Andrew RT Davies: Could I also ask around the mechanisms of how the programme for government will be scrutinised now that there will be designated Members coming out of Plaid Cymru to support the policy development and work within Government? At the moment, there is no mechanism to scrutinise designated Members, because it's a new term, it's a new position. I congratulate Siân Gwenllian, who I think is the...
Andrew RT Davies: Deputy Minister, what assistance are you giving to partners to try and get energy charging points in town centres? Because if you go to out-of-town shopping centres, many of the private companies that occupy those shopping centres are installing charging points for electric vehicles. We know that Wales sadly lags behind in the installation of these charging points to other parts of the United...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Presiding Officer. Today, First Minister, the first real-world study on vaccines against the omicron infection has been published. It's important to note that this data is from the first three weeks of the outbreak, so it might change, but it is the first serious study of its kind. The findings show that the virus variant is 29 per cent milder, that two doses of the Pfizer vaccine...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you for that answer, First Minister, and it was good to get some optimism from that report that came out this morning. Obviously, another strand of work that the Welsh Government is undertaking is the roll-out of the booster campaign, and the health Minister has been doing a press conference this morning, talking about everyone will have an offer by the end of December, not necessarily...
Andrew RT Davies: We’ve had these preliminary results this morning, First Minister, from the survey in South Africa. We’ve also got the booster campaign, which I’ve just questioned you on, and the roll-out of that booster campaign, but also, in the press conference that the health Minister took this morning, she highlighted the impact on services—general health services—whether they be primary, or...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Presiding Officer, and could I thank everyone who's contributed in the debate this afternoon? We make no apologies for bringing this debate again before the Senedd, as Russell George in his opening remarks made it quite clear that the Welsh Conservatives have been championing this cause for the last 18 months or so. It is vital that Wales has its own independent inquiry, and if I...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Presiding Officer. May I thank you for this recall today to allow Members the opportunity to question the First Minister on the restrictions that the Government has announced? Can I also put on record my thanks to the First Minister for facilitating a briefing this morning for the shadow health Minister and myself with Members of the technical advisory cell team who advise Welsh...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Presiding Officer. May I wish you and the First Minister and fellow Members a very happy new year and good health to everyone as well. First Minister, over the Christmas period, we saw the farcical scenes at Caerphilly rugby club where only 50 people were allowed to watch the game outside, whereas several hundred congregated indoors to watch it on tv. Your latest restrictions have...
Andrew RT Davies: I'm disappointed, First Minister, to see your doubling down on this, particularly when you seemed to be an outlier on this particular issue. Parkrun is going ahead right across the United Kingdom. In England, there are no restrictions on crowd numbers, in Northern Ireland, caps on crowds are at 50 per cent capacity or 5,000 people, whilst changes seem to be afoot in Scotland. Yesterday, the...
Andrew RT Davies: First Minister, restrictions were imposed in Wales based on the modelling and therefore you should be basing that further removal on the modelling. You have no excuses not to provide such a plan, First Minister. It is vital for businesses that are feeling the pain with limits on hospitality and mental health taking a kicking with sports being scaled back that a plan out of these restrictions...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Presiding Officer. First Minister, last week you claimed that the impact of restrictions on Welsh businesses over Christmas and the new year was not down to the actions of your Government. Can you tell me who was responsible for these restrictions, because last time I checked you were the First Minister? Or was it some extraterrestrial force that none of us are aware of?
Andrew RT Davies: Well, sadly, First Minister, it is a fact that you did have choices over the type of restrictions that you could have brought in, just like you have the choice to commission an independent inquiry here in Wales into those decisions right the way through the pandemic, which regrettably you haven't commissioned to date. If we take a step back into the real world, reports last week showed that...
Andrew RT Davies: It is a fact, First Minister, that many businesses across Wales will not be able to claw back the level of losses that they've sustained because of the restrictions that you and your Government have put in place. Yesterday, your chief medical officer, Dr Frank Atherton, said that he was cautiously optimistic that the end of the pandemic was in sight. That's great news, and thanks to the Welsh...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Presiding Officer. First Minister, last month, numerous media outlets reported the discovery of the coal tip campaigner's damning document from 2014, which suggested that the Welsh Government at the time was prioritising the economy over safety where funding work would make a big difference to coal tips in the Valleys. This document says that the funding to reclaim coal tips was...
Andrew RT Davies: Well, there's an awful lot of politics being played by your Government in particular when it comes to funding and the safety of coal tips, First Minister, but the responsibility is devolved. It was actually your party in the original devolution settlement that devolved this responsibility, albeit I do accept that there are issues around legacy. Nevertheless, this could be funded and resolved...
Andrew RT Davies: Well, there's no need to bite back, First Minister. You have the responsibility. You have the responsibility, you had the money and you had the choice to do it. Why haven't you done it?
Andrew RT Davies: You know full well that the UK Government have made money available for coal tip restoration, First Minister, so you've misled the Assembly there by saying 'not a penny piece' has been made available. But I would say to you, First Minister, when you talk about business cases, the business case for taking over the airport didn't prove very sound, did it? But, you've invested nearly £200...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Presiding Officer. First Minister, if I could draw your attention to something that you are responsible for, which is the health board in north Wales and the Royal College of Surgeons report into vascular services last week that revealed that the majority of clinical documentation was unreadable or absent, that communication and care planning was non-existent in some cases, and...
Andrew RT Davies: Sadly, First Minister, I didn't hear an apology from you there, which I asked you to give to the people of Wales, and in particular the people who have that health board serving their needs, and the staff as well, who feel let down, because, obviously, you—as First Minister and health Minister—had this health board in special measures for seven years. Also, your Deputy Minister at the...
Andrew RT Davies: Well, I asked you for the second time to apologise and you said that you had difficulty to apologise. I'm sure the lady who was carrying her husband to the toilet will regret the fact that you have difficulty in apologising for the lack of care plan that was put in place. I'm sure you will find it really—[Interruption.] I'm sure that the patients—22 that are numbered in this particular...
