Andrew RT Davies: Thank you for that. I'm pleased to hear that, and I'm sure residents and action groups across Wales, who are affected by this will be pleased as well to hear that response. A word that hasn't been used by the Welsh Government, but, on Sunday, was used by the UK Government, was to apologise for the shortcomings in the building regulation environments that allowed these buildings to be put up...
Andrew RT Davies: South Wales Central, Minister, obviously hosts two enterprise zones—the one in the Vale of Glamorgan and the financial enterprise zone in the centre of Cardiff. They were set up by a previous Minister and have been a central plank of successive Governments here in Cardiff Bay as to employment opportunities and investment opportunities. What role, going forward, do the enterprise zones have...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Minister, for that answer. You'll be aware of the case of my constituent, Barry Topping-Morris. He was caught up in events surrounding the release of a patient from the Caswell clinic in Bridgend who went on to commit homicide. Mr Topping-Morris has long raised concerns about the investigation of these events and the impact they had on his own subsequent career. What assurances can...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Presiding Officer. Could I identify with the comments that you made earlier in this session, Presiding Officer? And could I ask you, Trefnydd, in light of the horrendous scenes that are coming from Turkey and Syria, and the size of the death total that's going up in the hundreds, if not the thousands, every hour, what assessment has the Welsh Government made of the assistance that...
Andrew RT Davies: I'm sure, as Members, we'd be greatly appreciative of an update as soon as possible, because not unreasonably, obviously, constituents and organisations that are able to help are getting in touch with us, and that would be most welcome. I can see the Minister indicating that will be forthcoming. Last week, we had from the auditor general the report on the purchase of Gilestone Farm. It made...
Andrew RT Davies: Minister, there are businesses the length and breadth of the country who apply to Welsh Government and the UK Government for support, sometimes for several hundred pounds, sometimes for thousands, sometimes for tens of thousands, if not millions. Here we have an intervention by the Welsh Government of £4.5 million where you cannot pinpoint a single note or minute of the interaction between...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Presiding Officer, for allowing the question. Minister, I’m grateful to you for your answers so far today on the abhorrent practices that we saw last week. I do not absolve the UK Government from responsibility in this; they do have responsibility. They’re ultimately the Government that sets the legislative framework. But one thing I do think is a fundamental weakness here is...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Minister, for your statement and also the update on questions that you've taken this afternoon. I notice from the unions listed that Unite aren't listed there as party to the discussions, but I understand that on Sunday, you did have discussions with their national general secretary. Are you able to update us on what was involved with those discussions? Given that they're not party...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Presiding Officer. Leader of the house, one of the centrepieces of the legislative programme that was in the manifesto of your party was a clean air Act. This has been talked about for many years prior to the last election. We're still uncertain as to when this clean air Act might be arriving within the Welsh Parliament. Are you able to update us as to when we might have a Bill...
Andrew RT Davies: That's really helpful to understand, especially with 2,000 premature deaths and £1 billion of expenditure with the Welsh NHS. That's the cost of dirty air on people's lungs and associated health conditions. Very often, when we talk about legislation, we are told that the Welsh Government lack bandwidth. Last week, in a statement, the Welsh Government made it known that they want to apply for...
Andrew RT Davies: Will the clean air Act, as you've been discussing with your ministerial colleague in the Welsh Government, be all-encapsulating, because we've been led to believe that obviously it will cover every aspect of life so that we can see a real improvement in the air quality here in Wales? As I said, 2,000 people approximately die prematurely because of dirty air here in Wales, and at many millions...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and can I thank everyone who's contributed to today's debate, and especially Mick, obviously, who has such strong personal connections to Ukraine? I would just like to say that we never want to see that 'U' again. You have a country called Ukraine. You should never have to have a document that would say 'unidentified' or 'no fixed abode'. You do have a...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. First Minister, the news that the Welsh Government was putting Betsi Cadwaladr into special measures yesterday took some people by surprise, but wasn't unexpected, given the auditor general's report from the week before. The actions of the health Minister in requesting the resignations of the independent board members, given the content of that report,...
Andrew RT Davies: The point I was making about the special measures, First Minister, was that residents in north Wales, given that the health board was only recently taken out of special measures, would understandably be shocked that it's going back into special measures after being in special measures for six years. The independent members of the board, by the words of the report of the auditor general, were...
Andrew RT Davies: With the point about 'a good deal more to do', First Minister, what is the vision for the Welsh Government's thinking when it comes to health provision in north Wales? It isn't right. It isn't fair for the staff within that health board, and importantly the patients and people of north Wales who depend on their primary and acute care for delivery by Betsi Cadwaladr health board. Can the...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Presiding Officer. First Minister, last week, my colleague Janet Finch-Saunders, along with other MSs, hosted a meeting about the cladding situation here in Wales, and the Welsh Cladiators, who have been pioneering the lobbying work and the projection of the plight of many home owners here in Wales who are caught up in this, really should be commended by all Members in this...
Andrew RT Davies: First Minister, a part of Welsh law that would accommodate those sections, in the rights of leaseholders and home owners, surely is something that must be welcomed, to give rights to those leaseholders and home owners in their actions against the house builders, in this case multinational house builders who have deep pockets indeed? And now, six years after Grenfell, many leaseholders and...
Andrew RT Davies: It is vital that the developers step up to the plate and do the work that is expected and commanded of them to make sure that the leaseholders and the householders aren't put in a disadvantaged position through no fault of their own. In Westminster, Michael Gove has been very forthright in saying that if the developers do not come forward with the proposals and start the remediation work and...
Andrew RT Davies: Wales hasn't been sold short; £2.5 billion extra in this comprehensive spending review available to the Welsh Government. But you've spent your time going around mid Wales telling Welsh sheep farmers that their markets would collapse. Last year, they went up by 17 per cent—17 per cent. There's no-one more misleading in this Chamber or in this country than a Liberal Democrat.
Andrew RT Davies: I identify myself with the statement that the Presiding Officer made, and my group, as well, identifies with that statement, and our thoughts and prayers are with all of the families. I just want to raise with you, Minister, if possible—I understand, obviously, the referral to the police complaints authority, but this is a part of the trunk road agency, the road, the A48 is, close to the...
