Minister answer my substantive...
Russell George: I’d certainly support that, and very much so. I think also the important point here, as well, is that doesn’t take away—the infrastructure commission would not take away responsibility from a Government Minister, but it would allow the commission to work outside of politics, and I think that’s what the commission is set up for in that regard. Can I also say that I do think that the...
Russell George: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Can I thank all the Members who took part in this debate today? I think the fact that every single member of the committee, and further Members, not part of the committee, also, took part in the debate demonstrates the level of interest in the national infrastructure commission for Wales, and, indeed, the potential it has, I think, to develop the Wales of...
Russell George: Diolch. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I move the motion in my name. The committee’s inquiry into a national infrastructure commission was a significant piece of work for the committee. In Wales, at this time, I think we do seem to have a number of really high-profile, blockbusting projects in the pipeline. We have the M4 relief road that’s, of course, going through its public inquiry at...
Russell George: But there were three areas where the committee recommended change. While we agree that the establishment of the body shouldn’t be delayed by legislation, we believe that there was a real benefit of putting it on a statutory basis to give it more credibility and clout, and, to that end, we recommended that it should be set up with the presumption that legislation will follow. We thought that...
Russell George: Thank you, Cabinet Secretary, for your answer. Can I ask what further details you can give on the £3 million fund for a pilot scheme to support town-centre parking and how it will operate? What involvement, so far, have you had with local authorities across Wales? I will say that one local authority that I did write to recently informed me that they were unaware of this funding or how to...
Russell George: 6. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the allocation of funding to the Communities and Children portfolio to support the Welsh Government’s car parking pilot scheme? OAQ(5)0105(FLG)
Russell George: What I’ll say, Mike Hedges, is that, just in the same way that I’m not a member of the Welsh Government, I’m bringing forward issues here today, I’m not a member of the council’s cabinet, and I think it’s right in this debate today—surely it’s right, is it not, for me to represent my constituents in this building today and say what some of the issues that are affecting them?...
Russell George: I would like to, first of all, declare an interest as a Powys county councillor. I would agree with the Cabinet Secretary, I think that the Welsh Government has got a good story to tell with regard to its recycling rate—not only, of course, the best in the UK, but one of the best recycling targets around the world. I think that’s to be absolutely commended. As well as that, the Cabinet...
Russell George: Can I request a statement please on Welsh Government making payments to suppliers in a timely manner? I am aware, from bus operators that have raised the issue with me, that late payments are, of course, causing cash-flow problems for some bus operators, particularly smaller operators. I’m aware that the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure, last week, during the statement on...
Russell George: Cabinet Secretary, there’s a Cardiff capital region city deal, there’s a proposed Swansea bay city deal, and there’s a north Wales growth deal. What consideration has been given to a mid Wales growth deal on the same scale, to ensure that there’s a similar level of investment in the fourth remaining economic region of Wales?
Russell George: Will the First Minister make a statement on the future of hospital services for the people of north Powys?
Russell George: I’m pleased to be able to contribute to this debate today, and I also congratulate the Members for securing the debate on this subject—a subject that I hadn’t previously known a great deal about. As we’ve already heard today, the concepts of the foundational economy enshrine the principles of ‘mittelstand’ and social franchising, and there is great potential, I think, for Wales,...
Russell George: The Bards of Wales’ is a poem that can be recited off by heart by many Hungarians, but in Wales little is known of this poem, written by Janos Arany in 1857. Just a few days ago marked his two-hundredth anniversary of his birthday. After refusing to write a poem celebrating the emperor of Austria, Franz Joseph, following a failed revolution in 1848 against the empire, Janos wrote ‘The...
Russell George: Well, I’m going to give another welcome this afternoon. I’m going to welcome the growth in passenger numbers on the T9 bus service. I think that is fantastic news to welcome. Now, given the fact that this service is such a success and is now proving to be sustainable in the long term, will you commit to scrapping the £0.5 million Welsh Government subsidy for this service and instead...
Russell George: Yes, I will.
Russell George: I don’t think I would agree with that, because, on average, people on these contracts work an average of 25 hours a week. Nearly 70 per cent of those people don’t want more hours. So, that’s what I would say. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development has said that these contracts can benefit, of course, both the employer and the employee. Now, that said, it is clearly...
Russell George: Diolch, Presiding Officer. I formally move the Welsh Conservative amendments in the name of Paul Davies, the objective of which is to recognise the extensive work that has been carried out by the UK Government into zero-hours contracts, a reality which has not been, of course, reflected in the motion. I’d like to make some points and put some of the issues into perspective in this debate...
Russell George: Cabinet Secretary, there is a degree of apprehension, I think, within parts of the bus industry at the potential for the introduction of top-down regulation following the devolution of various pieces of legislation to Wales. Will you give a general overview of how you see the future regulation of the bus industry and also give an assurance that any new regulation will be only introduced after...
