Huw Irranca-Davies: I wonder whether the Cabinet Secretary has had any discussions with her English Minister counterpart, because it seems to me, whether it’s the dead badger survey or the other scientific monitoring that’s going on, it’s exactly what should be going on in England so that we can really test what is happening in different countries. It’s a shame that that isn’t being followed through on...
Huw Irranca-Davies: It was fascinating the other day, First Minister, to see a representation made by 35 Conservative MPs saying we should seize this opportunity to look anew, post 2020, at how we actually use what they termed ‘public funds’ for public gains as well, such as environmental gains, flood alleviation, and so on. The immediate issue is Brexit and making sure we work with farmers to get what’s...
Huw Irranca-Davies: 8. Will the Minister make a statement on the primary care needs of the populations of Llanharan and Pencoed? OAQ(5)0051(HWS)
Huw Irranca-Davies: Cabinet Secretary, telemedicine is an important aspect of modern healthcare, which helps to get the right treatment and the diagnosis to the right people at the right time, in the right place, but it can also, as you said, help minimise the need for patients to physically attend their GP surgeries in a remote area, or even to wash up into A&E as a last back-stop. So, could I ask him, on that...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Diolch, Lywydd. Cabinet Secretary, I know that you’re aware that, on the ground, in Llanharan and Pencoed, there are growing calls, particularly—
Huw Irranca-Davies: Oh, my apologies. Will the Minister—[Laughter.]
Huw Irranca-Davies: Thank you very much, Cabinet Secretary. It’s the second time I’ve done that; I’ll try not to do it again. It’s great to hear about the work going on on the ground, and much of that has been pushed by local residents and also the leadership of local individuals like councillors Geraint Hopkins, Roger Turner and others. But could I ask him to keep a particular eye on this, because the...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Diolch, Lywydd. Last week there was a packed meeting in Heol-y-cyw community hall. I guess there were over 150 people because, as well as every seat being full, people were standing in the aisles and around the walls. People, young and old, voiced their concerns over a fire that had raged in the Heol-y-cyw premises of South Wales Wood Recycling Ltd, causing a thick, unpleasant smog to billow...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Now, there are some practical, legislative and regulatory proposals that would make a real long-term difference, way beyond the immediate issues in my own constituency. But to return finally to South Wales Wood Recycling, it appears to residents that it has either grown too fast and beyond its capacity to manage its operations effectively or it’s grown greedy. Cabinet Secretary, the...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Yes indeed, boss.
Huw Irranca-Davies: Will the First Minister make a statement on whether the Wales Bill meets the UK Government's stated aim of providing an enduring settlement for Wales?
Huw Irranca-Davies: Can I welcome the statement and welcome the appointment of my colleague Julie Morgan to this important position? Could I simply note that, whilst we might disagree at the rate of progress, we cannot ignore the fact that in this generation, the communities that Adam and I represent were thrown into the seven pits of hell, down to the deepest in terms of economic and social ills, and we had to...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Thank you for the statement, Cabinet Secretary, and for the launch of the strategy yesterday. It was a busy day for you on World Mental Health Day 2016 with events at Hafal, the Samaritans and others. You will have heard, as well, the inspirational speech by Nigel Owens, talking about removing the stigma and talking openly about mental health issues, which we all need to do. Could I ask him,...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Can I welcome the balance in the statement and also the evidence in the consultation that I’ve read as well? It is based on good evidence and is a sound way forward. Can I commend the Cabinet Secretary for not avoiding the difficult questions? There are some tricky areas in this: issues around compensation and penalties; issues around increased testing and more accurate testing, which will...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Will the Minister make a statement on his role in chairing the external advisory panel on EU withdrawal? (
Huw Irranca-Davies: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Can I begin by thanking all of our committee members of all parties, our excellent clerking team and the support team around us and also those who’ve contributed with expert evidence to our report? Constitutional issues are often considered to be dry, incidental matters of little consequence to the average person in the street. But if Brexit has taught...
Huw Irranca-Davies: I will indeed give way.
Huw Irranca-Davies: I thank Julie Morgan for that intervention, and, indeed, that is one of the areas of concern that have been raised by authoritative experts on the constitution and legislation who have given evidence to the committee. So, it is one of our areas of concern, unfortunately. These highlight some simple examples. It would take too long to explain how the complexity of the tests and the...
Huw Irranca-Davies: To be a success, constitutional reform necessitates full and open engagement by all: this builds a consensus across political parties and wider society that will underpin a durable settlement, but, unfortunately, this Bill has been characterised by a Whitehall-driven process under tight control by the UK Government, which has lost that opportunity of wider support and consensus. We believe...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Diolch, Lywydd. Can I thank everybody who’s contributed to this debate? I’m struck by the degree of consensus. There may be differences in emphasis and nuance, but the consensus, as expressed by the First Minister then, is that, first, we will be back here again, and in our report, we’ve said sooner rather than later. But, also, I note that the First Minister said it’s inevitable...
