Mike Hedges: Can I thank the First Minister for his response? The First Minister is well aware that the only time post the second world war when sufficient housing was built was when large-scale council housing development took place—dare I say, in places like Ely. How will the Welsh Government help councils increase the number of council houses being built in future years?
Mike Hedges: I want to again ask for a Government statement on support for Virgin Media staff being made redundant in Swansea. On 4 December, your predecessor said 'There are two phases planned for next year as well. Our placement support team has taken on responsibility for providing staff with onsite access to key partners of the taskforce, including Careers Wales, the Department for Work and Pensions...
Mike Hedges: First, can I welcome this debate and also welcome the Conservatives' 'Housing a Nation' White Paper? I don't agree with it all, but I think it's a good place for us to start talking. I don't believe we discuss housing anywhere near enough in the Assembly, and also the far too much general talk of housing is based around rising house prices being good for homeowners and mortgage payers as...
Mike Hedges: The problem is land and getting access to land, and that's why you've got a difficulty with the self-build sector.
Mike Hedges: Like everybody else in the Chamber, I'll miss Steffan. I sat on the Finance Committee with him and we had some interesting times—I'm not sure that others would think it—when we were discussing land transaction tax and cross-border matters. I'm sure that Steffan and I engaged in very much a dialogue on this, much to the chagrin of other people sat in the Chamber. His encyclopaedic...
Mike Hedges: As austerity continues, the amount of money needed to run public services to the level the public want and need is not being provided. I'm sure the Minister will agree with me that austerity is not an economic policy but a political direction of travel. The Conservatives at Westminster want to reduce public expenditure and roll back the state provision of services. As we pass the tenth year...
Mike Hedges: You've spoken a lot about teachers' pay, which I think everybody's very pleased about. You haven't mentioned teachers' pensions, which is—
Mike Hedges: Okay.
Mike Hedges: The local government settlement has improved from the draft to the final. Unfortunately, this change is only from disastrous to bad. I intend to quote the views of a local headteacher and then make five proposals on what can be done to help the situation in local government. The headteacher says: 'I am writing to you to highlight serious concerns I have about the school funding crisis and to...
Mike Hedges: Will the Minister make a statement on which industrial sectors have weaknesses that are responsible for Wales’s low GVA?
Mike Hedges: Parents of children with autism I talk to feel they are not getting the support they need, although those with children who attend Ysgol Pen-y-Bryn, which is an exceptionally good school in my constituency, speak highly of the school. I have no doubt that the current Bill is flawed. However, something has got to be done. The Welsh Government has started a number of initiatives, and there is...
Mike Hedges: Will the First Minister make a statement on support for those who previously received the Welsh independent living grant?
Mike Hedges: [Inaudible.]—agreed it will take several years for it to be completed. Will the Welsh Government consider solutions, such as directing traffic from the north and midlands travelling west to use the A465 Heads of the Valleys road, making the outside lane of the M4 between junction 24 to junction 28 for through traffic only, or closing motorway junctions around Newport?
Mike Hedges: The Welsh Government has got a great record in bringing in progressive housing legislation over the last several years. Unfortunately, the law relating to no-fault evictions has not yet been changed. Will the Government make a statement outlining its proposed policy on no-fault evictions?
Mike Hedges: Two quick points. The first one is: if people had told me that, when we put article 50 in and we triggered it, almost two years later, we wouldn't have got anywhere near a deal, I wouldn't have believed them. We also talk about public procurement a lot. If we want to get more public procurement in Wales, it's not about rules, it's about the size of the contracts. The larger the contracts you...
Mike Hedges: [Inaudible.]—with you in local government. Does the Minister accept that council mergers will be extremely costly, taking money out of front-line services, remembering that the only council that failed in Britain was Northamptonshire, with a population of over three times that of Cardiff? Every time people talk about mergers, I think of Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board and...
Mike Hedges: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. First of all, can I thank everybody for the positive way they've spoken in this debate? Normally when we have debates, some people will speak slightly off, even when they're in support, but there has been unanimity, and I think that is important. Can I also join with Bethan Sayed in congratulating the campaigners, especially John Benson, for keeping at it...
Mike Hedges: Yes.
Mike Hedges: Thank you. As Members here are aware, I represent you on the Assembly Members' pension fund, and there are people from different age groups in here who will probably know exactly how much pension they've got coming. I just ask how you would feel if what happened to the ASW pensioners happened to you. [Interruption.] I can tell you what you've got, Bethan, if you'd want me to at another stage....
Mike Hedges: Will you take an intervention?
