Mr Simon Thomas: Just for clarification, I understand what she said about our first amendment, but the first amendment is really designed to ensure we have that debate, which we’ve started here today, I accept, but it’s not resolved yet, and I think the Minister might be a little too complacent about just how resolved this is.
Mr Simon Thomas: We really are in quite a bit of a conflict here, aren’t we? We have two sets of so-called allies disagreeing with themselves about who’s funding what sort of terrorism and extremism whereas—let’s call it out for what it is—both sides are funding their own brand of extremism in the middle east. Can the Welsh Government do two things that I think are within its remit and perfectly...
Mr Simon Thomas: Thank you, Chair, and I do move the motion in the name of Plaid Cymru, and remind ourselves that tomorrow we will be making a very significant decision—all of us—as to how we are going to negotiate a way to leave the European Union while protecting Wales’s interests. The focus of this afternoon’s debate is on how we do that, looking after agriculture and our rural economies in Wales....
Mr Simon Thomas: The Conservatives called this election on the basis of it being a Brexit general election, and yet they have said nothing about what a good deal for Welsh agriculture would be, what they intend to do, what they intend to negotiate, or indeed the period of time in which they intent to achieve that aim. The Conservative amendments today are somewhat premature as, of course, there will be a...
Mr Simon Thomas: Thank you, Presiding Officer. Well, for an election that was called to decide Brexit, we’ve had no illumination at all about what sort of trade deal farmers in Wales will get out of this. I can’t accept that Theresa May has said anything relevant about Welsh farming. The most memorable thing she’s said about farming is that she used to trample down the wheat, like some sort of Thatcher...
Mr Simon Thomas: We have no figures, of course—although some figures have been quoted, there are no figures on how many young people voted last week. But like you, I did feel that more young people were turning out to vote in west Wales, and I’m particularly pleased that the youngest Member of Parliament, Ben Lake, is a Member for Plaid Cymru in Ceredigion. Certainly, Ben Lake got a lot of young farmers...
Mr Simon Thomas: But the situation with overnight paediatric care is supposed to be temporary, where it’s been removed from Withybush. That’s not supposed to be the permanent position, so when will we see that overnight paediatric service put back in place?
Mr Simon Thomas: As Chair of the Finance Committee, I’d just like to welcome the report from the Cabinet Secretary and just tell you about a few of the things that the Finance Committee are doing that go hand in hand, hopefully, with the Government’s intentions, and to give that scrutiny perspective to the work of Government. May I say at the outset that I want to say just how readable this framework is,...
Mr Simon Thomas: 3. What discussions has the Counsel General held in relation to bringing all of the Wales Act 2017’s provisions into force? OAQ(5)042(CG)[W]
Mr Simon Thomas: Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on what the Welsh Government is doing to ensure the viability of higher education?
Mr Simon Thomas: I thank the Counsel General for his reply. And I’m not seeking legal advice on the cheap, I assure him. But I’m particularly interested in what I understand to be the powers that will come to this place for us to ban fracking. And I wondered whether the Counsel General could tell us when he expects that part of the Act to be enacted, and whether, indeed, he is aware that the Welsh...
Mr Simon Thomas: Would the Member give way?
Mr Simon Thomas: I’m very grateful for his consideration to give way. I do support, indeed, the principle behind his Bill. I just want to return to the health board point that he was making. One of the difficulties dealing, at the moment, with strategies and plans is that the health sector has not come fully on board, and is that something that the Bill tries to address?
Mr Simon Thomas: Although I welcome the success in this area of recycling, it’s true to say that the main focus should now be on reducing waste in the first place. It’s particularly beneficial to bear in mind that every piece of plastic ever created is still in existence now, unless it’s been incinerated or burned. Therefore, isn’t it time to look at issues such as a deposit-return scheme, to see how...
Mr Simon Thomas: I saw that the town of Pembroke had erected a new statue for Henry VII, in an attempt to attract tourism and to reflect the close relationship of that family with Pembroke. Today, I have hosted an exhibition in the Assembly of another statue that it is hoped will be established in Pembrokeshire—a statue of Chelsea Manning, another character that was raised and educated in Pembrokeshire, and...
Mr Simon Thomas: I welcome in broad terms the statement from the Cabinet Secretary today. Before I go into detail on the statement, I just want to, as the Cabinet Secretary is here, mention one thing to her and bring to her attention. There’s a very misleading article in ‘The Guardian’ newspaper today on Welsh language education. I can see that the Cabinet Secretary is aware of it. All I can say to her...
Mr Simon Thomas: Thank you, Llywydd, am I’m very pleased to see you chairing this particular statement. May I start by telling the Cabinet Secretary that we’re very pleased that she concluded her statement with the recognition of the detrimental impact that this disease has on farmers and the industry more generally? I very much hope that the Government will continue to acknowledge and recognise that,...
Mr Simon Thomas: When you get one.
Mr Simon Thomas: I just want to express my thanks as Chair of the Finance Committee on behalf of the whole of Finance Committee for the Cabinet Secretary’s willingness to work with us on this Bill. I do think that the Bill is improved by the scrutiny that it went through at committee stages, but I think there is an element of joint legislation in this Bill. As we look at the possibilities for new taxation...
Mr Simon Thomas: Thank you, Presiding Officer, and I’m pleased to move this motion and speak to both motions, and to explain that the passing of the Standing Orders and the associated protocol in Plenary today is the culmination of work that was started in the Finance Committee in the fourth Assembly. The devolution of fiscal powers has required a change to the budget process, which means that we as an...
