David Rees: Trefnydd, on many occasions, I've raised in this Chamber concerns of my constituents regarding the remedies and support they seek as a consequence of failing cavity insulation. That cavity insulation has been installed under Welsh Government grants very often, and has been underwritten by the Cavity Insulation Guarantee Agency. Very often, those constituents have contacted CIGA and have...
David Rees: Can I thank the Minister for his statement, and I very much welcome the vision for the new centre up at the top end of the Dulais valley, as Dai Lloyd said, an area that has obviously had mining in its past and is now looking to develop a new direction that you wish to go in in my neighbouring constituency of Neath? You mentioned a couple of points, I think, I want to raise with you, and I...
David Rees: I start my contribution this afternoon by thanking the Minister for laying the second supplementary legislative consent memorandum and for tabling the motion we're debating today. As the Minister knows, and the Chair of the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee has indicated, this actually comes from correspondence from the External Affairs and Additional Legislation Committee, and...
David Rees: Will the Minister make a statement on waiting times for elective surgery in South Wales West?
David Rees: 5. Will the First Minister make a statement on the actions the Welsh Government is taking to strengthen post-16 education in Wales? OAQ54029
David Rees: Diolch, Llywydd, and I will be as succinct as possible, therefore, I'll avoid repetition of many comments already made. But, clearly, I will associate myself with the comments from the Member for Ogmore and the Member for Bridgend on this matter, and, Minister, thank you for the answers. Just a couple of quick points in that case, because, clearly, many of my constituents work in Ford....
David Rees: I thank you for that answer, First Minister. It's quite clear that we need to make sure that post-16 education takes us forward. Delivery of post-16 education, as we know, is either through our schools' sixth forms, or through our further education institutions. Now, the FE sector welcomes the comments you've just made, particularly in relation to the vocational arm of the direction of...
David Rees: Trefnydd, can I ask for two statements from the Welsh Government please? The first one is actually, basically, a nice easy one for the health Minister. Over the weekend, we saw the news that NHS England is looking at trials for using MRIs for scanning for prostate cancer. Clearly, the means of identifying prostate cancer quicker and sooner could be a cause for appreciation for individuals...
David Rees: I thank the Member for taking an intervention. Just to clarify: my colleague Stephen Kinnock, who is my constituency MP as you pointed out, the APPG actually has cross-party membership—the SNP, Conservatives, various groups—and it is therefore a collective view, it's not just simply his view, and it is a view also of academics who have put in the research into the report. This is based...
David Rees: Strangely, I speak today in two capacities, both as Chair of the external affairs committee, which has looked very carefully at this, but also as a constituency Member whose constituency has benefited from the funds from Europe. I'll start by reflecting on that last point, particularly on the contribution by Delyth Jewell, because we often talk about European funding on buildings and roads...
David Rees: Here we go again. I don't want to get into an argument about World Trade Organization rules, but you know full well that if we enter WTO rules, the cost for goods that people have to pay will go up very high, and that is something my constituents don't wish to pay. But never mind; we're not talking about those. We are actually talking about structural funds, so let's go back to the topic...
David Rees: 4. Will the Minister make a statement on the future of bus services across South Wales West? OAQ54018
David Rees: 1. What assessment has the Counsel General made of the impact that Brexit will have on the structure of the Joint Ministerial Committee? OAQ54019
David Rees: Minister, the Tories actually promised to deliver electrification to Swansea, which would definitely have improved services further west than Swansea. Now, we all know they reneged on that promise and as such, services west of Cardiff will not have UK Government support for any infrastructure work and modernisation. Now, that gives the wider impression that anything west of Cardiff is also...
David Rees: I thank the Minister for his answer, and obviously it is important that we get that White Paper going as fast as we can so that we can get some further action on our bus services across south-west Wales, because it is buses mainly that deliver most of the public transport in that area, rather than trains. Last Friday, I met with Andrew Sherrington, the managing director of First Cymru, and...
David Rees: Thank you for that answer, Minister. What you've just then highlighted has been echoed around this Chamber by Members and by various committees of this Assembly. Clearly, the JMC is not working. It is very much dependent upon individuals within Westminster as to how they see it, and whether they want to see it work or not. There is no formal structure. There is no stature underpinning it....
David Rees: Diolch, Llywydd. I ask this point of order because whilst the Brexit Minister was answering a question to her party leader, the Brexit Party Member for north Wales shouted from a sedentary position, quite clearly, because I'm on the opposite side of the Chamber, and I could hear it, 'You liar'. Now, that is unacceptable behaviour or language for any Member in this Chamber. Whilst there may be...
David Rees: 4. What discussions has the Minister had with the Minister for International Relations and the Welsh Language on how Natural Resources Wales can work with local communities to promote tourism? OAQ54078
David Rees: Well, thank you for that answer, Minister. Many Valleys communities, including those in the Afan Valley, have developed tourism as a means of growing the economy following the demise of the mining industry in those valleys. Much of the land surrounding those communities is actually owned by the Welsh Government and managed on their behalf by NRW. This land offers outdoor experiences to those...
David Rees: Can I echo the comments from David Melding, because, clearly, leaseholders are facing some very serious challenges, particularly financially? And, when you come back to your working group, I hope that they recommend that you take action on putting regulation upon estate management companies—and if they don't, I hope you put it in anyway. Because, for example, I've got many constituents in...
