Alun Davies: I'm glad the Conservative Party now feels the need to advise me on my answers as well as to scrutinise me on my performance in office. Can I say this: it ill becomes any Conservative Member to come here to discuss the issues faced by some of the most vulnerable people in our communities as a direct consequence of the policies they themselves support.
Alun Davies: I very much agree with the points that were being made by the Member for Newport East. I think he understands exactly that, in delivering a different model for local government, we need to do so in a way that is holistic, delivering powers for local government to act in a way that enables them to follow a holistic approach in their communities, shaping their communities, and creating great...
Alun Davies: I hope so. One of the reasons why we have appointed armed forces liaison officers in different local authorities is to enable us to co-ordinate exactly that sort of work to ensure that the work that is done by volunteers in the third sector complements and is associated with the work that is done by statutory services. Working together, I believe we can deliver a holistic service to people...
Alun Davies: Local authority services play a vitally important role in the lives of all citizens in Wales. The Welsh Government continues to protect funding for our local authorities so that those vital services, both statutory and non-statutory, can go on being provided. Local service delivery, however, is for local determination.
Alun Davies: Can I say I absolutely agree with the Member for the Vale of Glamorgan in the points she has made? In many ways, she has echoed the point made by the Member for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire in her first question this afternoon about the importance of volunteers, and the role that they play in our communities and our society in delivering services in a holistic setting, which...
Alun Davies: I do agree with the point you make about recognition and understanding the nature of the community, where that community lives and how it lives, and the nature of that community. I think we do need greater understanding of that, and I do accept that point in full. I hesitate before giving a definitive answer to that question. I will provide a more holistic response to the whole of the report...
Alun Davies: The Member will be aware that we are refreshing the curriculum in its entirety at the moment. Can I say this? I do remember the Member giving a media interview during the election campaign where he said that he never canvassed, never knocked on people's doors, because he saw it as a terrible intrusion upon their lives. I would suggest that the Member does knock on some doors and does talk to...
Alun Davies: Our armed forces package of support makes clear our commitment to supporting veterans in Wales.
Alun Davies: I think most people are aware that reaching the age of majority for different parts of social activity, whatever it happens to be, may happen at a slightly different age for different issues, and we're aware of that. A 16-year-old may be able to vote but they won't be able to drive. We're aware of these issues. What I'm looking at doing is doing something slightly different, and that is to...
Alun Davies: I'm not entirely sure of the point that the Member seeks to make, but I will say to him that the decision to extend the vote to 16 and 17-year-olds in local elections—and I hope the National Assembly will follow in due course—is that we're talking about extending and deepening a franchise to enable people throughout our communities to play an active role in taking decisions upon the...
Alun Davies: This is a matter that was raised at a previous question session by the Member for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire. I undertook at that time to give due consideration to the matters that you've raised this afternoon. You will be aware that the Cabinet Secretary for health has announced an additional £100,000 to increase the capacity of our mental health services in the community, and...
Alun Davies: I hope that we are very well informed on both those matters, but can I say that the main method of engagement, if you like, is through the expert group that we have on these matters? I chaired my first meeting of that group, as it happens, earlier this month and I found the atmosphere there and the conversation we had there to be one of a wish to move very quickly and collaboratively together...
Alun Davies: I think the Member was at the meeting of the all-party group earlier this month when I attended and answered some questions on those issues. Can I say that I'm very comfortable at the moment with the level of delivery in terms of what we're able to do for delivering on the armed forces covenant and our services for veterans? I believe that we need to go somewhat further in the future. There...
Alun Davies: Obviously, local government has stated that they don't want to move in that direction, and I accept that. I will not impose this on local government if that's not what they wish to do, and they have made it crystal clear that they don't want to move in that direction. So, we have to consider this, and in calling for a more mature discussion, what I've been trying to do is discuss with local...
Alun Davies: I would suggest that the Member re-reads the blog, and reads beyond the first paragraphs, to see what I was trying to say. What I was trying to say was that we need a slightly more mature relationship between the various tiers of local government and to try to move away from the kind of discussion that we have had over the past few years. I saw that you were reading your second question. It...
Alun Davies: Llywydd, I'm very pleased that my blog has pleased at least one Member here, and I'm very pleased that she's read it, at least. May I say that what I was trying to say last week when I wrote the blog was to try and establish, and re-establish, a more mature relationship between various governmental parts of Wales, and I don't think that that has been the case over the past decade at all...
Alun Davies: We have made this money available to all local authorities immediately in order to address those sorts of issues. Where there are specific issues, I would invite the Member to take that up in writing, either with the local authority or with us directly. But I will say also to the Member that the reason that these backlogs and these funding problems are being faced by local authorities across...
Alun Davies: Presiding Officer, nobody's surprised that Nick Ramsay's used the opportunity to ask the question he has. Members may be more surprised that I know the answer. Monmouthshire County Council will receive £921,218 as a consequence of this grant. The £30 million capital grant has been distributed using the transport element of the general capital funding formula, and this formula has been...
Alun Davies: Presiding Officer, to answer the two questions directly, Caerphilly County Borough Council will receive an additional £1.5 million to spend on roads through this scheme, and responsibility for general road improvement, road spending and road maintenance, of course, falls to my colleague the Cabinet Secretary for economy and infrastructure. But can I go a bit further than that in answering...
Alun Davies: I am providing £30 million in this financial year across all local authorities for the refurbishment of local roads. Details have been shared with local authorities.
