David Rowlands: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Leader of the house, Innovation Point, Wales's leading digital business growth agency announced last week the first meeting of an extra group set up to prepare and shape a coherent national 5G programme in Wales. This will support the wider 5G UK ecosystem and help to position Wales as a world leader in the development and delivery of 5G. Can you give an update on...
David Rowlands: I thank the leader of the house for that answer. It is encouraging, leader of the house, to see that Wales is already establishing itself as a leader in the area of digital innovation through initiatives like the compound semiconductor cluster based in my own South Wales East constituency. Fifth generation technology will undoubtedly be an enabler of new technologies, which can only support...
David Rowlands: I thank the leader of the house for that enlightening answer. Can I now turn to another matter, which I know you take extremely seriously—that of bullying, particularly in the context of schools? Given the recent tragic incident in St John Lloyd Catholic Comprehensive School in Llanelli, where a young boy, Bradley John, suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, committed...
David Rowlands: What assessment has the Cabinet Secretary made of educational standards in Wales?
David Rowlands: Will the Cabinet Secretary confirm the opening date for the critical care centre in South Wales East?
David Rowlands: Can I refer back for just a moment, Dirprwy Lywydd, to the previous debate? Whilst I agree wholeheartedly with all the sentiments so eloquently put forward by Lee Waters, and, indeed, by all the other contributors, we must not forget that the public sector funds that will form the basis of the foundational economy can only be provided by a strong, industrial-based economy in Wales, which...
David Rowlands: What assessment has the First Minister made of the success of Welsh Government policies in relieving deprivation?
David Rowlands: I hope that my comments on the statement by the leader of the house, following on from the conciliatory tone set by colleague Neil Hamilton on an earlier statement, does not lull the Government into some sort of complacency. But, having said that, I thank the leader of the house for today's statement, and I wish to acknowledge and congratulate the Welsh Government on its successful roll-out...
David Rowlands: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Cabinet Secretary, we are of course all aware of the congestion problems at Brynglas tunnels in Newport. Notwithstanding the decision on the black route or otherwise, it is obvious that any intervention will take some considerable time to be effective. What measures is the Cabinet Secretary putting in place to alleviate the problem in the short term?
David Rowlands: I thank the Cabinet Secretary for that answer, and I recognise the interventions that you talked about. If I can talk about a much more direct intervention, you've just mentioned speed limits, but as someone who faces the congestion on an almost daily basis, it has become obvious to me that speed limitations that are used at certain times actually greatly exacerbate the situation. A speed...
David Rowlands: Again, I thank the Cabinet Secretary for his answer, and I do acknowledge that there is a problem, which you mentioned, with switching lanes, particularly the late lane changes, that is from the Malpas turnoff lane back onto the main carriageway. They pose a very serious problem. But having experienced the approaches under almost all traffic conditions, from light to excessively heavy, I am...
David Rowlands: Will you take an intervention?
David Rowlands: Can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for his comprehensive statement today? On Sunday, across Wales and the rest of the UK, our servicemen and women, ex-armed forces and many organisations, along with the public, will come together to honour those who have lost their lives in service of this country. This year being the one-hundredth anniversary of the guns falling silent at the end of world war...
David Rowlands: 7. In light of the Welsh Local Government Association's rejection of Welsh Government plans to reduce local authority numbers, what are the Cabinet Secretary's plans for local authority reorganisation? OAQ52850
David Rowlands: I thank the Cabinet Secretary for that non-answer. The WLGA, which is of course yet another unelected body that costs the public purse some £7 million per annum, seemed to be totally confused at your proposal to reduce local authorities. Was this because they were in the throes of responding proactively to the previous reform programme, as well as progressing the city deal agenda? Was their...
David Rowlands: I don’t think I can in any way match Dai Lloyd’s poignant reflections on the first world war, but we must remind ourselves that our armed forces do not go to war of their own volition; they go usually because politicians have failed. But it is the personnel of our armed forces who pay the price for that failure. Men and women from our cities, towns and villages are remembered each year by...
David Rowlands: Which was always covered by visas.
David Rowlands: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. As you know, leader of the house, I have often been complimentary about the success of the Welsh Government's digital roll-out in Wales. But, leader of the house, I'm sure you will agree that digital exclusion is where a person is not a regular internet user. This can come about for a number of reasons, not just lack or not of physical infrastructure. It can be as a...
David Rowlands: I thank the leader of the house for her answer, and you have pre-empted part of my third question. The most recent survey for Wales indicated, on page 7, that 10 per cent of unemployed people are not regularly internet users and this exactly matches the previous year's figure of 10 per cent. Now, whilst this does show some positive aspects in that the figure has not increased year on year, it...
David Rowlands: Again, I thank the leader of the house for an honest answer to that question. Can I move on to another aspect, which I indicated earlier that you had alluded to? I was pleased to see that a survey for Wales showed no significant gender differences in personal internet use for ages 65 and below. However, for the ages 65 to 74, the survey records a somewhat puzzling statistic: that 75 per cent...
