Mark Drakeford: I thank the Member for those questions. Can I say that I think he made a series of important points about town and community councils? My assessment of the sector, having asked about it in all parts of Wales, is that, where town and community councils have a good relationship with their principal authority, where they have a level of resource and a level of ambition, they are doing more...
Mark Drakeford: Thank you to Mike Hedges for those remarks. Will we give the same powers to all town and community councils? Not as they currently stand, because they are so very variable. We propose a general power of competence for some town and community councils, but there will be thresholds that they would have to pass. We’ll see what the report of the review group produces. If they are able to...
Mark Drakeford: One of my ambitions for the consultation exercise is that we end it with a wider range of possibilities and more ideas for how we could reform the way we conduct elections in Wales than we started with. Those people who advocate compulsory participation in our democracy, I hope, will take this opportunity to make those views known and to generate the sort of debate that Lee Waters has...
Mark Drakeford: I suppose there was a declaration of interests of sorts there, Llywydd, and of course it isn’t for me to tell anybody anything. It would be for this National Assembly to decide, and if we do decide, that will be because this is the democratic forum where we make those decisions. That will be the basis of any decisions that flow from this consultation exercise. I don’t have any powers...
Mark Drakeford: I thank the Member for that. I do think it is right to allow local authorities the flexibility to decide on the way in which scrutiny works best in their own circumstances, and to design scrutiny arrangements for regional arrangements that fit in with the way they discharge other parts of their responsibilities. I agree with what Hefin David said about the fact that scrutiny has improved in...
Mark Drakeford: I thank David Rees for that very important point. I said in my statement that we will be working with Bridgend and both the health boards that will be involved in this—that’s ABMU and Cwm Taf—on a proposal that we can then consult on later in the year. We will make sure that the points that David Rees has raised this afternoon are taken into account in developing that proposition. The...
Mark Drakeford: Thank you very much, Llywydd. I move the usual motion for the first supplementary budget before the National Assembly. This is the first opportunity to improve budgetary considerations for this financial year, which were published and approved by this Assembly in January. The first supplementary budget is often quite simple in terms of its remit, and this year is no different. It’s mainly...
Mark Drakeford: Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd, and thanks to all those Members who have recognised the importance of bringing forward this supplementary budget. Rwy’n cydnabod beth roedd Adam Price yn ei ddweud am y balans rhwng y prif gyllideb a’r gyllideb atodol, ond, fel dywedodd Simon Thomas, mae’n rhan o gylch y ffordd rydym ni’n gwneud pethau, a, thrwy weld beth rydym ni’n ei ddweud yn y gyllideb...
Mark Drakeford: Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. It’s been a very enjoyable experience helping to take this Bill through the National Assembly for Wales. It’s been one of those happy occasions when all the best arguments, and almost all votes, have been on the right side of the debate. Can I thank all those who have taken part in the scrutiny of the Bill: the team of officials who’ve worked on it from the...
Mark Drakeford: Thank you very much. Can I start by recognising the fact that Plaid Cymru has supported the Bill throughout the process, and they have been of great assistance in the scrutiny process and in bringing this Bill into force? Llywydd, nid wyf wedi gwrthwynebu honiad parhaus Janet Finch-Saunders mewn dadleuon blaenorol mai hwn yw'r darn cyntaf o ddeddfwriaeth i wneud ei ffordd drwy'r Cynulliad yn...
Mark Drakeford: Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. Well, yesterday I heard the leader of UKIP refer to soldiers emerging from the jungle to refight battles already long concluded. I assumed he was referring to today’s motion with its sad and tired derogatory opening references to unelected technocrats in Brussels. Does anyone really believe that cheap name-calling can form the basis of a successful...
Mark Drakeford: Welsh universities play a highly significant role in the Welsh economy, both directly as economic actors in their own right, and indirectly through the research and development income they generate and the economic impact of their collaborations with business.
Mark Drakeford: We are committed to improving the conditions across Wales in order to develop and grow existing and attract new business. We are delivering a range of actions to do this, including, promoting Wales and its regions internationally, providing business support and advice and investing in digital and transport infrastructure.
Mark Drakeford: I have written to the Prime Minister about our ‘Brexit and Fair Movement of People’ policy document, having previously raised in person our approach to migration with the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Exiting the EU.
Mark Drakeford: The independent board of RIFW agreed outline sale terms in May 2011. The independent board was appointed by the One Wales Government in August 2010.
Mark Drakeford: Welsh Government has made sepsis one of its top patient safety priorities. We are leading the way with a whole country approach in our collective efforts to tackle the condition. It is important we keep learning and improving while also improving the support for individuals who have survived sepsis.
Mark Drakeford: We are committed to people having a stronger voice in the planning and provision of health and care services. Our White Paper currently out to consultation contains proposals aimed at strengthening the voice of citizens in these services.
Mark Drakeford: Llywydd, two weeks ago we published ‘Brexit and Fair Movement of People’, the latest in a series of policy documents examining in detail the implications for Wales of leaving the European Union. In our document, we explore the role of migration in Wales, focusing on migration from Europe. We analyse the potential models that the UK Government might adopt for a future migration system, and...
Mark Drakeford: Well, Llywydd, let me begin by trying to find some areas of common ground with the Member. I’m very happy to put on record, as he did, that this is not a paper about asylum seekers and refugees, and the strong support of the Welsh Government to asylum and refugee policies that welcome people to Wales who have faced such awful experiences elsewhere in the world and who come here for...
Mark Drakeford: Steffan Lewis was absolutely right to start by saying that the proposals in this document are an elaboration of the basic position that we set out in the document that we published jointly between our two parties. I wanted to make sure I’d acknowledged that. There were two specific questions that Steffan Lewis raised. Copies of our document have been sent widely to the UK Government and...
