Mick Antoniw: Thank you for that question, and it's an important area, legal aid, and something we have discussed in this Chamber on many occasions, because of its importance in terms of access to justice. And of course I welcome any increased funding that goes into legal aid, and I welcome also the additional proposals in respect of changing the means test arrangements to make access to legal aid easier....
Mick Antoniw: Well, thank you for that further question. Of course, it presents legal aid within a context that does not exist in reality, because the majority of people, and certainly some of the poorest in our society, do not actually have access to many areas of justice that they should have access to. I suppose a starting point is that any improvement is an improvement, but this has to be put against...
Mick Antoniw: Thank you for that further series of questions. The issue of backlogs in the courts is certainly something that, in the past decade, has significantly deteriorated. As I say, equally, the access to justice, the availability of lawyers in some areas, has become increasingly difficult as well. There is no doubt also that the closure of courts by the UK Government, and particularly the...
Mick Antoniw: That's a very important question. And I can tell you that the Minister for Social Justice and I have been working very closely on a whole range of justice issues, across the span of both our portfolios—not just the legislative justice area, but also the socioeconomic justice. Because I think we believe very strongly that socioeconomic justice and legal justice go very much hand in hand....
Mick Antoniw: That's a very fair point. We do, as part of the reform of the tribunal system, want to ensure that there is judicial separation and proper independence of that system, but also that the tribunals have the proper facilities that are necessary for them to be seen as proper courts, to have the respect of proper courts, and to have the proper facilities for those who are participating with them....
Mick Antoniw: Well, thank you for your question on this important issue. Before his principled resignation, I corresponded and had regular discussions with Lord Wolfson about a range of serious concerns such as these. We are waiting, once again, for the UK Government to decide who will be the new Minister to lead engagement on justice with the Welsh Government, going forward.
Mick Antoniw: Thank you for that supplementary question, and for raising what is, I think, an important law reform issue. And it's worth perhaps just reminding what the Hillsborough law actually is, under, I suppose, the name of the Public Authority (Accountability) Bill, which is referred to as the Hillsborough law. It is about the provision of a charter for families bereaved through public tragedy,...
Mick Antoniw: Thank you for the question. The Welsh Government is proud that Wales is a nation of sanctuary for all. Welsh Government will continue to protect the rights of asylum seekers in Wales and is seeking to discuss these proposals with UK Government. The UK Government did not share its Rwanda proposals ahead of publication with Welsh Government.
Mick Antoniw: I agree entirely with those sentiments. They're sentiments that other Members have made, that my colleague the Minister for Social Justice has made as well, and many other Members have made those comments within this Chamber. I think it was only yesterday that I was able to refer to the head of the Church of England referring to these proposals as being against the nature of God. I am not...
Mick Antoniw: Thank you for your question. Reforming local government elections to reduce the democratic deficit is a commitment in our programme for government, and I regularly discuss such matters with my ministerial colleagues.
Mick Antoniw: Thank you for that supplementary question, and I do agree with, I think, most of what you actually said. I've raised a number of times my concern about the democratic health of Wales, and it goes across the United Kingdom. I think it is always of concern when there aren't sufficient candidates for some seats. I regard community councils as being an extremely important part of our democracy,...
Mick Antoniw: Thank you for the question. An application for permission to appeal against the order of the Court of Appeal, along with a request for expedited consideration, was filed with the Supreme Court on 7 March. The application has not, as yet, been considered. Therefore, we await a decision from the Supreme Court.
Mick Antoniw: Thank you, and I agree entirely with the points that you have made. The internal market Act, I believe, if it's interpreted as UK Government wants it to be interpreted, undermines part of our constitutional settlement. Of course, we disagree with that legislation; we believe it is unconstitutional, hence the legal action that's been taken. It is worth saying at this stage, of course, that...
Mick Antoniw: Thank you for the question. We have set the commission’s broad objectives. As the commission is independent of the Welsh Government, the issues they consider within that remit are a matter for them.
Mick Antoniw: Thank you for the question, part of which I can answer, part of which I probably cannot. Can I just say on the constitution commission that I and the First Minister and the leader of Plaid Cymru, as part of the co-operation agreement, met with the commission on 28 April for just an updated report, as to the progress that's being made? That report, I believe, has been placed within the library...
Mick Antoniw: Thank you for the question. Since I met with senior members of the judiciary at the Cardiff civil justice centre last September, I have continued to press the Ministry of Justice on the increasingly urgent need to replace it with a civil justice centre fit for a twenty-first century capital city.
Mick Antoniw: You raise very important points. Of course, I've practised from the civil justice centre and there are other Members of this Senedd who are very, very familiar with those facilities. The state of the court, which was raised in the Commission on Justice in Wales, was highlighted two and a half years ago. And when you compare the actual facility and the court compared with those that exist in...
Mick Antoniw: Thank you for the question. We need more detail about these proposals in order to assess their impact. We have a direct interest in anything that affects the way in which goods flow between Great Britain and the island of Ireland, and UK Ministers need urgently to engage with us on their proposals.
Mick Antoniw: Thank you for that supplementary question, and, of course, you do raise some significant issues in respect of potential breaches of international law, and those must not be underestimated. The First Minister wrote to the Prime Minister on Monday 16 May to express his concerns about the proposals to introduce legislation to introduce parts of the protocol. The Minister for Economy had a call...
Mick Antoniw: Thank you for that question. It is certainly the case that dialogue's important, and I think it's important that you recognise the importance of dialogue with devolved Governments. I don't think it is a minor matter. It is a matter that could involve devolved Governments right from day one, because there are significant economic interests. I think the previous Member, Huw Irranca-Davies,...
