Darren Millar: It's incredible that he wants to heap all of this stuff on the shoulders of the Conservatives and the Labour Party, but, of course, your former leader, Ieuan Wyn Jones, was the economy Minister for four years in a previous coalition Government here in Wales, and yet the situation was even worse under his tenure than you describe. Do you accept your responsibility for the failures that we see...
Darren Millar: Would the Minister take an intervention? You made reference to the £4 billion figure there. Of course, in your amendment to today's debate, it talks about being £300 million worse off. Your colleague, Mike Hedges, referred to an £800 million figure. Who does these figures for you on behalf of the Government—is it Diane Abbott?
Darren Millar: Will you take an intervention just on that point? It actually refers not just to Welsh rates of income tax. It says 'tax'—full stop. So, can you give us an assurance that you won't be introducing any new or additional taxes, not just increasing the rate of income tax, but new or additional taxes before the next Assembly election?
Darren Millar: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I have to say, I'm a little disappointed with the Government response today. It was rather mealymouthed of them not to actually recognise the significant achievements of the UK Government in increasing the expenditure available to Wales. Of course, we have a record block grant this year here in Wales in cash terms—we know that that is the case. And we...
Darren Millar: Let's talk about your record, because I know that you don't like to talk about your record, but the reality is that when your Deputy First Minister, the leader of your party, was propping up the Labour Government for all those years, the performance of the economy was the worst it's ever been, in spite of the fact that you had influence and the ability to do something. You talk about...
Darren Millar: If you can explain to the people of Wales how on earth you're going to close the fiscal gap, which taxes are going to rise, which public services are going to be cut in order to make those public finances meet, then I'll happily sit down and have a conversation. If you can explain to the people of Wales and the people of England how you are going to be an independent nation without a hard...
Darren Millar: Can I call for two statements today, Trefnydd, the first, on the issue of primary care counselling services in north Wales, from the Minister for Health and Social Services? There is a significant problem in terms of waiting times for access to primary care counselling services in some parts of my constituency, and, obviously, with the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board currently being...
Darren Millar: 9. What action is the Welsh Government taking to improve Welsh housing safety standards? OAQ54826
Darren Millar: Thank you for that answer, Minister. One area where we could take some more action, I think, is in respect of the quality of rented accommodation. We've obviously got the Welsh housing quality standard, which is a very, very welcome thing here in Wales, but one of the silent killers, an invisible killer, that's clearly taking lives in Wales and in other parts of the UK, is carbon monoxide....
Darren Millar: I'm very grateful to you for taking an intervention. I heard your references to wanting to congratulate the teaching profession for what it has achieved, but I don't see any Plaid amendment to that effect at all. So, I'm not sure why your criticism is so significant. And in terms of your comments on finances, you will know, as well as I do, that currently the Welsh Government is funded to the...
Darren Millar: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Can I thank everybody who's contributed to what I believe is an important debate, where we all share the ambition for our education system here in Wales to improve? If I can start on those issues where we share common ground with the Government, we too want to congratulate those teachers who have helped pupils in our schools achieve success in their...
Darren Millar: Where is the rest of the cash going? We believe—we firmly believe—that that should be invested in our schools, and that's why I want to encourage people to support this motion today, as unamended. We've got an extra £1.24 billion coming to Wales to support our education system. We believe that every penny of that should go to support our schools.
Darren Millar: Do you accept that we now have a UK Conservative Government with a majority, a decent majority, and a clear mandate to get Brexit done? And on that basis, instead of carping and trying to have the old arguments that, frankly, were taking place before the general election, isn't it about time that you and your Government moved on, joined team UK, and batted on the same side as the UK...
Darren Millar: Well, I have to say, we had some great hopes for this budget, because, of course, we know that Boris Johnson has already started to deliver on his promise to end austerity and to enable significant extra investment in the Welsh economy and public services. [Interruption.] And I can hear the cackling, but as a result the Welsh Government has received an additional £600 million, which brings...
Darren Millar: We were very clear that we wanted to work with the UK Government to deliver improvements in various parts of our road network, including on the A55 and the M4. But, in spite of the rhetoric that we hear from the Welsh Government on climate change, when you look at where they are investing in transport, it's actually in the most polluting form—air travel. Ironically, we will see that, this...
Darren Millar: I'll happily take an intervention.
Darren Millar: We produced a very detailed blueprint for aviation back in 2013, which set out our position on what to do on the aviation industry. I'll send you a copy of it. Here's the reality: Ministers here in this Chamber should face facts—you don't have the expertise required to make a success of this venture and it should be returned to the private sector as soon as possible. It's further evidence...
Darren Millar: I think you paid over the odds for an airport if you thought it was on the brink of closure, frankly wasting tens of millions of pounds of taxpayers' money. Now, if I can just turn—because I've got to make some progress—to business rates. Of course, we've missed an opportunity to address the fact that Wales has the least competitive business rates environment in the whole of the UK,...
Darren Millar: I think what I find extraordinary is that Wales receives £1.20 for every £1 and yet it's spending £645 less per pupil per year. There's no excuse for this underfunding at all. You might want to defend it, Mick, but I am not going to defend it, and I will challenge your Government all the way so we have a level playing field between England and Wales so that our children can have the same...
Darren Millar: If I can just make my point abundantly clear to you, because I don't think that you paid close enough attention, I welcomed the additional investment that the Welsh Government is making in social care, but I made it clear that my party wanted to know whether the Welsh Government was going to introduce a social care tax here in Wales. It's not something that we would advocate, and we certainly...
