Llyr Gruffydd: Thank you very much, Llywydd. It’s a great pleasure to lead on this debate in the name of Plaid Cymru on the north Wales economy and, in fact, the broader need for Welsh Government to treat north Wales more equitably—something that a number of people feel that they haven’t been able to do at all for a number of years by now. Now, the United Kingdom is acknowledged and recognised as an...
Llyr Gruffydd: Yes, I will. I will, of course.
Llyr Gruffydd: I agree, and thank you for that because you’re making my speech for me, effectively. [Laughter.] I can probably skip a page. [Laughter.] Yes, but when you think that the Government is getting it right—. As you say, the new Development Bank of Wales is going to be headquartered at Wrexham, but then, of course, we hear that the chief executive won’t be based there, we hear that lead...
Llyr Gruffydd: Will you take an intervention?
Llyr Gruffydd: You’ve seen the list that we’ve outlined in our motion. Which ones do you disagree with, then?
Llyr Gruffydd: May I thank, Deputy Presiding Officer, everybody who’s contributed to this debate? I believe that I spoke for too long at the outset to be able to respond to every point made. Fe nodaf un neu ddau o’r cyfraniadau, a diolch i chi am wneud y cyfraniadau hynny. Soniodd yr Aelod dros Delyn, wrth gwrs, am bryderon ynghylch datgysylltiad datganoli a gofynnai am eglurder ynglŷn â’r amgueddfa...
Llyr Gruffydd: May I thank the Cabinet Secretary for her statement? I, too, felt that it was slightly strange that there were no details about the incentives that were being announced today, but thank you for giving us an outline of that in your response. I’d be interested to know how these incentives will compare with the rest of the UK. You did give us a brief outline, but that would be interesting to...
Llyr Gruffydd: No, I’m content.
Llyr Gruffydd: Do you know, I feel sometimes we really need to get beyond this obsessing with Oxbridge as well? There are other excellent institutions—the Russell Group and others as well—that we really should be encouraging our young people to aspire to, and not just within the UK as well. We need to look beyond that in terms of broadening our young people’s horizons and look at Harvard, Yale, the...
Llyr Gruffydd: If you’re serious about supporting the tourism industry in Wales, there’s one easy way that your party could do that. We’re talking about taxation—what about value added tax? What about VAT? What about reducing VAT? You could do that in a matter of weeks in the budget, if you’re serious about supporting the tourism industry.
Llyr Gruffydd: 8. Will the First Minister make a statement on plans to attract and retain GPs in North Wales? OAQ51264
Llyr Gruffydd: We know that the situation as it currently exists has been raised consistently with you in this Chamber, and I know of up to seven practices in the Wrexham area alone that are at threat of closure, and many others in other parts of the region are in the same position. Now, one of the practical difficulties causing problems is the situation in terms of the cost of indemnity insurance for...
Llyr Gruffydd: May I also congratulate the Minister on his appointment and endorse the comments that he made about the contribution of his predecessor? I know that Carl Sargeant dealt with issues in relation to children's rights from the heart, and if the current Minister undertakes his role with the same committment and passion then I'm sure that the position of children in Wales will be strengthened and...
Llyr Gruffydd: 8. Will the First Minister make a statement on local development plans in North Wales? OAQ51338
Llyr Gruffydd: Well, it is five years since the Planning Inspectorate insisted, or rather rejected Wrexham’s LDP, and also told Denbighshire and Conwy that there wasn’t sufficient housing in their development plans. That decision was based on the population forecasts of the Government, but now, of course, the census has demonstrated that those projections were erroneous and that we didn’t need to...
Llyr Gruffydd: May I also endorse the thanks expressed already to the Cabinet Secretary and certainly to the former Minister for the constructive way he and his officials have worked with many of us on this particular Bill? That was done, of course, with the support of committee officials and a broad range of stakeholders, who have certainly brought a great deal of support to us as Members and have enhanced...
Llyr Gruffydd: I’m formally supporting a number of amendments in this group. The most crucial of those, as we have already gathered now, are amendments 2 and 3, which place a duty on relative bodies to have due regard to the UN conventions on the rights of children and people with disabilities. Now, as we have already heard, this is a debate that’s been very lively as this Bill has proceeded through the...
Llyr Gruffydd: I have three amendments in this group—amendments 56, 57 and 58. I’m grateful to Darren Millar for his formal support to those amendments. As the Bill stands, of course, the governing body or local authority decides whether additional learning provision should be made to a child or young person through the medium of Welsh or not, and then notes that in the IDP. Now, it’s not a matter for...
Llyr Gruffydd: I move.
Llyr Gruffydd: I move.
