Peter Fox: We have to reconcile the fact that there is £2.75 billion-worth of usable reserves at the disposal of councils whilst we have a council tax average rise of 5.5 per cent. My contention is that there is something fundamentally wrong with a formula that enables some councils to provide their services while accumulating huge levels of reserves, while others struggle to receive enough to provide...
Peter Fox: Diolch, Llywydd, and can I thank everybody for contributing this afternoon to this debate? We're all as one when we praise local authorities and the great work that they do, and this isn't about what they do; this is about the funding system and how it needs to be fairer for both council tax payers and the councils themselves. Can I thank Sam for opening up the debate and sharing again that...
Peter Fox: The Conservative group is pleased to be supporting both motions that have been laid relating to the LCM today, which will be introducing revised legislation for the processes and procedures of Government public procurement. This Bill will take advantage of the post-Brexit opportunities, allowing the United Kingdom to shape its own procurement rules while complying with our international...
Peter Fox: Thank you, Minister. I asked what action is being taken to protect our crucial pollinators because of the emergence of a new threat, which I'm sure you're aware of, the Asian hornet. The invasive species preys on native honey bees and, as a result, is now causing serious concern, as several cases are reported in the south of England. With reports recording an estimated 23 per cent decline of...
Peter Fox: Minister, as you know, the use of PFI has been calamitous, to say the least. You will know that many councils were caught in the grip of toxic PFI schemes, and as we know, Minister, at last count, I believe there were 23 PFI projects with a capital value of £701 million, which was sponsored by Welsh Government, and there were five projects sponsored by the UK Government. Minister, there will...
Peter Fox: 4. What action is the Welsh Government taking to protect bees? OQ59303
Peter Fox: I respectfully disagree with the First Minister and Huw Irranca-Davies. I felt that last week's budget was one of optimism and ambition, and central to it was protecting and supporting households across Wales, indeed the whole of the UK. I particularly welcomed, as my leader did, the expanding of 30 hours of childcare in England for all under-fives. I hoped we were going to see the roll-out...
Peter Fox: Thank you, Minister. I want to begin by highlighting a few points on health, and I'll touch on a few other areas as well. Firstly, I want to address the £120 million allocated to health and social services to support a pay settlement for NHS staff. While I and my Conservative colleagues welcome the increase in funding for the settlement, it is frustrating that the Welsh Government has had...
Peter Fox: Thank you for that response, Minister. Minister, as you know, our standards, sadly, in Wales are far below those in England and Scotland, with Wales sitting at the bottom of Britain's GCSE and Programme for International Student Assessment rankings. Welsh Government has chosen not to spend all of the money it could on education, even though our system is underperforming. Indeed, your budget...
Peter Fox: Thank you, Minister. As you know, more than 60,000 people across Wales currently rely on the housing support grant, which provides much-needed aid for those facing societal problems. The decision of your Government in its final budget to deliver a real-terms cut to this grant has unsurprisingly brought huge concerns through the third sector. One of those concerned organisations is the charity...
Peter Fox: Thank you, First Minister, for that. The right of an assessment for unpaid carers to find out what support they need, if any, is a key principle of the charter of unpaid carers. Research from the Motor Neurone Disease Association has now shown that one in four MND carers across Wales had either received a carers assessment or were in the process of having one. These assessments are absolutely...
Peter Fox: 6. Will the First Minister provide an update on the delivery of the unpaid carers charter? OQ59273
Peter Fox: 6. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to help charities that provide housing support and homelessness services? OQ59248
Peter Fox: 6. What assessment has the Minister made of the impact of the Welsh Government’s budget on educational standards? OQ59257
Peter Fox: I've nearly finished. The rising cost of living—
Peter Fox: I could have finished then, Chair. So, with all of the things I've shared there, I'm afraid that this group will not be supporting this budget today for all of those reasons.
Peter Fox: Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. And—
Peter Fox: Why are Labour and Plaid so transfixed with wasting over £100 million on new politicians in this place, rather than addressing the real struggles that the many people of Wales are facing? Things need to be different. Rather than more of the same tax and spend policies that we see from Labour, the Welsh Conservatives have a plan to focus on the people's immediate priorities. We have already...
Peter Fox: We must not forget that, for every £1 spent on the health service in England, Labour received £1.20 for Wales. And the same for education: £1 in England, £1.20 in Wales. Yet, we know that, in Wales, even before the pandemic, the Labour Government was only spending £1.05 on both of those. This begs the question: where has this money gone? Why is it not being used to deliver the healthcare...
Peter Fox: Can I start by thanking the Minister for her statement again? As a past council leader, I know that many of the decisions that have been made by the Minister would not have been easy. However, too much of this budget simply misses the mark. While Labour Ministers have claimed to be prioritising the key issues for the people of Wales, the truth is that this is far from the case. Rather than...
