Andrew RT Davies: I have to say that is the wrong decision, Minister. Time and time again—and we'll hear it in the legislative statement this afternoon—the Government want decisions taken here in Cardiff, to be based here in this Parliament, and in Cathays Park, where the Government is located. Here, where key decisions have resulted in, tragically, people losing their lives in a hospital setting because...
Andrew RT Davies: Leader of the house, I was listening to your response to my colleague from South Wales Central on the Plaid benches regarding the cladding scandal. And this is an issue I've raised on several occasions with you and directly with the Minister as well, and I'm grateful for the Minister's interaction over a period of time now. But there are two things I'd like to seek security over, or...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Counsel General, for your statement this afternoon, in the absence of the First Minister. As someone who can remember, when I first came into this Chamber back in 2007, when people talked about legislation, we talked about legislative consent motions and consent Orders, and there was no surety as to what exactly could proceed—to now, a fully fledged legislature, where the...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Presiding Officer. First Minister, the point you made about speaking to the vice-chancellor of the university in Namibia is well made—that, unless we are all vaccinated, none of us will be safe at the end of this, and it is a global problem that we all need to be focused on. But we are moving into better climes; we are moving into an arena now where some of the restrictions can...
Andrew RT Davies: I read from your comments, First Minister, that we will have a far more measured approach from you tomorrow and that there will not be the move away from restrictions that has been seen in other parts of the United Kingdom, and that's a judgment call for the Governments to have to take. But one of the conversations that is being had around the whole of the UK is around vaccination passports...
Andrew RT Davies: I'm pleased to hear that, First Minister, and I'll also be joining you in supporting that cause, because, as I said, I do think it would create unnecessary divisions within our society. And I appreciate that we're going to have the statement tomorrow, and it doesn't look as if—. Obviously, there will be differences in all parts of the United Kingdom. Now, the Scottish Parliament, for...
Andrew RT Davies: I hear what you say, Minister. Obviously, the first batch of consequentials did not get spent and it's the right of the Welsh Government to spend it as they see fit, but it didn't get spent in the same way that it was spent by the UK Government in England on remediation work. The statement that you issued actually came out at 1.30 p.m. just as we were coming into this Chamber for question...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, First Minister, for your statement this afternoon, and, indeed, for the briefing that the health Minister offered leaders of the opposition parties this morning, as well, which, obviously, has informed our thinking in relation to this statement. You are the First Minister, and I am the leader of the largest opposition group, the people of Wales spoke, and, to be fair, they endorsed...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Presiding Officer. First Minister, vaccine passports have been determined to be necessary in Scotland. The UK Government have indicated they will not be putting vaccine passports into action in England. The people of Wales are waiting to see what action you will be taking later this week. On 13 July, you said that you were fundamentally against the introduction of vaccine...
Andrew RT Davies: Clearly, on these benches, we've been consistent, First Minister. We've always said that vaccine passports should not be introduced in Wales. We've held that position, and we continue to hold that position. I notice that, in the near two and a half minutes in which you responded to the question—and I am grateful for the detail that you gave—you did not indicate whether your position has...
Andrew RT Davies: I certainly do know what I think, and I asked a second time to see whether I knew what you think, and I don't really now know what the hell you think, First Minister. It was a simple enough question. The two questions that I have asked on COVID passports indicate clearly that decisions have been taken here in Wales that are different from other parts of the United Kingdom, as rightly they...
Andrew RT Davies: I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate today. There aren't many days when I walk in and don't think of this subject, because I see my colleague from Blaenau Gwent here, who has spoken eloquently of his personal experience—traumatic experience, I would suggest—and the importance of people having knowledge, when it comes to defibrillators, means that he is here with us. There...
Andrew RT Davies: I'm grateful to hear the Minister say that she would be pleased to see more defibrillators in Wales. You are the Minister. Will you set a target for the number of defibrillators that might be in existence across Wales by the end of this five-year Assembly term? At least then, if we have got a target, we have got something to aim for, rather than the warm words—and the sincere words, I take...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Presiding Officer. First Minister, last week, your Government decided to bring in COVID passes. You and I have debated across this Chamber on the merits or not, as the case may be, of COVID passports. Obviously, that's quite a substantial change from what you, as First Minister, told me back in July about what your personal position was. Can you explain to me, therefore, with the...
Andrew RT Davies: I'm glad you're able to clarify that, because I hear your backbenchers chuntering away there. Your health Minister on Radio Wales couldn't clarify it on Friday afternoon, and she said that information was due to come forward at a later date, as her response, I believe. So, for clarity—and I've had many owners in my own area, covering the city of Cardiff, obviously that has a large...
Andrew RT Davies: I'm grateful for that clarity, First Minister. So, I take it that there will not be a specific plan for winter preparedness, as the Government has historically brought before Parliament. As I said, last year, there was one on 15 September brought forward for our perusal and to be able to look and scrutinise the robustness of it. Today, we've seen already a senior consultant in the A&E...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Presiding Officer. Thank you very much for the very warm welcome and, with your indulgence, I will pass on my thanks to all Members from across this Chamber and beyond who've sent best wishes to me, in particular the personal note the First Minister wrote to me—it was greatly appreciated—along with other Ministers as well. We can give no quarter yield in this Chamber, but when...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you for that answer, First Minister. It is important that we understand what services might be withdrawn; you alluded to health checks, for example. When might we know the outcome of these negotiations, because people are genuinely concerned? There have been understandable pressures on GP surgeries and getting appointments and I think it's really important that people understand what...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you for that, First Minister. I'll look forward to that announcement imminently, hopefully. But you talked of a jigsaw, and the pattern of healthcare is about a jigsaw and it's important that Government has strategies with its partners. Now, last week, to the health committee, Cancer Research highlighted how Wales, shortly, will be the only part of the United Kingdom without an...
Andrew RT Davies: First Minister, thank you for your statement, and can I agree with you on your last pronouncement there about the challenges ahead for us, and the need for people to come forward and get the booster vaccine, and bearing down on this terrible virus, and also the pressures that it's putting on our NHS? So, it's always good to start a statement on a point where we can find common agreement, but...
