David Rees: Thank you for taking the intervention. Do you therefore agree that, actually, what we need is knowledge, because how can the Government actually put mechanisms in place to hit the ground running when they don't even know what it is they're going to be hitting the ground running with? The problem is we don't know. We don't know anything.
David Rees: Can I join the Chair in thanking all those who gave evidence to the committee and to the clerking team of the committee as well in producing the work? It's crucial that we do that. Can I also agree with Nick Ramsay—it's probably the only thing I will agree with him on this afternoon—in that in fact the Chair give a very detailed review of that report. I want to express my huge...
David Rees: I agree. And, yes, there are some assumptions that can be made, but, of course, as Julie Morgan pointed out, with the news today as to what's happening in Cabinet right now, all those assumptions could be thrown in the air and discarded, because we just haven't got a clue. And that's the biggest problem: there is no commitment to any aspect of this. The high-level abstract definitions say...
David Rees: 5. What action is the Welsh Government taking to support the manufacturing sector in Wales? OAQ52975
David Rees: First Minister, as well as the withdrawal agreement, as you've regularly pointed out, there was also the political declaration on the future relationship that was published at the same time. Whilst we cannot change the withdrawal agreement, because we're unlikely to get any changes and amendments through the EU in that situation, this can actually still be changed, and the council aren't...
David Rees: Thank you for that answer, First Minister. Clearly, the advanced materials and manufacturing sector discussed in the economic action plan is one of the areas where we're going in the future—very modern technologies. But, we still have many manufacturing sectors that are still relying on older technologies that need updating—Tata being an example of one of those plants. The Welsh...
David Rees: Can I thank the Minister for her statement, and can I also basically applaud the Welsh Government's decision to actually fund the pay awards both for lecturers and for support staff? Because so often support staff are not thought of in these discussions, and they are the crucial pin that actually allows the whole process to work. So, I'm very much pleased with that. A couple of quick...
David Rees: What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the impact of Rent Smart Wales on improving the quality of rented accommodation?
David Rees: I'm not challenging those figures, because, obviously, we had them published last week, but do you also recognise that, of the ones that you've just mentioned for Rhondda Cynon Taf, a larger portion are already allocated and therefore are not available for use?
David Rees: 5. What assessment has the Counsel General made of the decision of the Supreme Court to deny an appeal by the UK Government in the Wightman case? OAQ53011
David Rees: Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on the Welsh Government's plans to support tourism in the south Wales valleys?
David Rees: Thank you for your answer, Counsel General. As you may be aware, the case was actually heard in the European Court of Justice this week, and we are now awaiting the decision by the ECJ. Have you yet made arrangements with your colleagues in the other nations to have a discussion on the outcome of that case, because, as you highlighted, it does put the legal position on the possibility of...
David Rees: This afternoon, I'll put my contribution into two parts, and the first part will be based upon my role as Chair of the External Affairs and Additional Legislation Committee. And I'm pleased that we've already had comments from Jane Hutt and Mark Isherwood, reflecting upon some of the work we've done since we were established, following the 2016 referendum, with the purpose of considering the...
David Rees: And the backstop—let's not forget the backstop coming to force, and that's part of the agreement, to prevent a hard border. We all don't want a hard border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, but it will possibly, and probably, come in if we can't get an agreement by 1 January 2021, and then it looks less good for Wales, because then we will probably have a regulatory...
David Rees: Of course, I was waiting for it. Yes, of course I will.
David Rees: I accept the point he's trying to make—you know, do you want to make a specific point or do you want to actually say, 'Well, actually, there are options available to get a public perception on this', and I think point 6 makes those options available. However, I am going to share colleagues' view that I doubt very much whether the Prime Minister will accept any of the options, because she...
David Rees: First Minister, as Suzy Davies pointed out, one of the aspects of the city deal is the steel institute and, let's be blunt, if it hadn't been for Welsh Government stepping up to the plate under your leadership, we may not have a steel industry here in south Wales to have such an institute—back in 2016. Can you give me assurances that, before you return to the backbenches, you will meet...
David Rees: Minister, as Suzy Davies pointed out, the issues of air pollution in Port Talbot, in particular, and the hazardouz air management zone, are two-fold. It's the M4 and the traffic emissions and it's also the industrial emissions. And Suzy and I met with Welsh Government officials yesterday to discuss the M4 side. Last time I spoke to you and raised the question, you were indicating that you...
David Rees: Mark Drakeford.
David Rees: Can I thank the First Minister for his statement this afternoon? Because, clearly, this is a very fluid process—we know what happened before Christmas, and we're still seeing the shenanigans going on in Westminster today. Can I also highlight the fact that I think the Tories on my left are actually in denial of the chaos in Westminster? Because, if you can't see the chaos, then you must be...
