David Rowlands: Diolch, Lywydd. As the Cabinet Secretary knows, I’m very enthusiastic about the metro plans and look forward to its implementation. However, can he outline exactly what specific structural improvements the metro will make to one of my constituencies, namely Torfaen?
David Rowlands: I thank the Cabinet Secretary for his answer, but I understand that Torfaen County Borough Council has pledged some £11 million to the project. Does he honestly feel this level of investment gives good value for money, given what he’s just outlined?
David Rowlands: Again, I thank the Cabinet Secretary for his answer, but can I urge him, perhaps, to make some improvements to the infrastructure in Torfaen? For instance, the Pontypool Road railway station is particularly uninviting: it’s cold, it’s dark and, actually, it’s well outside the town. So, would he consider at least upgrading the facilities on Pontypool Road or, indeed, consider moving it...
David Rowlands: Will you take an intervention please?
David Rowlands: Won’t you take an intervention?
David Rowlands: 6. When will access to the inland waters of Wales be back on the Welsh Government’s agenda? OAQ(5)0094(ERA)
David Rowlands: I thank the Cabinet Secretary for that answer, and would like to acknowledge here that the Welsh Government has done a great deal to open up the countryside over recent years, but this has largely been concentrated on land usage rather than on water access. It is some nine years ago when the Sustainability Committee published its report in response to a 10,000-signature petition received by...
David Rowlands: Perhaps the first question with regard to this document is why the First Minister and the leader of Plaid Cymru, the Party of Wales, chose to launch it in London, given their oft-stated desire to demonstrate the Assembly’s independence from the London establishment. We may also note at this point that the two other parties in the Assembly were not even given a sight of this massively...
David Rowlands: I will; just one sec. Not to recognise this is, quite frankly, a folly of the first magnitude. The stark fact is Europe needs us far more than we need them. Yes, I'll take an intervention now.
David Rowlands: A pleasure. Wales voted to leave the EU. Accept it, embrace it and move forward positively, and trust the Welsh people to deliver. Thank you.
David Rowlands: I’m fortunate enough to be old enough to have heard the promises that took us into the European Union, and I can assure you that the lies that took us into the European Union are greater lies than these lies that have taken us out. [Interruption.] Those lies, like you say they’re lies, that took us out of the European Union pale into insignificance with the lies that took us into the...
David Rowlands: What measures are being taken to protect teachers from increasing violence from pupils?
David Rowlands: UKIP welcomes the UK Government’s Green Paper, ‘Building our Industrial Strategy’. We look forward to the Welsh Government’s plan, which we should have in April. I’ll echo what Russell George has said, and the other people, that we hope it will fit in with the plan of the UK Government. Now, we accept that some progress has been made towards rebalancing the economy since 2010, but...
David Rowlands: One second, Dave, and then of course I will.
David Rowlands: The steel industry should play a large part in retaining and expanding such a skill base.
David Rowlands: Well, David, obviously I would argue the fact that it wasn’t European money: it was British money coming back to us after they took something like 50 per cent of it. However, as we know all too well in Wales, the steel industry suffers from energy costs much higher than its competitors, exacerbated of course by the environmental levies, and these, coupled with high business rates, make our...
David Rowlands: I will.
David Rowlands: Absolutely. I’m sure we all welcome that. We all care passionately about the steel industry and the people it employs in Wales. EU state aid rules only allow state support in such areas as research activities or relief of energy costs of steel companies. We shall support this motion. Thank you.
David Rowlands: Following on from the question from John Griffiths, AM for Newport East, Arriva Trains Wales tell us that the Ebbw Vale line is at full capacity with those wishing to travel to Cardiff. It would seem that only a twin track through to Ebbw Vale would alleviate this problem. Would the First Minister inform us if there are any plans to implement this option?
David Rowlands: We thank the Welsh Government for bringing this debate forward and welcome the opportunity to contribute to the discussion. The Swansea tidal lagoon presents a huge opportunity for the UK and Wales to be at the forefront of this groundbreaking technology. Although the Swansea lagoon is just a pilot project for this industry, we understand that Cardiff is a front-runner in the plans for the...
