Mr Simon Thomas: 5. Will the First Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's agricultural policy following the decision to leave the European Union? OAQ(5)0320(FM)[W]
Mr Simon Thomas: Thank you, First Minister, I would agree that agriculture is often as much a culture as it is an industry, and it maintains our culture. But it is clear now that some who are opposed to devolution, or anti-devolutionists, are using the opportunity that the decision to leave the European Union is giving as a way of unlocking, through the back door, the devolution process that has provided...
Mr Simon Thomas: I thank the Cabinet Secretary for her statement and preface what I’m going to say by saying that I don’t doubt for one second her own personal commitment and interest in this subject, but I’m afraid this statement is like a lot of Government statements we’ve had of late—very long on process, very short on detail and virtually negligible in terms of targets. I think it’s very...
Mr Simon Thomas: Thank you, Presiding Officer, and thank you to the Cabinet Secretary for setting out the context for the draft budget before us this afternoon. On behalf of the Finance Committee, I’d like to thank everyone who has contributed their views to assist us in undertaking this important work of scrutinising the draft budget. We only had a little time to focus on this work, and therefore we’re...
Mr Simon Thomas: Will you give way?
Mr Simon Thomas: The Member makes an interesting point, which is that many other Commonwealth countries, for example, and federal countries do use that process, but they do have safeguards around it, particularly where extra expenditure is involved, and you don’t balance the budget with extra income. But he will have the opportunity to take that view forward as we do debate through the Business Committee...
Mr Simon Thomas: 4. Will the Minister make a statement on orthodontic services in the Hywel Dda University Health Board area? OAQ(5)0094(HWS)[W]
Mr Simon Thomas: Well, they certainly need to improve the service some considerable matter. Can I bring your attention and that of the Chamber to my constituent and the Presiding Officer’s constituent as well, Sheila Joseph, whose 15-year-old son was referred to an orthodontist for consultation for braces? He was told, living in Ceredigion, he would have a three-year waiting list to get braces fitted,...
Mr Simon Thomas: Will the Minister make a statement on steps the Welsh Government is taking to protect birds in Wales from avian flu? EAQ(5)0075(ERA)
Mr Simon Thomas: I’d like to thank the Cabinet Secretary for that brief statement. There was some confusion this morning when we heard on the news that there was a ban on keeping poultry in the open air in England and Scotland, without any mention of Wales. It’s clear now that the rule is being implemented in Wales also. Can I ask the Minister, therefore, just a few questions that I think are relevant?...
Mr Simon Thomas: May I start by thanking the First Minister for continuing the negotiations between his party and Plaid Cymru on the constitutional future of Wales, and specifically for the meeting that we had yesterday? We look forward, of course, to seeing the amendments to the Wales Bill in the House of Lords in order to secure these processes. I would like to raise another issue with him today, an issue...
Mr Simon Thomas: Thank you, Llywydd. Quite simply, I just want to note that the Finance Committee approved this method of dealing with this issue. It’s clear, with taxation powers coming to the Assembly for the first time, that we in the Finance Committee would be eager for us to legislate here on all possible occasions, if that is practical. But in this context, which relates to tax evasion across the...
Mr Simon Thomas: As has already been said, it would be remiss, as we are discussing regulations, not to reflect on some of the difficulties that have been caused in certain sectors and certain parts of Wales by the uprating that has taken place under the valuation office. In parts of Gwynedd and certainly within the tourism and hospitality sector, there have been particular issues that I hope the Government...
Mr Simon Thomas: Diolch, Lywydd. Minister, I want to talk about another European directive, but I just want to put on record that I’ve written to you asking you to adopt the voluntary approach on the NVZ directive as well. But what assessments have you made of the High Court ruling last month that DEFRA’s air quality plan under the air quality directive did not, in fact, comply?
Mr Simon Thomas: Well, thank you, Minister. I think it is a very important court case and it’s one that might be against DEFRA but it’s actually a UK reporting responsibility under the air quality directive. So, it does affect us, and it overtook or ran concurrently with your own consultation on air quality, which closed on 6 December. In that consultation on air quality you said this: ‘There is...
Mr Simon Thomas: Well, I hope that more information also includes your response to the High Court judgment, and also I hope that you can take into account the fast-moving public policy in this area. Five of the cities that I think you actually joined with in a regional network following Marrakech have signed up to the proposal of banning diesel transport from the cities. Often, diesel cars are seen as a...
Mr Simon Thomas: Well, the task is becoming more difficult because, from what I understand, the Pembrokeshire cabinet has opposed the NVZ, and this morning, Carmarthenshire County Council also voted against the NVZ. But, of course, the purpose of a slurry lagoon is to keep slurry until it is used in a meaningful way or is spread or used in that way. So, what discussions are you having with contractors, who...
Mr Simon Thomas: Can I draw your attention, Minister, to the work of the Penparcau Community Forum? Penparcau used to be a Communities First area; it’s the community I live in. It lost the Communities First status at the previous reiteration and review of Communities First, but, if anything, has been even more successful post Communities First than previously, because it’s been able to do a lot more...
Mr Simon Thomas: Minister, there can be unforeseen consequences to regeneration on occasion. Improvements to the road infrastructure, for example, in Fishguard means that Transition Bro Gwaun, which is a community regeneration project, is losing its home, which is used to have a surplus food cafe, involving many local people and also doing a very good environmental job. They also do a wider regeneration job...
Mr Simon Thomas: There is a risk for many communities, however, because we’re already losing the banks—as has already been mentioned a number of times in the Assembly recently—and the solution for that, for a number of bodies, including the Government here and the Government in Westminster, is using the post office network to deal with that loss. Now, there are two problems there. There’s the problem...
