Neil McEvoy: Will the First Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's support for renaming the Severn bridge?
Neil McEvoy: Will you give way? Thank you. What they're doing is taking powers from Brussels that ought to go to Scotland, Wales and the regions of England and instead hoarding them in Whitehall. That's totally unacceptable, and we've made that clear. Jeremy Corbyn: what have you got to say about that?
Neil McEvoy: I think what Janet Finch-Saunders said about policy saying one thing and the reality being something different is very apt. The motion here acknowledges that having strong, national placemaking policies and planning policies, blah, blah, blah—. The reality is that we don't have these things in place. I support the Conservative amendments, saying that the country planning system needs...
Neil McEvoy: I put in a written question yesterday about the second Severn crossing and all you said in reply was—the First Minister—the second Severn crossing is a UK asset. But, as we've heard, you knew about it a year ago, you welcomed it, you wanted to be involved in the celebrations. If you're a royalist, why don't you come clean? Why aren't you open and transparent with the people of Wales about...
Neil McEvoy: Would you give way?
Neil McEvoy: Thank you. I hear this phrase all the time—'inappropriate behaviour'. [Interruption.] Could you define what it is? Probably the most inappropriate behaviour is making false allegations, for example. This seems really nice on paper, but if you look at the lack of respect in this Chamber, as I uttered a few words then—the complete lack of respect from across the way—it doesn't seem to be...
Neil McEvoy: You give respect, Minister, and you give it back.
Neil McEvoy: I'm talking to the Minister, sorry.
Neil McEvoy: Would you give way?
Neil McEvoy: Yes, I'm doing a comparison, really, between what has happened in Kosovo, with the mud there, as a result of the weapons used, where they tested via gamma spectrometry, alpha spectrometry and also plasma-mass spectrometry. Unfortunately, all EDF have done is just one of those, so there are several plutoniums that it is impossible to detect with the testing that EDF have undertaken—they've...
Neil McEvoy: Would you give way again?
Neil McEvoy: Thank you, but, in terms of transparency, the raw data was not transferred; it's been disposed of. That's a fact.
Neil McEvoy: There are people demonstrating outside today, and I was the only Assembly Member to attend. I know that the campaigners found that very, very disappointing. In total, there are over 100,000 people who have signed various petitions about this. I'd like to start with an indisputable fact, because by allowing the 300,000 tonnes of mud from outside Hinkley Point to be dumped in Welsh waters, we...
Neil McEvoy: That's loud and clear—
Neil McEvoy: Okay. Well, it's a fact that the dumping of mud will allow the nuclear power station to be built, so what is Wales getting out of it? What are we getting out of this deal? The answer is a big fat zero—dim byd, nothing, nada, nothing at all. So, England is dumping its nuclear mud on Wales, and this Government is accepting it—this Labour Government in Wales. I'm almost speechless. How...
Neil McEvoy: Would you give way, Cabinet Secretary?
Neil McEvoy: Would you accept—I am advised by scientists; I'm not a scientist—that some kinds of plutonium will not be identified by the beta testing? Very simply, why wasn't the alpha spectrometry done, and the plasma mass spectrometry, as in Kosovo, on the mud?
Neil McEvoy: Thanks. Yes, I'd just like to congratulate those involved with the project up there and also Nick for raising this as a short debate. I think there are huge gaps in provision. I get men in my office traumatised by many events that they go through. There is no provision for those men, especially those who are victims of domestic abuse because there's just nowhere for them to turn. Many of them...
Neil McEvoy: 2. Will the First Minister make a statement on the awarding of the Wales and Borders rail franchise? OAQ52261
Neil McEvoy: Okay. Diolch. Just before the recess, you announced the winner of the new Wales and Borders rail franchise, and it's already been pointed out that you have broken a manifesto commitment for a not-for-profit railway company. But it also seems now that you're privatising the infrastructure from the core Valleys lines as well, and that's a real concern after what happened the last time that the...
