David Rowlands: Thank you for your statement, Deputy Minister, on this particularly important subject. Over the years we've had various initiatives rolled out to regenerate our run-down and depleted town centres, and indeed 70 per cent of our constituents said that regenerating our towns should be a Government priority. Obviously, no-one yet has all the answers, but strategic and creative regeneration and...
David Rowlands: What immediate action is being taken to reduce the number of secondary schools in special measures?
David Rowlands: I feel that Joyce Watson's question is hugely important, particularly in the light of the COVID crisis, where there are figures to show that the take-up of flu vaccines is much reduced amongst the most vulnerable. Perhaps this is because people are fearful of attending surgeries—a fact that may well be the result of doctors being reluctant to engage with all but the seriously ill. The low...
David Rowlands: Having a universal basic income will, as with most innovative ideas, be likely to create both positive and negative outcomes. In the first instance, if we examine the benefits of such a payment, people would have the freedom to return to education, giving them a greater chance of better work opportunities. More would be able to stay at home to care for a relative. This has the potential to...
David Rowlands: Minister, the reason given by rail operators for the lack of a train link from the Ebbw Vale line into Newport has been that train capacity was fully taken up by the service into Cardiff. Minister, given the fact that the use of public transport has fallen dramatically since the onset of the COVID pandemic, has any thought been given to open trial train journeys into Newport, in preparation...
David Rowlands: Diolch, Llywydd. Given that part of the strategy to reinvigorate the Welsh economy post COVID-19 is the expansion of the engineering sector in Wales, would the Minister outline where this expansion is most likely to occur? By that, I mean the companies and projects the Minister sees as being the new or existing anchor points for this expansion.
David Rowlands: Thank you very much, Minister, for that answer. Minister, we have heard much talk with regard to the centre of engineering excellence proposed for the Heads of the Valleys area, particularly around Ebbw Vale and other parts of Blaenau Gwent. Could the Minister give us an update on the projects envisaged for the region, in particular the possibility of TVR relocating to Ebbw Vale, which would...
David Rowlands: Minister, it is right to acknowledge there may—and I emphasise may—be some disruption to food supplies coming from the continent post Brexit, but do you not agree that this could give a huge opportunity for the UK and Wales to become far more self-sufficient in our food production? British farmers are some of the most efficient and innovative in the world and husbandry standards are...
David Rowlands: 4. What assessment has the First Minister made of post-pandemic economic recovery in Wales? OQ55683
David Rowlands: I thank the First Minister for his answer. Whilst it is prudent to make such arrangements for the post-pandemic environment, it is also true that it is incumbent upon the Government to mitigate the economic consequences of lockdowns whilst the virus is still with us. The recent lockdown arrangements are of course having a devastating effect on businesses across Wales. However, First Minister,...
David Rowlands: 6. What measures is the Welsh Government putting in place to ensure that farmers can make the best of the opportunities provided to the farming industry post-Brexit? OQ55682
David Rowlands: What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the number and role of community councils?
David Rowlands: Well, I thank the Minister for that answer and I must say that it's very encouraging—the interventions that you mentioned. Minister, I mentioned last week in my question to the Counsel General, and I make no apologies for mentioning it again, that British farmers are amongst the most efficient and innovative farmers in the world and are capable, given the right resources and incentives, of...
David Rowlands: Llywydd, I want to broaden this debate today, because the interventions by both the Welsh Government and the UK Government not only have implications for Wales and the UK, but have worldwide implications. The World Health Organization are now advocating that national lockdowns should be the last resort in combating COVID-19, so why are both the UK and the Welsh Governments still pursuing this...
David Rowlands: Surely, Minister, the internal market Bill simply aims to maintain the joined-up market of the UK. It ensures that all four of the UK nations are not limited by regulations determined by each devolved Government, which would, of course, be very damaging to trade within the UK. It also aims to guarantee that the international community has access to the UK as a whole, knowing the standards and...
David Rowlands: Can I thank the Deputy Minister for his statement this afternoon? I believe the Welsh Government more than adequately funds bus companies in normal times. COVID, of course, may need extra funding in very targeted scenarios. However, I feel there is considerable waste in the resources allocated to the bus industry, where we see multiple buses, perhaps just minutes apart, on identical or...
David Rowlands: Can I thank Andrew R.T. for that question? The position is that the Welsh Government has a sub-lease to occupy office space on the fifth and second floors of Tŷ Hywel. The sub-lease includes the use of shared facilities, including car parking, meeting and conference rooms, canteen and catering facilities, cycle storage, electric vehicle charging points and, lastly, post room services.
David Rowlands: Well, there is a process for managing access to the estate, which includes a notification process for all users of the estate, Members and their staff, Ministers and their staff, and Commission staff and contractors, and this has been shared with all users and it is working effectively.
David Rowlands: Well, it does cover the fact that we have to be very careful as to who is actually on the estate at any one time. I am not in a position to answer for Ministers, R.T., as you know.
David Rowlands: Can I thank Janet Finch-Saunders for her question? Within the limited green space on our estate, the Commission has made significant improvements in recent years to encourage biodiversity. We introduced two beehives and organised a launch event with local children, Members and academics to promote the value of bees and improvements to support the wider pollinator population. A third beehive...
