Darren Millar: Cabinet Secretary, will you join me in congratulating faith communities across Wales on the work that they have done in helping to welcome asylum seekers, including refugees and unaccompanied refugee children, here into Wales, and supporting them in terms of integrating them into our society and lowering community tensions?
Darren Millar: I’m very grateful for the investment that has gone into Colwyn Bay over the years in terms of affording that particular part of the coastline with greater levels of flood protection, but we’ve seen the damage that flooding from the sea can do when we look over the Atlantic as a result of those terrible storms that have wreaked havoc in the Caribbean and in the United States of America,...
Darren Millar: I too have been contacted by constituents who are very concerned about the reduced maintenance regime that’s being undertaken by Natural Resources Wales in parts of north Wales and, as a result of that reduced maintenance scheme, ditches, because they’re not being cleared, are beginning to flood-water on to agricultural land—what has been very productive agricultural land. What action...
Darren Millar: 9. What action is the Welsh Government taking to improve the sea defences at Old Colwyn? (OAQ51007)
Darren Millar: So, you can see. We’ve heard from Sarah and Joseph. Gambling isn’t a game, it’s a very real problem. They’re paying a high price for it, and they’re not the only ones. You may have heard about Cardiff postal worker Colin Chapman, who was arrested just last week for stealing parcels worth £40,000 in order to fund his gambling addiction. Or you might even remember Willie Thorne, the...
Darren Millar: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I want to confirm that I’ve given Simon Thomas, Jenny Rathbone and Joyce Watson a minute each of my time. This week is Gamble Aware Week. It’s seven days when betting shops across the country are spreading the message to not bet more than you can afford to lose, but I’m afraid that their message is just not hitting home. Thanks to poor public policy decisions...
Darren Millar: Do you accept that one of the reasons why we don’t have sufficient numbers of GPs, consultants, or other health professionals is because of an abject failure by your Welsh Government to properly plan for the Welsh workforce that the NHS actually needs?
Darren Millar: Let me remind you of another promise that you made to the pupils and parents across Wales: you said that you were going to raise standards as education Minister, and yet, over the weekend, we saw you downplaying expectations about GCSE results for this summer. Just because we’re having reformed GCSEs doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re heading for poorer results. So, is the promise that...
Darren Millar: I think the voters will make their minds up as to whether the Labour Party has broken its manifesto pledges from just a few weeks ago in a country where it’s able to actually implement those pledges. Can I just ask for some clarification? One of the things that you made a big fuss about during your election campaign for the National Assembly for Wales elections last year was this pledge of...
Darren Millar: Cabinet Secretary, just a few weeks ago, Labour’s First Minister was telling people to vote Labour to scrap tuition fees, but yesterday, in a betrayal of the students and Labour voters across Wales, you, on behalf of his Government, announced a hike in the cap on tuition fees paid by Welsh students. And I think that it goes to show that Labour cannot be trusted to deliver on the promises...
Darren Millar: Can I say thank you to the Cabinet Secretary for giving advance notice of her statement, and for publishing the summary of the responses, as well, to the consultation on the Welsh Government’s position? It’s very timely that this should be made, particularly before the summer recess, because, of course, young people will be wanting to prepare for future academic years, and thinking very...
Darren Millar: Can I second the calls from Llyr Huws Gruffydd for a statement from the Minister with responsibility for transport on the Evo triangle in my constituency? I’m very concerned that safety is deteriorating as a result of the glamorisation of this route to irresponsible motorists. One of the other features, which Llyr was unable to mention in his contribution to request a statement, was the...
Darren Millar: Well, Welsh universities, of course, make a huge contribution to the Welsh economy; around 5 per cent of the Welsh economy is as a result of Welsh university activity. And, of course, if you are losing staff from a university, very often they’re experienced and expensive staff, which the university tries to move on first. What guarantees have you had from the university sector that that...
Darren Millar: Will the First Minister make a statement on road safety in Clwyd West?
Darren Millar: Diolch, Llywydd. Can I thank everybody for taking part in this important debate? It was tabled because we believe that there needs to be a renewed focus on regeneration here in Wales, and that we need to get some of those impoverished communities, in all of our constituencies, back on their feet and up and running. I think we have to acknowledge that there have been some epic failures by the...
Darren Millar: No, I haven’t got—. I may take time in a second. And I think that stringing people along—. I appreciate you’ve inherited a real mess, frankly, as a Cabinet Secretary, from your predecessor because you’re relatively new to this particular post, but the reality is that, unfortunately, that mess has landed in your inbox and you’ve had to pick up the pieces. I think it’s only right...
Darren Millar: Can I support the calls for an update on the Year of Legends strategy? I really appreciate the fact that there’s a fellow colleague in north Wales seeking to get some of our treasures back into the region. One of the other treasures that is associated both with the Delyn and Clwyd West constituencies is the finger bone of St Winefride, of St Winefride’s holy well fame, who, of course, was...
Darren Millar: Will you take an intervention?
Darren Millar: You will recognise, though, that some people want to train because they want to leave an employer to go elsewhere, and some people, simply from a personal enrichment point of view, will want to take up a course that has nothing to do with the employment that they’re currently in. So, I would just ask what you are going to do for those people to help them with those transitions and, in...
Darren Millar: Diolch, Llywydd. I’m very pleased to be leading this debate this afternoon on behalf of the Welsh Conservative group. Before I go into my comments this afternoon, can I declare an interest as a part-time HE student here in Wales? Further and higher education has a broad and beneficial impact on our Welsh economy and society, but it’s not just those who are aged under 24 who can contribute...
