Mick Antoniw: First Minister, I've only got a few, relatively minor points. You know my constituency well, and over the past couple of decades you'll have been aware of the impact of the closure of the mines, the closure of heavy industry. Yet over the last five years there has been significant growth and formation of new companies. A lot of that is due to a number of the projects of Welsh Government, the...
Mick Antoniw: Cabinet Secretary, I won't go over many of the points that have been covered on the gambling issue. Can I just say, first of all, you'll remember the individual Members' debate we had here in 2013—I think this Assembly is one of the first of the Parliaments to actually have a detailed, thorough debate on the issue of the emerging problem of growing gambling? In fact, it was that...
Mick Antoniw: —but we have to ensure that we do have the ability to deal with those issues.
Mick Antoniw: I've been a member of this Assembly now for almost seven years, and there have been two debates that have been ongoing throughout that entire period of time. One has been the metro—and I was very privileged to be able to lead the first individual Member's debate on that issue—and the other is the M4 relief road. I was also a member of the environment committee. I see there are a number...
Mick Antoniw: Yes.
Mick Antoniw: I think if you have a debate, there has to be a vote, and it has to be a vote that is actually within Government time. So, that's the assurance that I seek because I think this is the largest project that we have ever faced, and it has very, very significant implications for many of our other commitments. And if we are truly committed to sustainable transport, to getting traffic off the...
Mick Antoniw: 2. What discussions has the First Minister had with the UK Government on the post-Brexit economic forecast for Wales? OAQ51773
Mick Antoniw: First Minister, we were told in a recent committee evidence session into homelessness that one of the main causes now of homelessness is the UK Government's welfare reform programme. Do you agree that, even at this late stage, it is not too late for the UK Government to stop the roll-out of this disastrous universal credit programme?
Mick Antoniw: Well, First Minister, it seems the cat is now out of the bag that the Government's real evidence as to the impact of Brexit without access to the single market is something that's going to cause significant damage to the Welsh economy. It appears only AMs in Wales are allowed to see these documents, provided we do that within certain restricted conditions. Members of the public, our...
Mick Antoniw: I, first of all, would like to put on record the tremendous work, for example, that the PCSOs do, and the considerable difference that the 500 PCSOs funded by Welsh Government have actually made to our communities. Those of us who have walked round our communities with those PCSOs actually realise and recognise the significant contribution they are making to our communities and the...
Mick Antoniw: Well, you are very selective with your facts. What the ONS statistics are very clear about is that since the Tories have been in, since 2010, you have cut policing in real terms by 18 per cent and that, under the Labour Government going back to 2001, real-terms spending on police increased by 31 per cent. Those are the ONS statistics. And, as we heard earlier, one thing is very clear about...
Mick Antoniw: Diolch, Llywydd. We reported on this Bill on 2 February and made 10 recommendations to the Minister. As part of our usual consideration, we looked at the balance between what is on the face of the Bill and what is left to be dealt with through subordinate legislation, and we were satisfied with the balance that had been struck. Specifically, the committee wished to commend the approach taken...
Mick Antoniw: Cabinet Secretary, you'll be aware of the concerns I've raised about the clarity of planning law in respect of houses in multiple occupation and the way that has particularly impacted on parts of my constituency, and Treforest in particular, where you see communities beginning to disintegrate because of the unbridled growth of HMOs. Could you outline what the position is with regard to...
Mick Antoniw: Cabinet Secretary, the facts in the report are very, very clear, and that is things like habitat loss and intensive farming are the primary cause of the fall. Incidentally, my species is the Tonyrefail falcon—that's another matter. Could I just say—? One of the things that concerns me, though, that arises from the FUW statement, is the fact that there's an attempt to almost weaponise...
Mick Antoniw: Firstly, I'd like to welcome this debate because following on from the debate on leasehold, it shows the importance of these types of debates that actually identify issues that have complete cross-party support, that relate to powers that we have where we can use those powers to make a real difference to people's lives. Leasehold was one, this was the other one. Can I also thank David...
Mick Antoniw: Absolutely. I mean, the Government stepped in to force insurers, for example, to deal with uninsured vehicles, cars, with the Motor Insurers' Bureau. The NHBC is also a similar product of that, and why should that not be extended in exactly the same way? It seems to me to be a relatively simple solution. We talked about the profitability of the house building companies. These are the same...
Mick Antoniw: Could I ask for a statement on the rising levels of congestion and pollution on the A470, particularly in the Taff Ely area? You'll be aware of the recent reports that actually identify the A470 as the most congested road in Wales, with a travel time of seven miles per hour at peak traffic times. Also, in conjunction with the level of pollution, of course, you'll be aware of the recent...
Mick Antoniw: Cabinet Secretary, I welcome very much your statement and the tabling, or the proposed tabling, of what we'll call for now the continuity Bill—a very important step forward. I also listened to David Lidington's speech. I have to say that I was somewhat confused by some of the messages that were coming out of that, particularly with regard to what seemed to be an attempt to create...
Mick Antoniw: I just want to make a few points on this, because I think this is a piece of legislation at Westminster that is very, very desirable and long overdue. It is an area where we might have considered legislating ourselves at some stage, but it's absolutely right that we have a certain degree of consistency in this area. I'd like to raise a number of points. It's all very well us talking about...
Mick Antoniw: Yes, certainly.
