Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: 6. Will the Cabinet Secretary outline how he intends to increase incentives in the private sector to build more homes in Wales? (OAQ51043) [W]
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. I would also like to welcome this work done by Ruth Hussey and the expert team. I think it’s clear that, if we look at the ageing population, more of the same is simply unsustainable, and I think that’s what really comes out in this report. That further integration of health and social care is something I think that most people now accept. It has simply got...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: No. Do you know what I—? [Interruption.] Do you know what I—? [Interruption.] I’ll tell you what—. [Interruption.] Let me tell you. Let me tell you. The situation is worse now because of the kind of messages that have been sent out by people like Neil Hamilton and his ilk to those people who are supporting our NHS, who are supporting our care workers. They are people who are here from...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Can I thank UKIP for yet another debate on Brexit? I’m afraid that as the resolution stands, it’s full of inaccuracies and, once again, demonstrates UKIP’s lack of awareness about how the EU actually works. It paints this idealistic utopian vision of the future in Wales for a land full of milk and honey, where those pesky outsiders can’t tell us what to do and they’ll stop ordering...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Will the Member give way?
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: I remember, a few years ago, going to visit the Welsh sea fishermen’s association, when, at one point, the Spanish—there was a big issue about the Spanish in Cornwall, and they were burning Spanish flags in Cornwall. I went to visit the sea fishermen’s association of Wales, which was led by one Mr Gonzalez. What had actually happened is that the Welsh fishermen had sold their quotas to...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the improvement of health services in Mid and West Wales?
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: What discussions has the Cabinet Secretary held regarding job losses resulting from the confirmed closure of DWP offices in Llanelli and other parts of Wales? TAQ(5)0197(EI)
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: That’s excellent news. I’m sure the Minister will leave no stone unturned, as indeed will my colleague, Lee Waters, who’s the AM for Llanelli who is, as we speak, meeting for the second time with Damian Hinds from the Department for Work and Pensions, and Nia Griffiths MP, who are trying to gain a last minute reprieve for what I and they perceive to be a very misguided decision in...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you. Lord Kerr, the author of article 50 and former Permanent Secretary of the Foreign Office, suggested at a conference recently that article 50 is indeed revocable and that many political leaders have encouraged us to change our minds, including Macron, Schäuble and Rutte. He suggested that even if you have notified the EU of your intention to leave, then there’s nothing to say...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: 2. What assessment has the Counsel General made of the possible revoking of article 50? OAQ(5)0046(CG)
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Just finally, on my question, there was a report this week that 32 per cent of long-term carers had not had a day off in five years. Is this something that also should be addressed?
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I think the way we deal with our elderly population in future will be the way that we are judged as a nation, so it’s critical that we get this right. I think there are some very eminent professionals on this review board, and I’m looking forward to hearing their final recommendations. But I think one thing’s come across very clearly in this report,...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Does the First Minister agree that we should look into the possibility of employing an experienced industrialist to ensure that if there are any barriers to farmers, in terms of high tariffs, in accessing the European market, we can say what we can of Welsh agriculture through ensuring that far more Welsh produce is procured for our schools and hospitals, even if that costs a little more?...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Following on from Steffan’s point on EU nationals working in the United Kingdom, today marks the sixty-ninth anniversary of the establishment of the NHS. I think there’s evidence to suggest that there are fewer people now registering to work in the NHS from the EU as a direct consequence of that Brexit vote. Today, I’ve relaunched the ‘Diolch Doc’ campaign, encouraging people in...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: The First Minister will be aware that, yesterday, I published an economic development plan for rural Wales. [Assembly Members: ‘Hear, hear.’] Thank you very much. What assurances can the First Minister give me that the recommendations endorsed by a group of experts from rural Wales will be considered in the context of the new economic strategy for Wales?
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: What plans does the Welsh Government have to reconfigure the economic strategy in Wales to ensure that rural areas do not lose out as a result of the focus on City Deals?
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: All of which, the report suggests, could lead to a 5 to 8 per cent increase in costs. So, in terms of what we can do in Wales in future to support agriculture, I was extremely interested to read in the report about the restrictions that may be imposed by the WTO in relation to how, and to what extent, future payments can be made to farmers, and the restrictions, in particular, of...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Mumbling, fine. Sighing, yes, we’re used to that. The costs of leaving the EU are clearly emphasised in the report, and the regulations that we adhere to currently support the production of high-quality food, and ensure the widest possible access to market. But it’s not just increased tariffs that we need to fear. If we leave the EU, and let’s not forget that those tariffs could be...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Lovely. Well, I look forward to that. So, I’m glad that that is something that will be addressed. One of the things that you could focus on, perhaps, in that report, is the fact that there are over 79 million ready meals eaten in the United Kingdom every week. So, where’s our ambition to grow in this area? What’s the infrastructure, training and support that we need to put in place to...
