Steffan Lewis: I’d like to thank the Cabinet Secretary for his statement today, and also to thank him for the way that he’s undertaken this process of negotiating the budget between our two parties. I’d also like to thank my colleague Adam Price for leading the negotiations on behalf of my party. It’s true to say that there are a number of things that Plaid Cymru and the Government couldn’t agree...
Steffan Lewis: The UK economy is currently growing more slowly than all its economic competitors in the club of advanced economies. By comparing OBR forecasts with International Monetary Fund forecasts for the other G7 economies, the productivity slowdown has limited growth, weighed on living standards, and put the UK behind most of its peers in the G7 group of leading industrial economies. Britain's...
Steffan Lewis: Before I conclude, I would like to turn to one of the points raised by the Chair of the Finance Committee in his contribution. The actions of the Government don’t always accord with its rhetoric of wanting to run the health service in a strategic and sustainable manner. We are spending a large proportion of the national budget on health services for a very good reason, and very often it’s...
Steffan Lewis: 11. Will the Leader of the House make a statement on the action the Welsh Government is taking to tackle slavery in Wales? OAQ51412
Steffan Lewis: Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on capital investment in the South Wales East area?
Steffan Lewis: Diolch, Llywydd. A great part of the omni-uncertainty that we're facing as a consequence of our separation from the European Union is our future relationship with the European Investment Bank. I understand, a few weeks ago, the British Government had a position of wanting to maintain some sort of relationship with the bank post separation, but are a bit light on detail, shall we say. I wonder...
Steffan Lewis: Well, I'm sure that the British Government will change its mind by this time next week on that point and many others, Cabinet Secretary. You talk about exploring the options available post separation. I wonder whether one of those options that you've explored as a Government includes a relationship for Wales and the Welsh Government directly with the EIB. It is unprecedented, of course, but...
Steffan Lewis: I thank the Cabinet Secretary for that answer. I note the answer he gave to a previous question about not wanting to create new institutions when existing institutions work well for us, and I agree with that. However, perhaps some contingency planning needs to take place, because the loss of access to the European Investment Bank would be bad news for Wales and for the Welsh economy. In which...
Steffan Lewis: I thank the leader of the house for that answer. She'll be aware, of course, of some heartbreaking and high-profile cases across the country in recent years, including in the Gwent Police force area. I ask, given the complex nature of modern slavery and the fact that a number of agencies are involved in tackling it and preventing it—some devolved, others non-devolved—what sort of...
Steffan Lewis: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I thank Members for their contributions this afternoon. Dawn Bowden raised the important point that, of course, welfare reform is part of a wider social agenda of this UK Conservative Government, and it's a central theme of austerity. In Gareth Bennett's contribution—I listened to it carefully—I wasn't sure whether, by the end, he was going to defect to the...
Steffan Lewis: Of course I'll take an intervention.
Steffan Lewis: Well, I'm sure that the Member will have as much faith as I do in the Cabinet Secretary for Finance for him to go up to London and negotiate a deal for Wales for the administration of welfare that would bring us the consequentials that we need. I have every confidence that we'd do a much better job of administering welfare in this country ourselves than that lot up in London. Absolutely. I...
Steffan Lewis: Thank you very much, Llywydd, and fellow Members.
Steffan Lewis: I very much welcome yesterday's announcement by the Welsh Government to create a £50 million Brexit preparedness fund, something that will be essential for enterprise support in the south-east and across the country. And I very much hope that the Welsh Government has looked at the Irish models for support, as we face separation from the European Union and the great economic uncertainty that...
Steffan Lewis: I'm very pleased to formally move the legislative proposal for a Welsh continuity Bill. I want to also place on record, Llywydd, that the introduction and even enactment of a Welsh continuity Bill is not, and has never been, the preferred option of Plaid Cymru. Indeed, I recall suggesting in the aftermath of the European referendum that the four Governments of the UK get together, perhaps...
Steffan Lewis: I thank all Members for their contributions this afternoon and for the many kind personal comments that have been expressed as well. Due to my excitement earlier, I don’t think I’ve got time to go through every contribution, but I’d like to echo what the Cabinet Secretary said in terms of the contribution by the Conservative group today. I think this is a very constructive contribution....
Steffan Lewis: Diolch, Llywydd. I deeply regret the new-found politicking and ducking and weaving on the question of the single market that was apparent yesterday in the UK Labour leader's speech on his vision for a future relationship with the European Union. There are real consequences to leaving the single market for real people. One of those will be that we will lose the right to benefit from clinical...
Steffan Lewis: I thank the Cabinet Secretary for his statement this afternoon, and I must say that I continue to be in awe of the Cabinet Secretary's relatively sunshine disposition. I can't imagine what a frustrating and painstaking process this has been, yet he always seems to get the word 'constructive' into a statement about the JMC(EN), although trying to find anything constructive can sometimes be a...
Steffan Lewis: I'd like to ask the leader of the house for a Government statement from the Cabinet Secretary for local government if possible, and, indeed, for further guidance on the obligations on local authorities under the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. I'm sure the Cabinet Secretary will be aware that in our community the leisure centre at Pontllanfraith is under threat of closure....
Steffan Lewis: Before we talk about new powers for Wales after leaving the European Union, there’s the small issue of power is being rolled back from Wales in the meantime, something that the Westminster Government has admitted will happen, and they admitted that over the weekend. Now that we have seen the Westminster Government’s amendment to clause 11 of the Bill, and we know that the Westminster...
