Dawn Bowden: I'm guessing the Tories will be happy that I'm not going to repeat all of the information I made in the last—[Interruption.] But there are some common themes, and, fundamentally, those are the opposition of employers to what is contained in the Tories' UK legislation and in this amendment and the complete lack of understanding by the Tories of what unions do and how they work. And the most...
Dawn Bowden: It’s bureaucratic nonsense and unnecessary. The facility time itself, as research has shown, provides the public, the council tax payers, with benefits and savings through the work that they do. If the Tories were able to set aside for a moment their anti-trade union prejudice and talk to public service trade unions, they might begin to get some understanding of what they do, and learn that...
Dawn Bowden: Well, if I remarked in the debates on the two previous groups of amendments that the Tories just don’t get it, never has that been more true than in respect of these amendments on balloting. Maybe some of the Welsh Conservatives were brought up influenced by the Thatcher philosophy surrounding trade unions. You remember those nasty trade unions dominated by the unrepresentative barons whose...
Dawn Bowden: It certainly didn’t apply to the—
Dawn Bowden: I beg your pardon; sorry.
Dawn Bowden: I absolutely agree with you, and it was the very point I was just coming on to, Mike. Thank you very much. The ballot thresholds, as we know, certainly didn’t apply in the EU referendum, which was without doubt the single most important issue that we have voted on in this country in our lifetime. And however close the margin in that referendum, and whatever the turnout, we all agreed that...
Dawn Bowden: So, once again, we’re faced with an amendment proposed that is about as predictable as it is ill-conceived, much like the previous three amendments. As I’ve said before, Llywydd, no trade union or its members lightly or enthusiastically embrace the need to take industrial action, but what you can be equally certain of is that no trade union official or member wants any dispute to drag on...
Dawn Bowden: Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on Welsh Government support for mesothelioma research in Wales?
Dawn Bowden: Cabinet Secretary, given the contribution that tourism is making to economic development across the country, I’m pleased to note the tremendous success that we’ve seen with the tourist investment support scheme across Wales. But I am concerned to note that, of the 205 schemes that have received offers of grant support under the tourism investment support scheme since April 2011, only four...
Dawn Bowden: Cabinet Secretary, the cross-party group on asbestos received a presentation at its meeting in May on immunotherapy as a potential treatment in mesothelioma, including the SKOPOS trial at Velindre, looking at how a vaccine called TroVax may work alongside chemotherapy for those who suffer from pleural mesothelioma. Funding for this research runs out in August of this year and there’s...
Dawn Bowden: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Last week I was delighted to attend Fochriw Primary School’s red kite celebration fair-trade coffee afternoon. The red kite project at the school is designed to develop the pupils to be ethically informed and to hold strong values about the environment and the nature that is around them. For the project, the school formed an eco-committee, which came up with a range...
Dawn Bowden: First Minister, when I recently met with farmers in Rhymney—yes, there are farmers in Rhymney—we discussed many issues relating to Brexit and its potential impact on the rural economy, and, contrary to the implications in Neil Hamilton’s question earlier, one particular concern that they had was their inability to be able to recruit labour locally—casual labour, seasonal...
Dawn Bowden: Like others, I welcome the interim report and the opportunity to speak on the hugely important issues that are identified in it. I do hope that the final report of this parliamentary review provides a basis for this whole Assembly to find some fresh political consensus that helps us to deliver the continuing changes that we need to make in order to deliver the ever-improving health and social...
Dawn Bowden: 4. Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on the action being taken to monitor the progress made in cases of defective cavity wall insulation work in Wales? (OAQ51019)
Dawn Bowden: Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on advice services in Wales that can help reduce pressures and costs for welfare claimants?
Dawn Bowden: Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. It is clear to me that there does remain a significant number of people, many of whom are elderly and vulnerable, as you will know, who continue to face financial costs, due to the inappropriate or defective cavity wall schemes. Indeed, I’m grateful to a number of Assembly colleagues who have shared similar experiences from their constituencies with me. In...
Dawn Bowden: Diolch, Llywydd. It’s been 30 years since Wales witnessed one of the greatest sporting achievements, when Merthyr Tydfil Football Club beat the mighty FC Atalanta from Italy in the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup. That September evening in 1987 was a memorable night for the club when they beat Atalanta 2-1 at Penydarren Park, and we should remember that, to this day, Atalanta remain a club in the...
Dawn Bowden: Will the First Minister make a statement on the availability of employment in Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney?
Dawn Bowden: Can I thank the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee for the report? And, in doing so, I’d like to support the importance of the metro network as a whole and the related investment in my own constituency. It’s on that particular point that I’m going to confine my more generalised comments, rather than the more specific comments on the franchise as a whole. Both Merthyr Tydfil...
Dawn Bowden: Can you tell us what representations to the UK Westminster Government to improve the funding to the Welsh Government?
