Gareth Bennett: There are issues of cyclist safety, as have been raised by the last two Members, and we do need to make steps to encourage safe cycling. Unfortunately, when cyclists come off the road and onto the pavement, they can also become a danger to pedestrians. In Peterborough, the council are currently issuing PSPO notices, which are public space protection orders, to stop dangerous cyclists. One...
Gareth Bennett: Thanks to the Conservatives for bringing today's debate on the important subject of the armed forces covenant. We agree, in UKIP, that a high priority should be given to the welfare of both people serving in the forces and veterans. We are also keen to see the encouragement of cadet activity. So, we broadly share the enthusiasms of the Conservative group in this area, and we commend the...
Gareth Bennett: What assessment has the Welsh Government made of proposals for stamp duty relief as announced in the UK Government's budget?
Gareth Bennett: Unfortunately, we could end up with a large vacant site in north Cardiff to add to eventual vacant sites at the tax office and Tesco House. This could well lead to more contentious housing schemes for north Cardiff. What can your Government do to protect residents from the problem of urban overdevelopment?
Gareth Bennett: First of all, I agree with David Melding's comments about the former Minister, Carl Sargeant. Of course, there were political differences on the committee when the Bill was debated, and there are bound to be political differences, but he was always amicable on a personal level. So, I would like to agree with what David said about Carl. As a group, UKIP didn't support the abolition of the...
Gareth Bennett: 2. What discussions has the Cabinet Secretary had with Natural Resources Wales about the tree felling programme at Fforest Fawr in Tongwynlais? OAQ51376
Gareth Bennett: Thanks, Minister, for your response. Fforest Fawr is a well-used local walking area next to Castell Coch. Many locals are worried that NRW doesn't have any plan to replant the area following the culling. There is a campaign, which has been launched, calling for a replanting programme. Could I ask you to consult with NRW to ascertain what more might be done about the replanting?
Gareth Bennett: Diolch, Llywydd. I'd like to welcome the Cabinet Secretary to his new role.
Gareth Bennett: So, welcome. [Laughter.] It's a bit of a reconfigured—[Interruption.] Sorry. It's a bit of a reconfigured department that you'll be running, in that you have the local government responsibilities that Mark Drakeford used to hold and also the communities portfolio, which has come from a different department. So, it may take us all a little while to get used to what is, essentially, a...
Gareth Bennett: You also bring with you from your previous role the job of delivering the programme of the Valleys taskforce, which we've been hearing about at some length today. I think it's interesting that we have been talking about this a lot because it's possibly a subject that—over the last 18 months, we probably haven't heard enough about the mechanics of how it will work. So, I think we do...
Gareth Bennett: Thanks for that response. I hope that there will be a joined-up approach to this very important issue. Now, an awful lot of young people these days go to university or college, as I'm sure you're aware. But this may not be the best route for everyone, and, indeed, a significant number of young people may not want to go to college and might prefer exclusively on-the-job training. Does this...
Gareth Bennett: Thanks to Mick Antoniw and the other various Members who were responsible for bringing today's debate. I think we're not going to have as much media interest in this debate as in the previous one, but it is an important subject, especially to householders who've suffered from poorly installed cavity wall insulation, or CWI. Now, Mick, in his well-researched speech, which opened today's...
Gareth Bennett: There have been problems with the retention of teaching assistants, or TAs. Often, TAs qualify as higher level TAs, but find that they aren't given the salary or responsibilities appropriate to the new level. This has contributed to many leaving the profession. What steps can the Welsh Government take to address this problem?
Gareth Bennett: Thanks to David Melding for today's Member's legislative proposal. I'm intrigued by these ideas of increasing citizen participation. Of course, the aim is laudable, but I'm not sure how easily it will be achieved in practical terms. In short, I'm not certain that this scheme, innovative though it is, is actually a workable one. The difference between us in this Chamber and the general public...
Gareth Bennett: Thanks to Plaid for bringing today's debate. As Siân Gwenllian stated in her opening remarks, Plaid did bring a debate on this subject six weeks ago and I gave UKIP's position at that time. Our stance hasn't really changed since then so I will be fairly brief, particularly bearing in mind that this is only a half-hour debate. We in UKIP share the concerns of other parties here over universal...
Gareth Bennett: He's not here either, Mike. To be serious, I'm not sure giving responsibility for the welfare system to Iain Duncan Smith in 2010 was ever really going to be a good idea. This is the chap who turned up in Merthyr not long after his appointment and said, seemingly on the spur of the moment, that it might be a good idea if some of the locals thought about popping down to Cardiff to look for...
Gareth Bennett: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and thanks to the Minister for today's statement. Community safety is an interesting subject. A generation ago, when I was growing up, there were a lot more children playing in the streets and, in the summertime, in public parks, completely unsupervised by adults. I was probably doing this myself from an early age. I observed a few years later that parents...
Gareth Bennett: Thanks to the Wales Committee of the Equality and Human Rights Commission for their annual review. I think it would be fair to say that many of us in UKIP don't quite share the same enthusiasm for so-called human rights as people in other parties.
Gareth Bennett: Yes. We are specifically concerned that the increasing focus on the rights of minorities will ultimately impact negatively on the rights of the majority population. Now, we have to make a distinction here between—[Interruption.] No, I'm not taking any interventions—
Gareth Bennett: I have no time.
