David Rowlands: I'm afraid, coming a little late in a debate, that sometimes many of the points that I wish to make have already been made, Cabinet Secretary. I thank you, obviously, for your statement, and please forgive me if I do reiterate some of the points that have already been made this evening. The measurement of any programme can be challenging. We see with many plans that the focus is often on...
David Rowlands: 4. Will the First Minister make a statement on ambulance response times across Wales? OAQ51837
David Rowlands: Well, I thank the First Minister for that answer, but does he feel that it is unacceptable that one of my elderly constituents, after suffering a fall, had to wait over 10 hours for an ambulance to arrive? This was before the recent inclement weather. During this time, she was advised by response staff not to move in case she exacerbated her injuries. Dutifully, she lay on the bathroom floor...
David Rowlands: Diolch, Llywydd. Cabinet Secretary, with the UK being listed by the Forbes as being the best place in the world to do business, where does Wales stand in comparison?
David Rowlands: I thank the Cabinet Secretary for that answer. I think all of us in this Chamber would recognise the fact that we need to considerably improve our act if we are to develop our business and commercial base in Wales, and, as discussed in the latest questions session, one of the key enablers to improvement is education. Nothing will do more to stimulate growth indigenously and also for inward...
David Rowlands: Again, I thank the Cabinet Secretary for his answer, and for the confidence he has in the Government's economic strategy. But the Federation of Small Businesses and business in general have long complained about the disconnect between employers and the academic establishment. Does that Cabinet Secretary believe that there are now policies in place to radically improve on this failing?
David Rowlands: Before I begin, Deputy Llywydd, I believe that I should declare an interest in that I have been a sitting magistrate, a JP, for 15 years, and I'm still technically a JP. My desire to make a contribution to this debate is that I wish to defend certain aspects of the British judicial system and those who administer it, and to reassure the general public who may hear this debate that, in all the...
David Rowlands: Well, indeed. Throughout my years as a magistrate it was emphasised to all those involved in the judicial system—magistrates, judges and of course the probation service—that incarceration was to be the final and ultimate form of punishment. Yes, on rare occasions mistakes may be made, but that is true of any institution, especially one, such as a judiciary, dealing with almost...
David Rowlands: Of course.
David Rowlands: Excuse me, I'm just explaining that. I'm saying that it's dealing with almost insurmountable problems linked inextricably to a rising tide of serious crime. This rising crime rate includes violence against the person, sexual offences and widespread trafficking of drugs, as acknowledged by this Ministry of Justice report of 2013. We can add to this new forms of crime increasingly associated...
David Rowlands: Well, I'm sorry, David, I'm very au fait with the sentencing guidelines and I can assure you they are there not to send people to prison. I will say here that I have a great deal of sympathy with the views expressed in items 1(b) and 2(b). I believe that there should be a substantial expansion in secure mental facilities as an alternative to normal prisons and that some, but by no means all,...
David Rowlands: Thank you for agreeing an intervention, John. Actually, what I'm saying is simply that it is the return of so many prisoners—. And I am absolutely in agreement with all those in this Chamber. Jenny Rathbone spoke about Holland and the way they treat their prisoners. It's the way we treat our prisoners that means they are returning back to prison when they shouldn't be. I am in absolute...
David Rowlands: Diolch, Llywydd. I'm pleased to open this debate on the petition 'Calling on the Welsh Government to ban the use of wild animals in circuses in Wales'. I want to begin by paying tribute to the petitioner, Linda Joyce Jones, whose passion and dedication to this issue and to animal welfare in general has been clear for the committee to see. Members of the Petitions Committee and, indeed, a...
David Rowlands: I would like to formally thank Linda for bringing the petition forward and for prompting the Assembly to consider this important issue. The petition collected a total of 6,398 signatures. Those signatures were collected online and on paper and from across Wales and further afield. Clearly, this is an issue that concerns many people in Wales who object to wild animals being used for the...
David Rowlands: Diolch, Llywydd. I'd like to thank all the Members for their contributions to the debate and, again, to the petitioner for bringing this petition forward. It's obvious by the numbers who have wanted to speak during this debate that there is huge cross-party support for the ban on wild animals in circuses. Paul Davies spoke about it being mixed up with mobile animal exhibits, and he was...
David Rowlands: Yes, I'll be corrected on that, of course, Cabinet Secretary.
David Rowlands: Yes, thank you. Well, I would urge her to seriously consider the use of section 12 of the animal rights Act, because it's obvious, throughout the comments made in this Chamber today, that we need urgent action with regard to this, otherwise we will be falling behind other legislatures and Wales will be looked at as an easy option for these circuses. So, I will mention the fact that we will,...
David Rowlands: How does the First Minister ensure that the Welsh Government operates in an open and transparent manner?
David Rowlands: Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the provision of health services in Welsh prisons?
David Rowlands: Following on from the other participants, we understand the Welsh Government is considering a deposit-return scheme to cut down on the use of single-use drink containers. This, of course, follows on from the hugely successful charge placed on plastic bags. Can I urge the Government to make sure that any deposit-return charge is set at a level that will make the return scheme a viable option?...
