David Rowlands: Would you like an intervention? Oh, absolutely. Sorry, I didn't notice.
David Rowlands: Of course—we will, indeed. We will be taking all of the points made in this debate when we next consider this matter in the committee. I would go on to say that Alun Davies, in answering some of the questions, said in particular that no action by the Government to date has committed the Government to the prison at Baglan bay, but emphasised that the Government would be continuing to engage...
David Rowlands: We in UKIP welcome this plan and recognise such things as the central Cardiff enterprise zone, which has been a major success story for Wales's financial and professional services sector. We would hope that it's a model for further expansion across all sectors of the economy. We also note the Cabinet Secretary's past admission that, with all the challenges that we face in Wales, we can only...
David Rowlands: Can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for his updated statement? We all acknowledge that transport, in whatever form, is essential for most aspects of daily life. It provides opportunities for people to gain access to jobs, leisure and social activities, as well as vital services, including health and education. It is crucial as a driver of economic prosperity, connecting businesses with their...
David Rowlands: Can I echo some of the comments with regard to urban conurbation that have been made by the Members here? If you stand on a hill overlooking Cwmbran and Newport, then the actual conurbation itself is often obscured by tree cover, and it would be great to see that echoed in other cities throughout Wales. Woodlands are a unique environmental and commercial asset, so given the environment of...
David Rowlands: I thank the Members involved for bringing this debate to the Chamber, though following on from the Cabinet statements yesterday and the responses that followed, I'm not sure there's a great deal to add to what has been said before. But, in the great tradition of politicians, I won't let that deter me. It is universally accepted that Wales is in dire need of a modern integrated transport...
David Rowlands: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Given the prevailing situation, I shall deliver the opening part of this debate on behalf of my fellow AM. Today's debate is on the subject of housing need and how we can use the levers that we have in the Assembly to address those needs. A variety of different kinds of housing is needed to serve the interests of all the population of Wales. We in UKIP are not...
David Rowlands: The Conservatives, in their amendment, appear to agree with the general theme of our motion, but have also diverged from us on some of the specific proposals, notably the need for the housing development corporation. They favour incentivising local councils and other public bodies that already exist, rather than creating something new. I will examine that specific issue later on in the...
David Rowlands: With these prefabs, there was a move away from brick, using instead timber frames, steel frames and aluminium frames. There are indeed certain similarities between the postwar prefabs and modular homes that are going up, albeit in small numbers, today. Modular homes are built in sections in a factory setting, then transported to the site. There, they are placed on a pre-made foundation,...
David Rowlands: Diolch, Llywydd. Can I take this, my first opportunity, to wish you, the Cabinet Secretary and the rest of the Members of this Assembly a happy new year? Blwyddyn newydd dda. Cabinet Secretary, local authorities, businesses and the charitable sector are making very real efforts to address the challenges facing Wales, but the progress that many would like to see is minimal and, in some cases,...
David Rowlands: Well, once again, I thank the Cabinet Secretary for his reply, but I have to say that I think the time has ended where we can keep on blaming austerity in Wales for our lack of progress. Once again, after 17 years, the people of Wales are facing another promise of jam tomorrow. The First Minister said, prior to the 2016 Assembly elections, that 'we started the job five years ago, and I need...
David Rowlands: Again, I thank the Cabinet Secretary, and I do share, to a certain extent, your belief that perhaps things may be changing, but things do not all go well, particularly for the poorest in our society. The burden on the taxpayer in 2018 is likely to increase. The Welsh Government's rents policy will increase social housing itself by £200 per two-bedroomed home. And likewise, the modest...
David Rowlands: Can I, first, fully endorse and commend the First Minister's letter to the UK Government in support of the Swansea bay development and reiterate UKIP's total support for any interventions that might bring that development about? Cabinet Secretary, we do not have to look far outside the confines of this Chamber to experience the chronic inadequacies of the road infrastructure in Wales. Some...
David Rowlands: Cabinet Secretary, I rise today not so much to pose a question, but simply to say that UKIP unreservedly welcomes and congratulates the Welsh Government on this investment, particularly as it's in an area that is one of the most deprived in Wales, and I'm absolutely certain that the constituents of Ebbw Vale will wholeheartedly welcome this announcement. TVR ticks all the boxes as far as...
David Rowlands: Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on local government reform?
David Rowlands: Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on scope within the planning process for action to be taken against empty premises in town centres?
David Rowlands: Can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for his full and comprehensive statement? I take this opportunity to acknowledge that May of this year will certainly be an historic date, when the first ever contract with a 'made in Wales' label will be awarded. Your vision, Cabinet Secretary, that Transport for Wales should take on a similar role to Transport for London is one that I fully support. The...
David Rowlands: Diolch, Llywydd. Following on with theme explored by some earlier AMs with their questions, does the leader of the house think that the intervention agencies dealing with domestic abuse in Wales are robust enough to deal with this pernicious crime?
David Rowlands: I thank the leader of the house for her answer, but latest figures show that reported incidents of domestic crime rose in the police areas of Dyfed-Powys, Gwent and north Wales by 23 per cent, and a massive 48 per cent in the South Wales Police area. Whilst much of these rises may well be attributed to police recognition and growing confidence in reporting such crime, does the leader of the...
David Rowlands: Again, I thank the leader of the house for that comprehensive answer, but Welsh Women's Aid, one of the excellent agencies—I'm sure you alluded to it earlier on—dealing with domestic crime, and part of whose remit is the provision of refuges for victims, are hugely concerned with cuts to funding, citing the fact that 388 survivors of domestic abuse could not be accommodated in 2016. These...
