Mick Antoniw: Cabinet Secretary, listening to Plaid Cymru today reminded me of an old foundry workers' union representative who, when his workers had been out on strike, went into negotiations. He came out afterwards and said to his members, a mass meeting of the members—he said, 'Well,' he said, 'brothers and sisters,' he said, 'I've negotiated an extra week's holiday pay,' he said, 'I've negotiated a...
Mick Antoniw: Can I first of all very much commend the work that Simon has done in this area on energy, and also the work the various parties on the various committees have looked so much at on the issue of community energy? This is an issue that isn't going to go away, and we are on a path where we will inevitably end up with community energy and the renationalisation or the re-public ownership, in...
Mick Antoniw: Leader of the house, you will be aware of the Scottish Government's decision to hold an inquiry into the policing of the miners' strike, and you'll be aware that this is a result of the UK Government's refusal, on a number of occasions—the Home Secretaries, Amber Rudd, and then Teresa May, whom I met with on the occasions, refusing to hold such an inquiry, despite considerable amounts of...
Mick Antoniw: 1. What assessment has the Cabinet Secretary made of the implications for former Welsh miners and their families and communities in Wales of the Scottish Government's decision to hold an independent inquiry on the impact of policing during the miners’ strike? 183
Mick Antoniw: Thank you for that, Cabinet Secretary. The events at Orgreave in June 1984 during the miners' strike represented one of the most serious abuses of state power in recent times. Events during the miners' strike were, in my view, the closest this country has ever come to becoming a police state. Police officers were ordered to use maximum force against the miners, many of whom were from Wales,...
Mick Antoniw: I welcome your reference to the Rhondda, and indeed to Rhondda Cynon Taf, but their twenty-first century schools programme will mean, by 2020, they will have invested £0.5 billion in new schools. It is the most phenomenal school building programme in generations. Surely, that's something you very much welcome as transformational to the education system, particularly in Rhondda Cynon Taf.
Mick Antoniw: First Minister, the improvements to the service in Cynon valley will obviously come through to Pontypridd, but are probably unlikely to go as far as providing benefits to Pontyclun, where you have a population from Pencoed to the surrounding area of around 100,000. The main benefit that, probably, people in Pontyclun will see is that there will be more trains going through Pontyclun, but...
Mick Antoniw: Cabinet Secretary, just a couple of slight variations on the issue of animal welfare. There's been a tendency to regard the welfare of animals, particularly in terms of medical fees, as something of a luxury, in the sense that value added tax is charged. We know that, for many people, the welfare of their animals is often dependent upon whether they can actually afford to gain access to...
Mick Antoniw: I don't intend to go over a lot of the statistics and the ground that we continually debate in this Chamber. So, there are two areas I wanted to focus on. One is what I call the 'conspiracy of incompetence', which I believe has taken over the Government, and the other is a more serious point in respect of the undermining of parliamentary democracy. In July 2016, David Davis said that, within...
Mick Antoniw: 7. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on providing broadband connections to new-build properties? OAQ52350
Mick Antoniw: Well, thank you for that answer. I've raised with you previously the issue of Dyffryn y Coed, a new estate in Church Village in my constituency. The problem appears to be this: they only have a copper connection although an earlier part of the estate actually has fibre; a lot of people living there require high-speed broadband because of their work in order to do that. The problem appears...
Mick Antoniw: Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. I'm—
Mick Antoniw: I'm grateful for the opportunity to introduce this short debate to recognise World Humanism Day, which is tomorrow, and to talk a little about the philosophy of humanism and its contribution to progressive thought in Wales, the UK and the world. In a world of increasing intolerance and division, a world undergoing dramatic change due to technological advance and globalisation, it is sometimes...
Mick Antoniw: I've indicated that I've given a minute to Julie Morgan, and I'm happy to give a minute if anyone else wishes to take one.
Mick Antoniw: 7. Will the First Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's strategy to tackle problem gambling? OAQ52418
Mick Antoniw: Thank you for that answer, First Minister. You will recall the number of debates we've had in this Chamber over the issue of fixed-odds betting terminals and, of course, the UK Government gave a commitment that they would now take measures to reduce betting on these to a maximum of £2 per bet. It now appears that it may be at least two years before any such legislation is forthcoming. We do...
Mick Antoniw: 11. Cabinet Secretary, will you make a statement on the consideration given to absence due to disability when compiling school attendance figures? OAQ52396
Mick Antoniw: 9. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on sleep medicine services? OAQ52398
Mick Antoniw: Thank you for that answer, and, of course, I think, we all understand that schools feel how important it is to have their attendance figures as high as possible and how important good attendance is within schools and for the education of children. What I've had raised with me by a number of families, though, is that those children who have significant disabilities that will require them...
Mick Antoniw: Cabinet Secretary, can I also welcome your answer and the work that's been done by so many communities who have actually taken up this issue and established defibrillators in those communities, who have raised the funds, who have supported the training, and so on, for them to operate? In my constituency, in just one area in Tonyrefail, we have 20 defibrillators that have now been set up by...
