Suzy Davies: I must admit I was sincerely hoping for an answer as to what exactly you are going to cut in terms of research—not necessarily the amount, but which forms of research are now going to lose out. What exactly are we going to not see being done? Which partners are possibly going to lose their funding as a result of our decision? And just one example would have been fine for that. I'll just...
Suzy Davies: Thank you for that answer. Of course, I understand the rationale behind it. I'm hoping at some point that you'll be able to give perhaps some guidance to Bridgend County Borough Council in this sort of hiatus to ensure that progress on social care isn't jeopardised in any way, because they have been making progress there. Just finally, we're all aware, of course, of the pressures on the...
Suzy Davies: Thank you for your answer on that. The previous Cabinet Secretary will remember that it was quite a bruising process going through the south Wales programme changes and, of course, Cwm Taf lost emergency and paediatric services at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital while they were retained at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend. Now, I've just had confirmation that there's no planned...
Suzy Davies: Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. I move the Commission's budget motion for 2018-19 and ask that it be incorporated into the annual budget motion. The budget for 2018-19, the third year of this fifth Assembly, is a budget—. In that budget, the Commission is seeking £56.1 million, and it's made up of three components: £35.5 million for Commission services; £16.2 for the remuneration board's...
Suzy Davies: Diolch yn fawr. Can I just thank you again, Simon, and the Finance Committee, for your careful consideration of the Commission's budget? I noted your comments about the five-year multi-annual budget, if I can put it like that. It is fair to say that, of course, the Finance Committee knew what we were proposing for the next five years, and of course I'd acknowledge the point that, at some...
Suzy Davies: By all means.
Suzy Davies: It's certainly not immune to needing to make efficiencies where it possibly can make them, and you'll have noted, being a member of the committee, that efficiencies have been made, initially in staffing, and certainly in contracts over the previous years. But we're also in a position, as you heard during my opening remarks, where this Assembly, this parliament, is taking on huge new...
Suzy Davies: Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the status of draft local development plans in current planning applications?
Suzy Davies: Can I congratulate you on your new job as well? Can I begin by saying that scrutiny has been brought to bear and, actually, the dreaded Nowcaster system in Swansea council, with which I appreciate you may not personally be familiar, is now up and running after several years of delay, and advising drivers in real time whether the air quality in that particular part of Swansea is safe enough to...
Suzy Davies: Can I offer my congratulations, as well, Cabinet Secretary? I was slightly more excited to see that the Llynfi valley was included in your plans. But I do presume that you've already spoken to Bridgend County Borough Council about what your expectations of them are going to be, not just in terms of what they're going to do, but what the outcomes are going to be in this. I heard what you said...
Suzy Davies: Thank you very much for taking the intervention. I wonder: do you accept that there may be an argument that an early parliamentary investigation, if I can put it like that, would actually be of assistance to any independent inquiry, particularly as it is likely to unearth issues that perhaps won't have been foreseen at the time that the independent investigator might have been given a remit...
Suzy Davies: That's a very interesting answer, First Minister. I think, however, you are possibly able to tell us—as it's a matter of public record—which parties would be entitled to enforce the covenant that's in the documentation at the moment. Are you able to tell us, as well, how many expressions of interest have been made in that land during the period of Welsh Government ownership, and which...
Suzy Davies: Dramatic questions. Diolch, Llywydd. I wonder if we could have an update from the Cabinet Secretary for health, please, on the draft dementia strategy, now that he's had time to hear concerns raised at the cross-party group from dementia representatives. It's not published yet, of course, but some concerns were raised that perhaps it wasn't as innovative as they were expecting or that it was...
Suzy Davies: Thank you very much for taking the intervention. You mentioned earlier the March statement in which the UK Government, of course, committed £2 billion towards social care and, of course, this place will have had the Barnett consequential from that. Would you like to see that used primarily in the integration agenda or some other aspect of social care?
Suzy Davies: 2. Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on the Welsh Government's proposed new taxes? OAQ51405
Suzy Davies: 2. Will the Cabinet Secretary provide assurances that Pinewood remains fully committed to continue operating its current studio in Wales in light of the lack of information provided by the Welsh Government in response to a series of written questions on this matter? 84
Suzy Davies: Thank you for that answer. Oh, sorry, not concentrating. [Laughter.]
Suzy Davies: Okay. Well, thank you for that answer as well, because it gives me a bit of a steer on timing there. Last month, following a debate on potential tourism tax in Bridgend council, the Labour cabinet member for regeneration there said, 'As the cabinet portfolio holder for tourism, I would say that this is the least likely of the Welsh Government options for a new tax to find favour across...
Suzy Davies: That's an encouraging response, Minister. I just want to make it plain that this question is not raised as an attack on the growing film industry in Wales, despite comments from Welsh Government to that effect. I'm raising it in an attempt to break through the lack of transparency surrounding how some decisions were made and whether representations made by Welsh Government about the positive...
Suzy Davies: I'd just like to record my support for these legislative proposals. The concept of a national citizens' service has long been Welsh Conservative policy, but, of course, it's one that transcends all party divides and there are, as David said, different models to consider here. But I particularly welcome this, as any contribution to ideas for a participatory democracy that offer an...
