David Melding: First Minister, Cardiff has recently been named the most stressful city in Britain, which I do find a remarkable finding. The report says that pressure at work, financial worries and concerns about health are leaving Britain in the grip of a stress epidemic, and I think many of us see this through our casework as well. A survey of 4,000 adults by the insurance company AXA found that four out...
David Melding: 1. Given the recently released new house building figures for Wales, will the Cabinet Secretary confirm why the number of new homes built in Wales each year is shrinking? 87
David Melding: Oh dear. [Laughter.] Minister, let's just remind ourselves that, for the latest year, which takes us to September 2017, just gone, the figure is 6,830. That's a drop on the previous year, which was 6,900. But let me remind everyone here: your target is 8,700—8,700. You are nearly 2,000 below that, and it's 10 years since this Government achieved its target for new homes. It is simply not...
David Melding: Can I just say that it was a pleasure to be involved in this report? I think it was a really important piece of work. We saw some excellent practice, but, in general, an area of public policy that needs to improve its game. I'd like to concentrate my remarks on the forestry sector, because I think it's often overlooked, its significance, at just over £0.5 billion every year. Trees in...
David Melding: Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. Can I thank UKIP for bringing this debate forward? I think it's actually a very important subject and is a way of tackling the housing challenge in Wales. I hope that we develop a level of consensus beyond our usual, conventional, traditional house building methods. I was very pleased, actually, to notice that even the Welsh Government seems to...
David Melding: 8. Will the First Minister make a statement on local authority house-building in Wales? OAQ51530
David Melding: First Minister, I've said from this side of the house that we would support the move to local authorities building social housing once more if that was thought to be a strategic way of improving the level of house building. Just 16 homes were completed last year in the local authority sector, 13 of those in one authority, Flintshire. So, if they are going to become major builders, they will...
David Melding: Can I say that this consultation and the national debate it's now going to spark, I hope, is highly welcome? I'm the only Conservative Assembly Member that has served in all the Assemblies so far. This is the fifth, and, in the first one, we did actually debate this issue of physical chastisement of children on a motion I think that was proposed by Christine Chapman and there were nine...
David Melding: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'll make a short intervention, but I'd give one principal response, really, and that's: what was the tenor of the consultation responses overall? As the Counsel General has said, last May there was a draft code published for consultation. As far as I'm aware, the consultation responses have not been published. I do apologise if this is my IT failure, but...
David Melding: Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. I move the amendments in my colleague's name. Like Simon, can I welcome the fact that the Welsh Government has now published a draft national marine plan? We're kind of getting the first half of the debate that will go on through tomorrow when we will discuss some of the committee's ideas in this vital area. And I do hope that these two hours' worth of debate will...
David Melding: 6. What assessment has the Cabinet Secretary made of the current economic state of the construction sector? OAQ51500
David Melding: I think this question of access is absolutely key, and it means reliable and regular links—railway, buses—are vital. But, you know, traditionally it's been a real problem, and it's not just access to jobs but to cultural assets in Cardiff, and enjoying those. You know, it's as much the right of people in the northern valleys to do that as those of us who live in or around Cardiff, and we...
David Melding: And to add a further statistic, it's 10 per cent of our GDP. It has declined in the last month. Commercial building and civil engineering in particular are weaker, and this has caused more reliance on house building. I just wonder what vision you have for the revival and extension of the construction sector in the next four or five years, as you've indicated in your projection there. What...
David Melding: Can I just say how delighted I am that we have the second of two debates on the maritime environment this week? And I hope this will demonstrate the close co-operation that the legislature and the Executive will have in this vital area of public policy, which does need substantial improvement, as our Chair, Mike Hedges, has already alluded to. And can I join him in thanking all those who...
David Melding: Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd, and I so move the amendment. Can I start by thanking Plaid Cymru for putting this motion down today? It's a very important subject, and I think it was quite poignant, what Bethan said—that in the run-up to Christmas, it's like one of the annual things that get attention, and, really, we need a much greater ambition than that. I think using your time for a...
David Melding: Of course, I understand why opposition Members are making this point—you may have a right to make it, and they certainly have every right to—. [Interruption.] Sorry—wishful thinking. And certainly, Plaid have every right to make it. But, you know, Labour fought the 2010 manifesto on pretty much the same financial projections that are accepted by the Conservative Party. You did fight the...
David Melding: 9. What is the Welsh Government doing to reduce the number of fires at waste disposal sites in Wales? OAQ51548
David Melding: Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. Can I pursue this point about the role plastics play in generating so much waste and destruction of our environment? Reference has been made to the excellent action of Iceland, and that supermarket actually conducted a very extensive survey before they took that action, and 80 per cent of the people they polled said they would endorse moves to go plastic free. I...
David Melding: Minister, you may know that the UK Government's 25-year plan includes a pledge to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste by 2042. They also have a goal to eliminate all avoidable waste by 2050. The latter—all avoidable waste by 2050—is also contained in Towards Zero Waste, but there's no earlier deadline for the elimination of plastic waste. I just wonder if you're going to review the...
David Melding: I just wonder if we need to completely look at a different scale in terms of what's happening out there. You're seeing this incredible social and commercial movement to address this problem, and it's the politicians who are perhaps falling a bit behind, and in particular—in this area anyway—the Welsh Government. We've heard from Wetherspoon that they're going to ban plastic straws and...
