Mick Antoniw: The Welsh Government has continued to make representations to the UK Government about the adverse impacts of court closures on access to justice, which, for many people, will mean longer and more expensive journeys to attend court and much more limited access to justice.
Jeremy Miles: ...bus service. So, there are very profound social justice implications, as the Counsel General has indicated. What response has he had to those concerns around social justice when he’s raised these representations with the UK Government?
Mick Antoniw: ...buildings remaining in Wales, after previous closure programmes, nine have already been closed under the current programme, and a further court, in Llangefni, is due to be closed. So, we have made representations. We continue to make those representations. Unfortunately, those representations appear to fall on deaf ears. This isn’t an area that is, of course, devolved. If it were...
Mick Antoniw: Well, of course, there was a consultation, but the point you make is exactly right, and was exactly the same issue as in my own constituency of Pontypridd, when that court closed. Where detailed representations were made, as they were in respect of Cwmbran and Abergavenny, showing that the basis on which the decisions were being taken, in terms of access to courts, was actually substantially...
Mark Drakeford: ...isn’t just his understanding of the past that’s at fault here, it’s his understanding of the present as well. His idea that there are no unions involved in private companies in Wales—has he not heard of Ford or Tata or Toyota or many other private sector employers that I could mention? I have to say to him what the First Minister said to him yesterday: his interest in reasonable...
Joyce Watson: ...people’—taxpayers and others—I would challenge some of the statements that have been made today about trade union representatives coming somehow to earth out of dark corners, who are clearly not taxpayers, who are clearly not parents, who are clearly not people who represent their communities or the organisations that they work for, which have clearly been put forward by Janet...
Hannah Blythyn: Cabinet Secretary, I am proud to be a member of a party and an institution that has led the way on the importance of the representation of women in political life, but as always we can always do more, and it’s important that we continue to do so, to ensure that voices of over half of the population are not only heard, but are actively and fully represented in our democracy. Therefore, can I...
Mark Isherwood: ...and the EU to a vote in both Houses of Parliament before it comes into force, we respect the Supreme Court’s decision that an Act of Parliament is required before article 50 is triggered, and we note that the UK Government has said it will set out its next steps to the UK Parliament shortly. But, of course, we also note the unanimous decision by the Supreme Court that the UK Government...
Mick Antoniw: .... But what I think has been important about our role to date is that we had a very specific Welsh voice in these processes. Without that, without this Assembly, without a Welsh Government, we would not have had that voice. We would not have been able to make those representations, and we would not be able to stand up in the way we are doing. That doesn’t mean that things ahead are easy,...
Carwyn Jones: ...Ireland. Now, of course, there are no heads of Government in Northern Ireland we can actually meet with. There may be opportunities to meet with Northern Ireland Ministers; we’ll see what representation they bring with them to the JMC plenary. She’s right to say that the detail on how we leave must be worked through by all of the four nations of the UK. That is something the UK...
Carwyn Jones: ...passport holders, despite what Boris Johnson said yesterday. I think there are issues for the Prime Minister. The first question is: when did she know about this? If it was Friday, did she make representations? When did she know about the conditions that were attached to the executive order and, if so, did she make representations for British citizens and British passport holders? Why,...
Carwyn Jones: ..., but there are people who need those services, and we must find a way of working with the Post Office to make sure that those services are available to those people who need them. We’ve made representations over the years to the Post Office, and indeed to the banks—I’ve done it personally—to make sure that, where banks decide they no longer want to be in a community, the post...
Carwyn Jones: ...my view in terms of the visit. What is clear over the last few days is that a ban was imposed without any rational basis. Of the terrorist attacks that have taken place in the US over the years, not one person has come from those seven countries—the twin towers people didn’t come from there. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, two countries where terrorists have come from, there is no ban on them,...
David Melding: Can I make it clear I’m speaking as an individual, rather than representing the Welsh Conservative view on what I’m going to say? It’s not particularly interesting, I suspect, but—[Interruption.] I’ve now obviously—[Interruption.] I’ve now raised expectations. [Laughter.] Can I just say, on extending the franchise to 16 and 17-year-olds, I warmly welcome this, if it’s going to...
Mark Drakeford: ...this White Paper. It’s very regularly pointed to by council leaders of different parties when I’m discussing it with them as an example of how they have been able to come together. But it’s not just Cardiff; the Swansea region and the North Wales Economic Ambition Board are two other examples of where local authorities are demonstrating the advantages that they can obtain through...
Llyr Gruffydd: ...relationship with the proposed TEA? You say in your statement that it’s critical that we hear from learners, leaders and practitioners in this process, and I couldn’t agree more, but would you not agree that that needs to be an ongoing thing, and that when it comes, for example, to the TEA governing board, staff and students should have a representation on that board, so that obviously...
Kirsty Williams: ...that we need to solve with regard to post-compulsory education. You’re absolutely right, the current system does lead to duplication and competition in a way that is often unhelpful. It does not provide, as Hazelkorn said herself in the report, good value for public money, and at a time of austerity we need to make sure that the Welsh pound is working really, really hard and delivering...
Hannah Blythyn: ...’s happening outside this Chamber. The Welsh Government’s commitment to equality and its cross-cutting approach to furthering this agenda is to be applauded, but the challenge for us all, and not solely the Welsh Government, is to ensure that these overarching objectives and principles translate into reality and everyday practice for the people they are set up to serve. Equality, to...
Dawn Bowden: ...for producing this comprehensive report? There have, undoubtedly, been many achievements here in Wales during the period of the Welsh Government’s 2015-16 strategic equality plan and objectives, not least of which was the landmark legislation that the Cabinet Secretary referred to earlier on, the Violence against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (Wales) Act 2015. There are many...
Dawn Bowden: ...play in all of this. We’ve already seen significant strides towards achieving and retaining a gender balance here in the National Assembly, but I’m realistic enough to recognise that if it were not for the all-women shortlist policy operated by the Labour Party in Wales, I might not be here today. However, that positive approach by Labour to the selection of women through all-women...
