David Melding: Cabinet Secretary, can I begin by congratulating you on your resplendent buttonhole? Not only would Lady Rhondda have approved, but I think our former colleague William Graham would have approved. He would have probably conceded that you did better than him in this occasion. The problem with the current structure is it distorts the market. We need these fees to sit with the responsibility of...
David Melding: Cabinet Secretary, we’ll be discussing the foundational economy in a debate later, and it seems to me that community energy projects and the whole greening of the Welsh and British economy are areas where we could really have great advances that would empower local people very considerably.
David Melding: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Can I say, I think the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee is a very happy committee to serve on because nearly all the issues we look at are about promoting good, clear government and scrutiny and we don’t really have to labour under the incubus of a heavy partisan load, very often, and division, which is really pleasing. We occasionally...
David Melding: Minister, I was very pleased at a recent event held in the Assembly to hear that the Welsh Government of Wales are leading the field in this area in terms of the UK. Whilst the diseases themselves are rare, there are a great many of them, which means that one in 17 of us is likely at some point in our lives to suffer a rare disease, in which the screening, testing, diagnosis and treatment is...
David Melding: 1. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the treatment of rare diseases? OAQ(5)0125(HWS)
David Melding: Will the Member give way?
David Melding: In some countries, they encourage private enterprises as well to offer facilities, and it can revolutionise the availability of effective and pleasant-to-use public lavatories.
David Melding: Can I echo some of Julie Morgan’s comments? I was glad that, towards the end of the statement, you do turn to some of the sustainability issues and refer to the well-being of future generations, the need to tackle poor air quality, and to see public transport as part of the efforts to achieve decarbonisation. I do hope we’ll see this fully in the fully worked-out plans that you’re going...
David Melding: Leader of the house, I think it’s very important that we have a system that is transparent and fairly reflects the costs that site owners have, and also the ability for the residents of mobile homes to have a knowledge of what those costs are and to challenge them if necessary. At the moment, it is very opaque and it seems very unfair, and, in terms of where the power is, it’s loaded...
David Melding: Can I welcome the move to a more sophisticated use of data, Cabinet Secretary? I think it’s very important, because it allows us, or gives us the chance, to get the maximum potential out of public spending. For instance, in areas where there is a high level of childcare provided from state sources, I would expect to see a lot of the local population engaged in delivering those childcare...
David Melding: What is the Welsh Government doing to help local government adopt new digital technologies to aid citizen participation?
David Melding: Yes. I think the Member may have already seen Natural Resources Wales’s report, and it does emphasise the flood protection benefits that tidal lagoon projects could bring, and that’s going to be really, really important. The Hendry review observes that tidal lagoons can play a cost-effective part in the UK energy mix, and I think that was a real breakthrough, because there was some...
David Melding: I’m delighted to speak in favour of this motion, which has been laid in the name of Paul Davies and others. I’m very pleased to see cross-party support. Can I commend the self-discipline of the Cabinet Secretary, who obviously has to protect the role that she will play in a statutory function when dealing with certain aspects of the regulations that are likely to be generated under this...
David Melding: First Minister, as Cardiff continues to create jobs and attract very many visitors, we are seeing more and more congestion on the roads. I notice that there’s now a proposal to examine the feasibility of using the Taff and the bay as our main water arterial routes around the city—already popular for tourists, but it might have a commercial application as well in moving commuters. Is the...
David Melding: I’m really pleased to take part in this debate this afternoon, because I’ve had a great interest in FE education throughout my time as a Member of the Assembly, and I’ve raised these issues in the past because it is sometimes the forgotten part of the education sector, but it’s hugely important to the Welsh economy. As we’ve heard, it allows students to acquire vocational skills,...
David Melding: I’m delighted to support this initiative. I’d just like to talk about the strength of the voluntary sector in this area, because there is so much to draw upon that I think makes this proposal even more viable in terms of improving policy in this area. Can I talk about St John Cymru in particular? I’m proud to be associated with that marvellous charity, and I am indeed wearing their tie,...
David Melding: Cabinet Secretary, as the chair of two governing bodies, I often think that teachers have a similar working lifestyle to us. They need to do a lot of preparation. They have to do a lot of work in the evening and in what people refer to constantly as the holidays. But, sometimes, you need to have that protected time—when we are in the office environment but when they are in the school—so...
David Melding: Well, I think you've rather amplified my anxiety, rather than done anything to calm it. [Laughter.] Can I just say this? I think some form of mechanism, perhaps a bit like the British-Irish Council, needs to occur between the UK Government, with the devolved Governments involved, and the EU institutions. I think that type of process would send a very positive signal that we do want to be...
David Melding: Diolch yn fawr, Lywydd. This is not a debate about whether we should stay in the EU. We’ve all moved on from that. I bitterly regret the result, but the result is the result. Now, we have a common objective, and that is achieving a successful Brexit. There are challenges that face the UK and Wales in that context. I think some of the mechanisms of Government and inter-governmental work in...
David Melding: What discussions has the First Minister had with the other devolved administrations on the establishment of a council of Ministers and independent arbitration mechanisms?
