Gareth Bennett: Well, I'm sure, First Minister, you appreciate that we live in a time when we've had a whole catalogue of historic sex abuse claims made against people, some of them against perfectly innocent people. Many of these historical sex allegations have turned out to be pure delusion, but I'm sure plenty of innocent people have been caught up in them. If the state encourages children to start making...
Gareth Bennett: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd, and diolch, Llywydd, for today's statement. We appreciate that with the arrival of tax-raising powers there is a likely consensus that the name of this legislature will change. So, we are not opposed to change per se. Many people have spoken about the name. The proposal from the Llywydd today, following consultation, is to style the legislature as the Senedd. Now, when...
Gareth Bennett: Ah. Yes, and that is the case as well, but I'm sure these confusions can be overcome. And of course—[Interruption.] Oh, there is no confusion, okay; I'll further investigate. But the point I was going to make is, if we did use 'Parliament' alternatively, that would probably create greater confusion, so I think 'Senedd' is a definite possibility. Although I think even that change of term...
Gareth Bennett: Now, prisoner voting is, I think, an important issue. I do have slight concerns about us bringing this debate today, because, as John Griffiths has just explained, there is an ongoing inquiry into this issue being carried out by the ELGC committee, of which I am a member. I think, in general, it isn't good practice to pre-empt the outcome of an inquiry, but, to be fair, we had a debate on...
Gareth Bennett: Yes.
Gareth Bennett: The right to vote, as far as I recall from our inquiry in Wales, was actually extended by that ECHR ruling and the application of it to—
Gareth Bennett: Ah, prisoners on remand. Okay, that is a precise issue.
Gareth Bennett: I think there is a basic—[Interruption.] There is a basic difficulty with prisoners on remand, but it's an interesting point that we need to look at. Now, if I can return to what I was saying, conversely, there are English prisoners in Welsh prisons who won't be allowed to vote in an Assembly election. So, in many prisons, you will get prisoners on the same wing, some of whom will get a...
Gareth Bennett: Diolch, Llywydd. Can I also add my condolences to the family of Paul Flynn? Although he was identified with Newport for many years, he was originally, by birth and upbringing, a Cardiffian, so both cities do lay some claim to him. I did contact Paul Flynn during the early stages of the referendum campaign. As he was a genuinely independently minded politician, I was interested, actually,...
Gareth Bennett: Okay. Thank you, First Minister, for that commitment. I'm not sure that the Labour Party is likely to be an effective vehicle from which to tackle the specific problem of anti-Semitism, though. We saw yesterday that seven Labour MPs felt moved to leave the Labour Party. One of the reasons they cited being the increasing prevalence of anti-Semitism within the Labour Party. Indeed, one of them...
Gareth Bennett: Yes, I agree with your sentiments, First Minister. I do think you need to look closely at your own party. There has been one investigation by Shami Chakrabarti—[Interrupution.] There has been one investigation by Shami Chakrabarti, which was rather undermined when she immediately joined the Labour Party. Then, within weeks of finishing the so-called inquiry, she was given a Labour...
Gareth Bennett: I'd like to welcome the Minister to her new role and her statement. Minister, I do have reservations about these new proposed regulations, and UKIP will be voting against them today. As you say, we do have a growing problem with fly-tipping, and we believe that the best approach is to make it as easy as possible for everyone—residents and commercial operators—to use council tips to...
Gareth Bennett: Diolch, Llywydd. Last time we had these questions in the Chamber, I was discussing with the Minister, Julie James, her thoughts on the planning system in Wales. Now, later in that session, a couple of Members raised specific issues over multiple applications for large-scale housing developments in their areas. This is an ongoing issue, of course, in many different parts of Wales, as I'm sure...
Gareth Bennett: Yes. And of course it wasn't long ago, so we do need to have a look at that further on down the line. But, clearly, there are, as you say, implications for infrastructure to these large-scale housing developments, to always put in place the infrastructure that's needed. Now, one specific point in relation to this issue is the use of section 106 agreements. These are conditions attached to...
Gareth Bennett: I'm glad that you see that that is an issue, and hopefully maybe we can get a statement on that later on, and see what your department's thoughts are on that, because I think it is something that does cause anxiety to existing communities when new large-scale developments are built and they don't have in place these things that were promised. Large-scale housing needs can prove challenging to...
Gareth Bennett: Diolch, Lywydd. Minister, the Welsh Government is currently working on a new scheme of payments for Welsh farmers after Brexit. Obviously, you know a good deal about this in your ministerial capacity. Now, I'm glad that you've adopted an overall tone that there are opportunities that can be taken after Brexit, but, of course, we also have to be mindful not to try and bring about unnecessary...
Gareth Bennett: Yes. I certainly don't disagree with you on that point, and I did state that we do need to move away from that scheme. I'm just flagging up the possibility that, in the short term, we may need to commit to some form of direct payment as part of payments to Welsh farmers in the interim, before we develop longer term schemes. And, of course, they must be robustly modelled—[Interruption.] They...
Gareth Bennett: Yes. I appreciate the factors that you mention; of course there is uncertainty. It seems to me that the very nature of the uncertainty may demonstrate the need to move towards a slower transition when we bring in a new payment scheme. Another issue that arises is that, under the Welsh Government's current proposals, the move from payments to active farmers to a broader category, which we are...
Gareth Bennett: 3. Will the Commission make a statement on the policy for flying flags on the Assembly estate after the UK leaves the European Union? OAQ53507
Gareth Bennett: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Minister, it's World Book Day tomorrow, as you probably know. Can we have an update from you on what new work and new projects the National Library of Wales will be undertaking in the coming year?
