Carwyn Jones: Absolutely. We know that Afan Argoed has been a major driver for tourism at the top of the Afan valley. Glyncorrwg, of course, is seeing the benefits both of the fishing lakes and also cycling routes, and that is something we intend to develop further in the future. It’s hugely important as well that we don’t forget that transport links are important wherever the particular valley might...
Carwyn Jones: Yes, that is the plan. It’s hugely important that people see these events as worth coming to, and, if they have Government Ministers at those events, I trust they will feel that that is the case. I think it’s right to say that, in the initial events, there was a great deal of frustration that people wanted to get off their chests, and that is inevitable. Now, what we’re finding is that...
Carwyn Jones: The national transport finance plan, published in July 2015, sets out investment for transport and infrastructure and services for 2015-20 across all parts of Wales.
Carwyn Jones: I can assure the Member that affordable fares are being considered as part of the procurement of the next rail services that we have and also the metro contract. We want to make sure that we see increased patronage, particularly at off-peak times and on services where patronage is currently low. We want to see discounts to the cost of travel for people working irregular work patterns or...
Carwyn Jones: Well, it’s part of the franchise discussions that will take place next year. We want to make sure there are more trains and more comfortable trains on the network. For the first time, the Welsh Government will have control over these issues, and we intend to make sure that the network is improved and developed for the future.
Carwyn Jones: Hugely important. It was a great act of foresight by Mid Glamorgan, actually, in 1988, to open up that line to passenger traffic. At the moment, of course, it’s an hourly service with no Sunday service—well, that’s not something that in the long term we should be satisfied with. It’s important that we look to increase services on the line and look to see how that can be done, and, of...
Carwyn Jones: Decisions on the location of branches are matters for the banks but we recognise the negative impact closures can have on communities. Whilst this is non-devolved, of course, we have welcomed the announcement that post offices will be able to provide services to fill some of the gaps left by bank branch closures. If that’s done properly, it may well enhance the service to bank users, rather...
Carwyn Jones: I’ve seen branch closures in my own constituency as well over the years. I know that, in even branches in Bridgend town itself, the patronage has dropped quite considerably because the reasons for people going to the bank are few in number now compared to years ago. Now, internet banking services are not of themselves a solution. As the Member rightly points out, there are people who either...
Carwyn Jones: I don’t believe that it’s possible to use legislation to change the situation, but I do agree with him that banks should think of every alternative apart from closure—that should be the very final option, rather than the first option, because, of course, the service is lost to the high street. If that’s not possible, then it’s crucial that the banks deal with the post office so the...
Carwyn Jones: I will consider that. I’ll ask the Minister to write to the Member with regard to the proposals that he has made. What we don’t want to see is a loss of banking services completely in communities, and there is a danger that, where banks—particularly when they do this very quickly—decide to shut branches, sufficient provision isn’t made in the post offices—that they don’t leave a...
Carwyn Jones: Yes. My most recent visits were to Brussels and Norway, and I plan to visit Gibraltar in the near future.
Carwyn Jones: Yes, I can say that a senior-official-level delegation visited the EIB in Luxembourg in October to maintain direct dialogue. The vice-president of the EIB visited Cardiff for a number of meetings on 9 February. But we strongly advocate that the UK should remain a sponsoring partner of the EIB. It doesn’t cost anything to the UK; UK contributions loan money, so it’s repayable over the...
Carwyn Jones: Diolch, Llywydd. Well, following the issue of the article 50 letter last week, the UK Government has published a White Paper legislating for the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union. We were given a copy 24 hours before publication, but no opportunity to respond in draft form. I have commented before, of course, on our frustrations about the process for dialogue within the...
Carwyn Jones: Well, that’s what I just said. They take an entirely different view from the position taken by, I believe, the vast majority of Members in this Chamber and, indeed, this Government and Governments elsewhere in the UK. As I said, the impetus for devolution was unrelated to the EU. It’s a matter of fact and history that, when devolution began, we were in the European Union, and the...
Carwyn Jones: Of course.
Carwyn Jones: It’s when we see the Bill itself. That will give us a better idea of what the UK Government is thinking. When we see what is the self-described great repeal Bill, then, of course, it will be available to this Assembly, and indeed the Welsh Government, to offer an opinion at that time. But I would expect there to be greater clarity, whether that is positive or negative, when that Bill is...
Carwyn Jones: Of course I will.
Carwyn Jones: The whole point of a tariff is to protect what is produced in a country. It is to impose a barrier against goods coming into a country by making them more expensive to consumers. That’s the whole point of a tariff. The imposition of tariffs—there are many different tariffs, that’s true—but the most stringent tariffs are on dairy products, at 40 per cent. There is no way that those...
Carwyn Jones: Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. I thank Members for their varying contributions to the debate. If I could begin, first of all, with the leader of UKIP. I’m not keen, in the course of my response, to rehash some of the discussions we’ve had before, but to deal with some of the newer issues that have arisen. First of all, there are great dangers that the UK Government will try and use Henry VIII...
Carwyn Jones: I’m more than happy to help with the discussions or the Bill itself, and to see what such a Bill might deliver. I have to say, in terms of the issue of the single market, I made this point to the Prime Minister that if we have rules for an internal UK single market that we did not have a role in drawing up, then we will do our best to drive a coach and horses though them. We will look to...
