David Melding: I’m delighted to speak in favour of this motion, which has been laid in the name of Paul Davies and others. I’m very pleased to see cross-party support. Can I commend the self-discipline of the Cabinet Secretary, who obviously has to protect the role that she will play in a statutory function when dealing with certain aspects of the regulations that are likely to be generated under this...
David Melding: Yes. I think the Member may have already seen Natural Resources Wales’s report, and it does emphasise the flood protection benefits that tidal lagoon projects could bring, and that’s going to be really, really important. The Hendry review observes that tidal lagoons can play a cost-effective part in the UK energy mix, and I think that was a real breakthrough, because there was some...
David Melding: What is the Welsh Government doing to help local government adopt new digital technologies to aid citizen participation?
David Melding: Can I welcome the move to a more sophisticated use of data, Cabinet Secretary? I think it’s very important, because it allows us, or gives us the chance, to get the maximum potential out of public spending. For instance, in areas where there is a high level of childcare provided from state sources, I would expect to see a lot of the local population engaged in delivering those childcare...
David Melding: Leader of the house, I think it’s very important that we have a system that is transparent and fairly reflects the costs that site owners have, and also the ability for the residents of mobile homes to have a knowledge of what those costs are and to challenge them if necessary. At the moment, it is very opaque and it seems very unfair, and, in terms of where the power is, it’s loaded...
David Melding: Can I echo some of Julie Morgan’s comments? I was glad that, towards the end of the statement, you do turn to some of the sustainability issues and refer to the well-being of future generations, the need to tackle poor air quality, and to see public transport as part of the efforts to achieve decarbonisation. I do hope we’ll see this fully in the fully worked-out plans that you’re going...
David Melding: Will the Member give way?
David Melding: In some countries, they encourage private enterprises as well to offer facilities, and it can revolutionise the availability of effective and pleasant-to-use public lavatories.
David Melding: 1. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the treatment of rare diseases? OAQ(5)0125(HWS)
David Melding: Minister, I was very pleased at a recent event held in the Assembly to hear that the Welsh Government of Wales are leading the field in this area in terms of the UK. Whilst the diseases themselves are rare, there are a great many of them, which means that one in 17 of us is likely at some point in our lives to suffer a rare disease, in which the screening, testing, diagnosis and treatment is...
David Melding: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Can I say, I think the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee is a very happy committee to serve on because nearly all the issues we look at are about promoting good, clear government and scrutiny and we don’t really have to labour under the incubus of a heavy partisan load, very often, and division, which is really pleasing. We occasionally...
David Melding: Cabinet Secretary, we’ll be discussing the foundational economy in a debate later, and it seems to me that community energy projects and the whole greening of the Welsh and British economy are areas where we could really have great advances that would empower local people very considerably.
David Melding: Cabinet Secretary, can I begin by congratulating you on your resplendent buttonhole? Not only would Lady Rhondda have approved, but I think our former colleague William Graham would have approved. He would have probably conceded that you did better than him in this occasion. The problem with the current structure is it distorts the market. We need these fees to sit with the responsibility of...
David Melding: Can I start by saying that, if I’d signed the form in the right place, I would have been one of the co-proposers of this motion? I am relieved I am at least a supporter. I’m yet to go on the basic skills course, ‘life in the modern office’, but I will do that at some point—I promise my PA. I think, as we’ve heard from the excellent speeches so far—and I do like these backbench...
David Melding: The trampoline awaits.
David Melding: 7. How is the Welsh Government supporting community shares projects that promote green energy initiatives? OAQ(5)0500(FM)
David Melding: Cabinet Secretary, our housing stock is amongst the oldest in Europe, and we really need to focus on schemes of retrofitting because a lot of that housing stock is occupied by people who have low incomes or are otherwise vulnerable. Indeed, if we improved these skills and developed retrofitting products, we would then find a market in other parts of the UK for those skills and products, and...
David Melding: Cabinet Secretary, these mechanisms stand within the very proud co-operative tradition of promoting local enterprise and social benefit, and particularly, for technical reasons, they are easier to use and more flexible than traditional charitable approaches, which may form alternative funding routes. And they’re an excellent way to promote community schemes in particular, and they keep...
David Melding: I have to start by saying quite directly that this is a very sad day for Wales. After all, nearly 140,000 families have benefitted from the right to buy since 1980 and home ownership is an aspiration that tens of thousands continue to have across Wales. Now, an important route for them will be closed. If there was ever a public policy that was in endorsed year in, year out by public...
David Melding: This is a statement—
