Alun Davies: The Valleys delivery plan covers the Valleys in the South Wales West constituency, such as the Dulais and Llynfi valleys. It sets out how the taskforce’s priorities will be delivered, who will be involved, the expected benefits and the timescales for completion.
Alun Davies: I’m very pleased to say that Academi Wales has been developing a whole host of relationships with institutions and academics in various institutions across Wales and beyond our borders. I am aware of the views of Gerry Holtham and I don’t disagree with him. I know that this is something that you yourself have emphasised for some years and I am more than happy to continue that discussion...
Alun Davies: I am considering the options for taking this forward as part of the two-year budget agreement with Plaid Cymru. Academi Wales provides support to Government and public services in the areas of leadership, governance, improvement and change, and is developing long-term relationships with key academic institutions.
Alun Davies: Yes. One of the most important pieces of work that has been driven by the former Minister for skills and now leader of the house, who is in her place today, has been to drive forward an employability programme and an all-age apprenticeship programme that will deliver skills for the twenty-first century, skills that will be required in the future and may not be available in the workforce of...
Alun Davies: The former Minister for skills, who is now leader of the house, was and remains a member of the taskforce, and, at our taskforce meeting tomorrow in Pontypool, we will be inviting the new skills Minister to join the taskforce as well. So, we will have structural links across all of those departments. I do wholly agree with the Member's analysis on the need for skills. I'm a member of the...
Alun Davies: Can I say how grateful I am to the Member for his very kind remarks—an example to all Members, I would say? Presiding Officer, the portfolio I now have brings together a number of functions, as has been outlined by the Member. I hope that by bringing together a responsibility for both local government and the delivery of public services across the country we will be able to pursue...
Alun Davies: [Inaudible.]
Alun Davies: In many ways, the plan that I published on 7 November is a plan from the Valleys, and not simply a plan for the Valleys. It's about listening to people, talking with people, having conversations with people, about what they want to see in their communities for the future. And many of them do describe their communities in the way that you've illustrated this afternoon. I accept that fully....
Alun Davies: Over the years, the Member for east Carmarthenshire has called for more strategic thinking in the Valleys and elsewhere in Wales, and has called for less of a pork-barrel approach to politics—I think you've made a number of different interventions along those lines, and I have always agreed with you on those matters. But, in the last few months, since these strategic hubs have been...
Alun Davies: I'm grateful for the question. The £90 million in Ebbw Vale, of course, also includes parts of the dualling of the A465 road, which was postponed by Plaid Cymru. In terms of the direct question you asked, whether it's net jobs, the answer is 'Yes, it is net jobs.' And in terms of the funding for that, the funding will be found from within the budgets of the Cabinet Secretaries that will be...
Alun Davies: Yes, I do agree with that. I believe that we do require stability, but stability that is borne of a robust ability to deliver high-quality services. We heard from the WLGA last week that they do not believe that the current delivery of services is sustainable, and I think that we need to listen to those words. And, certainly, that is the consideration that I will be taking as I move forward...
Alun Davies: Presiding Officer, I have already disappointed my good friend from Swansea East with my views on proportional representation; I don't propose to disappoint him again this afternoon. But, I will say to him that when we look at how we reform and deepen our democracy, I believe that we have to be bold and radical, and not conservative, and look and embrace change.
Alun Davies: Presiding Officer, Councillor McEvoy will hear my conclusions at the same time as anyone else. I will say this to him: I believe it is important that people who are here serve democracy by not having any conflict of interest. It is my view that serving as a local authority member and a Member of this place creates a conflict of interest.
Alun Davies: I'm currently considering the responses to the consultation on electoral reform. I intend to make a statement on the next steps in February.
Alun Davies: I would agree very much with the point that the Member for south Wales makes. Not only the common land, but the land across the environment of the Valleys of south Wales is a huge asset not only for those of us who were born in, brought up in, live in and represent the Valleys, but for the whole country. Through creating what we've called at the moment a landscape park in the Valleys, I hope...
Alun Davies: I'm sure the Member for the Rhondda will join me in being very grateful for the way that many people from the Rhondda valleys have contributed to shaping our vision for the future. I'm sure that she's read the plan that we've outlined that we published on 7 November, and I'd be surprised if she could describe that plan as being vague. There are many tens of actions there with timescales and...
Alun Davies: The taskforce published a detailed delivery plan on 7 November. It identified how we will take forward actions in three priority areas: delivering good quality jobs and the skills to do them; supporting better public services; and strengthening communities. Many and most actions in the plan will positively impact the people living in the Rhondda valleys.
Alun Davies: This is a realistic settlement that continues to protect local government services in Wales from the worst of the UK Government’s spending reductions.
Alun Davies: I have commissioned a formal evaluation of the Diversity in Democracy programme, which ran from 2014 up to the local elections in May. Once this is completed, I will consider the next steps.
Alun Davies: If the Ministry of Justice progress the plans for a prison in Baglan, we expect them to consult with the Welsh Government, adopt the same positive planning approach that we saw with HMP Berwyn and ensure there is no adverse impact on public services.
