Mr Simon Thomas: Thank you, Steffan Lewis. First of all, just on that final point, I agree entirely that we need more timely and more appropriate data for Wales, that is more robust, in order to make some of the decisions that we ask the Government to make and then, in turn, the Assembly to approve. I hope that the process that the Government has commissioned—that Bangor University will start on that. He...
Mr Simon Thomas: I thank Mike Hedges, and I completely agree with his final point there that robust data is essential for the Government’s own forward planning and its own tax plans, and it’s essential for us as an Assembly, then, in holding the Government to account and scrutinising those. I share, I think, his implicit concern that we don’t have that data at the Wales level enough, and certainly not...
Mr Simon Thomas: Would the Member give way?
Mr Simon Thomas: I just wondered, listening to the Member explain the problems that have arisen with this merger of three organisations, how much he felt that some of this actually stems from the fact that we didn’t have an Act that was scrutinised here in this place. It was done by a ministerial Order, in effect, using the regulation powers of Westminster, and, really, this Assembly has never had a really...
Mr Simon Thomas: Although this debate relates to issues on the awarding of a contract by NRW, the Finance Committee wishes to contribute on one issue, briefly, to this debate, because there were delays before the auditor general laid the annual accounts of NRW, and this is a cause of concern to the Finance Committee. The background to this is that the auditor general is required to report on the accounts...
Mr Simon Thomas: Thank you, Presiding Officer. From one Wales Audit Office issue to another, but I am pleased to move this motion today on behalf of the Finance Committee, and I ask the Assembly to agree to extend the contract of Isobel Garner as chair of the Wales Audit Office board in accordance with the Public Audit (Wales) Act 2013. Isobel Garner has been chair of the board since her appointment in...
Mr Simon Thomas: May I respond briefly to Mark Reckless’s comments, and firstly say that I would agree? Of course we would want the Wales Audit Office and the board to be the gold standard in public accountability and in public governance in Wales, and as a Finance Committee, I can confirm what Mark Reckless said. We appointed three members—non-executive members—of the board through an open recruitment...
Mr Simon Thomas: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and I move the amendment. It is the end of term, but there’s no excuse for groundhog day once again. I have to say, we have been around these issues a number of times over the year and twice this week, so I will be very succinct and I won’t reiterate too much of what I said yesterday. It is quite simple, Plaid Cymru is clearly of the view that the...
Mr Simon Thomas: I thank Darren Millar for bringing this debate today. We would not tolerate the promotion of addictive substances such as alcohol and tobacco in modern society the way we have tolerated, due to the lack of regulation, gambling, and we must treat gambling as an addictive pastime in that sense. We’re not talking about banning, we’re talking about regulation and we’re talking about a real...
Mr Simon Thomas: Just on that point, the tidal lagoon development will also enhance opportunities for ports in the Swansea bay city region, and I was pleased to attend a reception last week in Westminster with the Minister, Ken Skates, discussing the opportunities for our ports. How important is it that marine energy, however it’s developed, is part of enhancing the opportunities for ports and also...
Mr Simon Thomas: Can I ask for a response from the business manager on two items of Government business? First of all, can I ask whether the Welsh Government intends to produce a statement on the situation in Catalonia at the moment? The Scottish Government produced a statement two or three days ago. The situation in Catalonia is looking very fraught. The background is that the Catalunyan Government, with the...
Mr Simon Thomas: Diolch, Llywydd. I hope the Cabinet Secretary did get a little break over the summer and, if she did, that she had some time on a beach. If she did, then she would have noticed the plastic that we have on our beaches these days. I think she had the chance, as I did, to meet the eXXpedition female sailing crew, who were sailing around the UK over the summer—or around Britain actually, not...
Mr Simon Thomas: I thank the Cabinet Secretary for her consideration. I also met with Roseanna Cunningham when she was visiting Cardiff. I have to say, though, I very much, of course, support our sister party, the Scottish National Party. I don’t want them to steal a march on us here in Wales. I want us to be the first to do things like deposit return schemes and alternative ways of tackling plastic...
Mr Simon Thomas: I thank the Minister for that. I’ll certainly continue to urge her and the Welsh Government to introduce a deposit return scheme here in Wales. But to turn to another item of unfinished business over the summer, she’ll remember coming before the Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee on 20 July. She was asked there around the community energy and non-domestic rates effect...
Mr Simon Thomas: I’m very disappointed to hear the response of the Cabinet Secretary. I know that he has a sense of history and I suspect that what he’s telling us doesn’t sit comfortably on his shoulders, given the relationship between Wales and Catalunya and the wider relationship between the progressive peoples of Wales and Catalunya, going back over 75 years. All we’re asking for from the Welsh...
Mr Simon Thomas: I’m pleased to contribute to this debate because I do think that the community health councils do important work. I have spoken to both in my region, Hywel Dda and Powys, and part of Betsi is also within the region that I represent. I hope to express in this debate some sort of development on the community health councils, which builds upon the good things that they do: the ability to...
Mr Simon Thomas: 4. Will the First Minister make a statement on workforce planning in Hywel Dda University Local Health Board? (OAQ51081)[W]
Mr Simon Thomas: I agree entirely on the point on electric vehicles. Perhaps I’ll turn back to cycling and how important it is that cycling is a part not only of the active travel plans, but also of the local authority travel plans. I have seen too many of these local plans referring to cycling in the context of leisure and sport and don’t put cycling at the heart of the plans as a means of...
Mr Simon Thomas: Thank you, First Minister. May I first of all put on record my thanks to the staff of Bronglais hospital who cared for my son over the past fortnight in the accident and emergency department? I’m very grateful and I very much appreciate the work that the staff do at the Hywel Dda health board. But, we must acknowledge—and the Minister has acknowledged to me in answering a question over...
Mr Simon Thomas: Could I ask for two statements from the Government? First of all, I’m sure, like me, business manager, you were really excited to hear John McDonnell promise to bring back private finance initiative in house, bringing it back home. So, could we have a Government statement about bringing home Welsh PFI, the cost to the Welsh taxpayer of doing that, and the policy of Welsh Government to bring...
