Mark Isherwood: ...and treatment now has given me an opportunity at life once again’. Do you recognise, as I’m sure you do, that these projects save money for statutory services, and will you be making representations accordingly as we move towards the draft budget for next year?
Mark Isherwood: My question was, rather, what representations you would be making. Clearly, I appreciate how the budget round works and was not seeking to score party-political points. I fully supported the protection of that budget last year and I will continue to do so into the future, not just because of homelessness, but because of the related impact of early intervention on substance misuse, on domestic...
Carl Sargeant: ...for people suffering from domestic violence, and other causes are supported through Wales and across the UK. I’m very concerned that supported accommodation, including women’s refuges, is not exempt from the local housing allowance cap. We have made representations to the Department for Work and Pensions. I do hope that this pause in the appointment of this policy may give the Minister...
Mark Drakeford: Llywydd, the funding formula is reviewed every year. A group of people with expertise in this field, including representation from local government look, every single year, at the formula. They look at all the component parts of it: demography, geography, economy and social factors and, every year, they bring forward proposals, and governments, in my experience, accept the advice that they...
Suzy Davies: ...chains in what should be an ambitious vision for this region. I met the Association of British Ports at a recent reception in Cardiff Bay and was surprised to hear that, at that stage, they’d not been involved in any discussions on the city bay deal vision at all. Could you remind the Assembly how the membership board was decided, and do you have any concerns about whether the very...
Julie Morgan: ...the job properly here in this Chamber and that all these items should be considered together? Wouldn’t having had a constitutional convention have been the ideal opportunity to look at all these representation issues in the round?
Jane Hutt: ...respect of Assembly elections—included in the Wales Bill currently before the Lords and should come into effect from Easter 2018, if that Bill becomes law. But I think the issues around political representation and around—and you raised issues about our representation in this Chamber—changes to parliamentary and European representation as well, the loss of MEPs, and significant...
Kirsty Williams: ...the Brexit vote. That is why I have set up a higher education and FE group, which will advise me, as education Minister, with regard to these challenges, and why there is a significant level of HE representation in the First Minister’s European reference group. We are looking very carefully to ensure that any applications that Welsh HEIs already have in the system are approved as quickly...
Alun Davies: ...role that we have to play in supporting and enabling the BBC to continue to perform these functions. In doing so, it’s also important, I think, for us to recognise what is right and proper for us not to do as well. It is not right and proper for any elected politician, in my view, to either abuse or to bully BBC journalists because they do not follow the line that some of us would prefer...
Suzy Davies: ...Welsh Conservatives here in the Assembly also welcome the improvements in the draft charter and agreement. I won’t rehearse them all again. I think the re-focus on the rights of nations to fair representation, in both senses of the word, present an interesting test for the Assembly. In supporting all the Plaid amendments, I’m going to concentrate on the last of them. The Welsh...
Andrew RT Davies: ....] At least the UK Government have put on the table what their aspirations are. What have you done in this document? Fifteen pages of just fine words, but little or no substance. That cannot be a Government that is—[Interruption.] I will not take an intervention at the moment. If I have time, I will take it a little later, Joyce. But that cannot be sign of a confident Government—a...
Carwyn Jones: We want to protect the world-class vascular service for the whole of Betsi Cadwaladr. We’ll consider all the representations that are made, and the health board will consider it next. I have to say, she makes the point about urban solutions in rural areas, and, I’m sorry, but that’s sometimes used as ‘a slightly worse service for rural areas than in urban areas’, and I disagree. I...
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...
Jeremy Miles: ...that pressing for fulfilment of promises made in relation to the electrification of the main line to Swansea was jumping the gun, will the Government bring forward a statement indicating what representations will be made to the UK Government so that the residents of the Swansea bay area and west of Cardiff aren’t let down by the UK Conservative Government again?
Vaughan Gething: ...they’ve had on actually setting priorities with the health service, so it’s genuine engagement and isn’t just about the service deciding for itself what it will do. You’ve got that direct representation from the third sector. It’s one of the strengths of the approach that we take, actually, that we’ve got the third sector there as critical friends, but who are still able to...
Andrew RT Davies: ...well then start to inspire confidence. Some of those questions were explored at length in our debate last week, straight after a bovine TB debate moved by backbenchers in this Chamber. It is worth noting that, in the programme for government, there is no indication as to exactly how the Government will progress its strategy on bovine TB. I appreciate the Cabinet Secretary will be bringing...
Rhianon Passmore: ...the importance of original, universal programming, when programmes such as the successful, bilingual ‘Hinterland’ are universally applauded and when my constituents are concerned at the lack of representation of English language or bilingual Welsh lives across the public sector network?
Janet Finch-Saunders: ...for further scrutiny of the BBC, to include the appointment of a non-executive director to be agreed by the UK and Welsh Governments. Amid concerns that the National Assembly for Wales will not be afforded, however, the same weighting as the House of Commons and the House of Lords, what representations are you making on behalf of this Assembly to ensure that we are part of that...
Michelle Brown: ...the last few years, many of the main police stations in our towns, certainly in north Wales, have been closed. Follow the signpost to the police and you’ll wind up at a phone on the wall. What representations have you made to the police and crime commissioners and police authorities to ensure that the police service is visible, accessible and effectively builds relationships with local...
Hefin David: Yes, I absolutely agree with that, and the Member for Cardiff North seems to have had very similar representations to those that I’ve had. Therefore, if we are to vote with the Government today, I’d suggest that we ask the Minister to provide some assurances in her response that these issues are going to be addressed and closely monitored, and that the need for future legislation...
