Andrew RT Davies: Could I identify with the sentiments of the Member for Ogmore and also the Minister's comments this afternoon? Could I also question the Minister on the reports today on the BBC Wales Live programme about homophobic insults and attacks within the education system? Sadly, they're identifying an increase in that via the Estyn reports that are coming from the inspections that have been...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Presiding Officer. These are the types of moments that you never really wish you have to do, or if you do do them, someone's had a good, full and active life and lived to a good age. Aled lived a very good and active life, but he's been taken away from us far too soon at the age of 59 years. It is the case that Aled was a facilitator in life, whether it be the legal profession he...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. First Minister, may I send my best wishes to you? It's good to see you looking well and I hope that you come out of confinement as quickly as possible. It's good to see you on the screen today looking so well. First Minister, inward investment is going to be critical to building a strong and resilient economy post COVID. What has the Welsh Government...
Andrew RT Davies: It's interesting you say that, First Minister, about putting the packages together, because in 2020, Britishvolt said that they wanted to set up a battery cell gigafactory in St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan, creating 3,000 jobs and 4,000 associated jobs—7,000 jobs in total, the second largest industrial investment project in the United Kingdom. That's worth repeating: the second largest...
Andrew RT Davies: First Minister, your own joint press release that went out when the announcement was made that they weren't taking up the offer of the St Athan facility said that it was because, and this is the quote from the joint press release, 'the ambitious timescales that the company were working to were not achievable'. As far as I know, planning resolution and construction time frames are no quicker...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Presiding Officer. First Minister, as we celebrate our national day here in Wales—and it's wonderful to see the national flower of Ukraine sitting alongside the flower of Wales, the daffodil—it is worth reflecting that, on the other side of the continent of Europe, a mad despot is trying to wipe out another sovereign nation state with brutal actions that we've all witnessed...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you for that answer, First Minister. We've had many examples of refugees settling in Wales and the support that has been put in place by Welsh Government, by the UK Government and by public bodies generally, as well as private individuals. As I said in my opening remarks to you, the magnitude of what we are looking at today from Ukraine is something that we haven't had to deal with and...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, First Minister, for that answer. Given the precarious state of peace in eastern Europe today, we have no idea what the madman in the Kremlin will do next. He could choose to invade the Baltic states—members of NATO, I might add. Could you therefore confirm that you would support the decision of the UK Government to abide by its NATO obligations should article 4 be triggered, as...
Andrew RT Davies: We all want to see a resolution to this dispute, Minister, and I do understand, obviously, that higher education is an autonomous body and they are responsible for the negotiations in this particular aspect. Students have had a lot of disruption to their education over the last couple of years with COVID and now industrial action. We're in a critical window for most students, who have to have...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, First Minister—Presiding Officer, sorry. [Laughter.] You haven't quite had the promotion yet. First Minister, Russia and Ukraine produce about a third of the world's wheat exports. Ukraine, historically, has been known as the breadbasket of Europe, but because of the awful events that we are seeing unfold in this part of the world, the cost of wheat, for example, has jumped by a...
Andrew RT Davies: First Minister, the chief executive of Yara, which is the world's largest fertiliser producer, said it's not a case of if we have food shortages, it's more a case of the scale of those food shortages because of events in Ukraine. We have an agriculture Bill coming before the Senedd, being introduced by the Minister in April. The dynamics changed fundamentally two weeks ago when Putin invaded...
Andrew RT Davies: First Minister, the events of two weeks ago have moved food security to the centre stage, I would suggest, and the whole responsibility of agricultural policy does reside on your Government benches. I do hope that you will consider the new elements that we're facing and the new challenges and opportunities we're facing when that Bill is introduced to us here in April. The Irish Government,...
Andrew RT Davies: Minister, you will have heard the exchanges that the First Minister and I had in relation to food security. I'm obviously questioning you today as leader of the house, but, obviously, you wear the other hat of rural affairs Minister, and you are the sponsoring Minister for the agricultural Bill that you will be bringing in in April, I believe. I cannot overstate the dilemma that we face with...
Andrew RT Davies: Would you take an intervention, Minister?
Andrew RT Davies: We all see the horrific—what's happening in Ukraine. The quantum of refugees leaving now is in excess of 2 million, I think, reported today. There was a meeting last week by Government Ministers with colleagues in local government and the health boards. As Minister for Finance and Local Government, are you in a position to update the Senedd today as to what Wales can exactly put on the...
Andrew RT Davies: How is the Welsh Government supporting sustainable food production in Wales?
Andrew RT Davies: Some months ago, Minister, I raised with you the Bill that went through the National Assembly of France about local procurement and in particular setting targets for supermarkets to source local produce. My colleague Peter Fox has his Bill going through the Senedd at the moment. You said you would go away and look at that piece of legislation that has now been passed in the National Assembly...
Andrew RT Davies: You look better than me. [Laughter.]
Andrew RT Davies: Will you take an intervention?
Andrew RT Davies: Will you take an intervention?
