David Lloyd: Thank you very much for that reply. May I say there are concerns about this examination, particularly in thinking of the ability of individuals to take the examination in Wales in Welsh and the fact that it doesn’t actually address the legal issues that pertain only to Wales, particularly following devolution? Will you join me in taking the opportunity to thank Professor Richard Owen from...
David Lloyd: On Sunday, millions of people across the country joined forces to mark this year's World Cancer Day. Over 19,000 people in Wales are diagnosed with cancer each year, so I would like to take the opportunity today to mark World Cancer Day in the Chamber, to show that cancer remains high on the political agenda. Cancer Research UK is the world’s leading cancer charity dedicated to saving...
David Lloyd: This, really, is to celebrate the phenomenal success of the NHS, actually. Let's set all this in context: back in 1950, King George VI, I think it was then, signed 250 birthday cards for people who were 100 years old—there were 250 centurions throughout the whole of the United Kingdom then. Fast-forward 40 years to 1990, Queen Elizabeth II had to sign 2,500 birthday cards for centurions...
David Lloyd: Much of the Welsh Government's focus on economic development in South Wales West is based on creating two strategic hubs in Neath and north Bridgend as part of the Valleys taskforce, as I'm sure you're well aware, and a key element of that is the release of employment land for industrial use. Now, given that that is also the case for most of the strategic hubs across the rest of the south...
David Lloyd: Leader of the house, I'd like to follow up on a response that you gave me last week in talking about the traffic flow and safety problems on the M4 around Swansea. Now, in the last week alone, another five accidents occurred on this section of the M4, with four individuals being hospitalised and one having to be cut out of his car by the emergency services. Last week, you responded by saying...
David Lloyd: What assessment has the First Minister made of Age Cymru’s report, Care in Crisis?
David Lloyd: As species champion for the grey seals, all the talk on Rhossili rocks is about NRW's recent indicative marine protected areas site condition reports. These apparently have highlighted low confidence in determining the status of protected features such as sub-tidal reefs, with some reported as being in unfavourable conservation status. So, in view of that, will the Cabinet Secretary confirm...
David Lloyd: Naturally, as you know, as part of the city deal, investment in the public sector is crucial, of course, in order to ensure that the necessary infrastructure is in place and that the individual projects, as we’ve heard, have the best opportunity to succeed. Having said that, everyone is aware that private sector investment will also be crucial to the success of the city deal. Without it, it...
David Lloyd: Thank you very much, Llywydd, and I’m very pleased to open this debate on unadopted roads. Following my election to Swansea County Council in 1998, one of the first pieces of casework I received involved an unadopted road in Waunarlwydd. The road in question was full of potholes and uneven, it posed a risk to the health and safety of its users, and, ultimately, it detracted from the local...
David Lloyd: Unadopted roads are the responsibility of the road owner, if they can be found, or the residents of properties fronting on to the unadopted road, often with no help from the local authority even though they pay full council tax. Unadopted roads, of course, can be adopted at the instigation of either a local authority or the frontages, but local authorities would normally expect the road to be...
David Lloyd: Yes.
David Lloyd: Absolutely. I was coming to that as part of a call for a taskforce later on. We need to know exactly where we are now. We are also seeing a rise in the number of new estates being developed with households then subject to annual management fees, sometimes running into hundreds of pounds a year on top of their council tax bills. There can be no doubt that the number of unadopted roads in Wales...
David Lloyd: So, what can we do? Is there a case for changing legislation to ensure that more roads are adopted? Can we seek to establish a national, regional or local funding mechanism that would allow local authorities to adopt roads? What about innovative funding solutions—interest-free loans to residents who want to adopt roads, payable over a long term, perhaps? Is there room to introduce...
David Lloyd: Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. I think in this debate we've seen the National Assembly for Wales at its best, frankly. This is an issue of national importance, and it demands a national approach, as the Cabinet Secretary has just outlined, and I'm very pleased with his response, agreeing to the central tenet of a taskforce where we bring everybody together who's got interest and knowledge...
David Lloyd: Absolutely. Absolutely. Thank you very much, indeed, Mike, and you were the first speaker as well, so thank you very much. Indeed, one of the tenets that the taskforce needs to look at is a change in planning consent, is a change in planning law. I think we've heard a lot of comments about that. David Melding, in his own wonderful way, took us, obviously, back, further back than some of us...
David Lloyd: Siân Gwenllian: the new estate, Caeau Gleision estate. Well, it's not a new estate—it's 40 years old—with a number of roads there that re unadopted. No ducks there.
David Lloyd: David Rowlands, thank you very much indeed for your contribution—and Nick Ramsay—emphasising the real health and safety issues and the need to change the planning law. And a very powerful presentation, once again, from Hefin David here, about the huge number of unadopted roads and the abuse suffered by constituents, and the same point made by Rhun as well. So, it's obviously—. It's...
David Lloyd: Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'm very pleased to open this debate today on the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee's report on loneliness and isolation. As we all know, loneliness and isolation affect anyone at any stage in their lives. There is evidence to suggest that loneliness and isolation can have a significant impact on our physical and mental health. It can...
David Lloyd: The committee agreed that one of our early priorities would be to look at the scale, cause and impact of loneliness and isolation. While we are acutely aware that many other groups of people experience feelings of loneliness and isolation, this inquiry has predominantly focused on older people. Wales has a higher percentage of older people within its population than any other part of the UK....
David Lloyd: Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. In the few minutes remaining, may I thank the Minister for his positive response on the timescale of the strategy? I understand the reasoning behind the funding issues as well, and I congratulate him on being flexible on bringing those responses forward earlier, because isolation and loneliness—as we’ve heard from everyone, there is agreement...
