Mr Simon Thomas: 2. What principles underpin the consultation, 'Strengthening Local Government: Delivering for People'? OAQ52319
Mr Simon Thomas: Diolch, Llywydd. Before I start, can I associate myself and Plaid Cymru with the condolences expressed by the environment Minister to Martin Bishop's family? He was only here, I think, about three weeks ago helping me set up a cross-party group on forestry and his enthusiasm and advocacy will be sorely missed by many of us.
Mr Simon Thomas: If I could turn now to the entry scheme for young farmers. This is the result of an agreement between Plaid Cymru and the Government, and £6 million has been allocated for this. It’s open at the moment, and I know that many people have applied, and many people are discussing this scheme. Generally speaking, there’s been a warm welcome to it. Now, a few questions have arisen in response...
Mr Simon Thomas: I thank the Cabinet Secretary for that response. I am pleased to hear, in particular, that there will be no stop to the way that we’re collaborating with young people. Some will have been disappointed by this programme, but I hope that the Cabinet Secretary will still keep an eye on the possibilities of including young people in developing the future of the industry in Wales. Could I now...
Mr Simon Thomas: I thank the Cabinet Secretary for that not wholly encouraging news, I have to say. From her perspective, I understand she's not the one responsible for this, but it's coming and going like the tide itself, actually. If we could harness the energy from the indecision of the Westminster Government, we'd be doing very well here in Wales at the moment. But I think it was a serious offer, and it...
Mr Simon Thomas: Thank you for that brief response. I'd hoped you would have talked about collaboration in your response, because that’s what’s missing, it seems to me, at the moment in response to this consultation. I’m not sure why the Government is so enthusiastic for reforming and reorganising local government when they have proposals from local authorities themselves to collaborate more effectively...
Mr Simon Thomas: And he agrees with you.
Mr Simon Thomas: Will the Member give way? Just on that point, I very much welcome what she's just said about the committee looking at the funding of education. I think the Finance Committee would be interested to look at your conclusions as well. But, on the point she's just made, she will know—because she's written to me as Chair of finance—that her committee asked the right questions about the movement...
Mr Simon Thomas: Try doing it in Aberystwyth. When you put in the infrastructure, we will do it.
Mr Simon Thomas: Cardiff city council is.
Mr Simon Thomas: I don't know, First Minister, if you've had a chance to see the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales's report on the distressing case of Ellie and Chris James of Haverfordwest, whose son died in Glangwili hospital. There were a host of failings described in that ombudsman's report, compounded by the decision to describe their son's death as 'stillborn', despite the fact that he had signs of...
Mr Simon Thomas: Last week, leader of the house, I asked you whether we'd be likely to discuss a legislative consent motion arising from the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill and you assured us that was highly unlikely. Since then, however, the Lords have voted in favour of requiring the Secretary of State to pass primary legislation within a period of six months following Royal Assent of the Bill—that's the...
Mr Simon Thomas: Plaid Cymru will also support these regulations today. It's important to say, however, that we are of the view that we should go further in terms of controlling plastics of all types—micro and macro. These are regulations, as has been said already, which relate to materials that are washed off the body, used for personal hygiene products, but that leaves a number of other products—sun...
Mr Simon Thomas: Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
Mr Simon Thomas: I almost answered that question myself there. These are the eggs laid by birds, which demonstrates that we in Wales have the highest level of microplastics in the eggs themselves—we are talking about very, very small microplastics here, but these are appearing in the eggs, and it’s the highest level in western Europe. This just shows that this is permeating through our water systems and...
Mr Simon Thomas: Just to pick up where Jenny Rathbone left off with some of the figures that will impact Wales if we continue with this hardest of Brexits, as is likely to happen with the decisions taken in Westminster by two parties at the moment—we will lose as much as £5 billion from the Welsh economy. Many of us recall going into a darkened room over in Caspian Point to read the Government’s own...
Mr Simon Thomas: When you vote for something as disruptive as Brexit, you have to be careful what you wish for. I don't think many of us expected that a Brexit vote would end up with a Prime Minister, under the title of 'Taking back control', appearing on The Andrew Marr Show and saying, 'Parliament can't tell the Government what to do', which is precisely what Parliaments are supposed to tell Government...
Mr Simon Thomas: I'm not sure if I completely agree because we'll wait and see what happens tomorrow with the further iteration of this process. What I was referring to, however, was the idea that the Prime Minister can actually get away with saying something as radical as that. I'm very interested in this because I have a Westminster and a Wales view in these sorts of things sometimes, and I just look at it...
Mr Simon Thomas: 2. What support will the Commission provide to Assembly Members to maintain international networks if the UK leaves the European Union? OAQ52371
Mr Simon Thomas: What additional funding will the Cabinet Secretary provide to the energy, planning and rural affairs portfolio to support decarbonising the public sector?
