Sam Rowlands: Thank you, Minister, for bringing forward today's statement, 'Diversity in Democracy—Survey Results'. Thank you also, Minister, for the advance sight of the statement for Members today as well. As you outlined in your statement, Minister, the decisions councillors make have that real-life impact on our communities across Wales as a whole, and on this side of the benches we certainly welcome...
Sam Rowlands: I thank the Member for submitting today's important question, and I certainly support much of the sentiment expressed by the constituency Member for Ynys Môn there as well. And it is welcome news, of course, Minister, to see the work taking place to reopen the bridge. But myself and Mark Isherwood as a fellow north Wales MS, have been joining meetings with the MP Virginia Crosbie with local...
Sam Rowlands: Minister, I'm grateful for your response to the Member for Alyn and Deeside, who raised a really important issue this afternoon. I am aware that the civil engineering sector are extremely concerned about the lack of suitable skills provision, particularly for groundworkers in Wales. It would appear that there is currently no provision at any of Wales's FE colleges for groundworker...
Sam Rowlands: Can I first put on record my thanks to the Chairman of the committee, John Griffiths, for his chairmanship and work in producing today's committee report, alongside my committee colleagues, the Ministers who gave evidence, the clerks, the committee's support team, of course, and the raft of organisations who provided evidence for the report we're considering here today? And as in the...
Sam Rowlands: Yes, I think it is a real concern, and it's something that we as a committee looked into, and we're hoping the Welsh Government would be keen to look at further themselves as well. And I think, Mark Isherwood, you were absolutely right to raise it here this afternoon. But there's also a concern across some local authorities in Wales that many are reluctant to give away or transfer their...
Sam Rowlands: Will the Minister make a statement on the role of faith schools in North Wales?
Sam Rowlands: Good afternoon, Minister. You may recall that, on 15 November, during the business statement, I called for a Welsh Government statement outlining the full economic costings of the introduction of the default 20 mph speed limit in Wales. I requested this on the back of a letter that all councillors in Wales received from the Government outlining that the 20 mph speed limit change would save...
Sam Rowlands: Diolch, Llywydd. Before I go into my question, I'm sure, Llywydd, you'd like to join me in welcoming members of the Canadian Parliament who've joined us today through the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, and have the pleasure of observing our proceedings this afternoon. I'm sure they'll enjoy it as much as we do. Good afternoon, Minister. You touched, in response to one of your...
Sam Rowlands: Thank you, Minister, for your response then. A key issue in regard to that funding for those local authorities is the way in which that funding is dished out. As you'll know, a significant part of funding for those councils comes in the form of grants. I believe around £1.4 billion of the funding that those councils receive comes in grants. Of course, the money itself is welcome, but perhaps...
Sam Rowlands: Thank you, Minister. If I may, I just want to focus my last question on virtual council meetings. It's an issue that I've raised a number of times here in the Chamber and an issue that I raised with you last week as well. Also, we saw yesterday another media story showing a shambolic situation where it looks as though an alleged sex act took place over a Zoom meeting during a meeting of...
Sam Rowlands: I'm grateful to be able to speak in today's very important Welsh Conservative debate on offshore renewable energy, tabled in the name of my colleague, Darren Millar, and, of course, opened by Janet Finch-Saunders. And since becoming a Member of the Parliament here for North Wales, I've been a huge advocate of the fantastic benefits that offshore renewable energy contains, but also the...
Sam Rowlands: Thank you, Janet Finch-Saunders, also for giving me a minute of your time on this really important debate. And I certainly want to echo the comments of colleagues in terms of support for this really important potential and future industry. And of course, within all this, north Wales, in particular north-east Wales, has a great opportunity to see this technology flourish. And at this point,...
Sam Rowlands: Can I thank Rhun ap Iorwerth for submitting today's topical question? I'd like to echo the comments made by the Member for Ynys Môn. First and foremost, it's devastating news for residents on Ynys Môn, in particular in Llangefni as well, where, as we heard, there are 730 jobs at serious risk at the 2 Sisters Food Group there. It's extremely serious, especially in the context of a number of...
Sam Rowlands: Thank you, Ken Skates, for submitting this important question here today. I certainly share some disappointment regarding decisions not to be able to support the bid for the levelling-up funding for the Wrexham Gateway project. But I'm pleased to hear the Minister's positive response in terms of the ongoing discussions with the Wrexham Gateway partnership, and that engagement with the...
Sam Rowlands: I'd first like to echo the comments made regarding the devastating impact of the proposed closure of the 2 Sisters Llangefni site, and the real importance for both the UK and Welsh Governments to work together to achieve as positive an outcome as possible. So, I certainly support the Member for Ynys Môn's calls for that. It has been positive, Minister, as I'm sure you'd agree, to see that...
Sam Rowlands: Can I also thank the Welsh Government Minister for bringing forward today’s debate on the 2023-24 draft budget? Of course, it has a really important impact on our communities, on everyone in Wales, and it’s something that, I’m sure, everyone’s been eagerly anticipating. It’s clear from our side of the benches and throughout contributions so far, along with our amendment to today’s...
Sam Rowlands: Certainly.
Sam Rowlands: Absolutely. Mark Isherwood raises an important point from his experience here in the Senedd, and I absolutely agree with every point that he's made there because there's a broader point here around preventative services not being properly supported, and the consequential effect on budgets elsewhere within the Welsh Government's control. Of course, it's fair to say that this budget has come...
Sam Rowlands: I just want to echo the comments raised by the Member for Arfon, and recognise that this important focus is required on public transport, especially for rural areas, in areas like Arfon and across north Wales—the region I represent, of course. Deputy Minister, I'm sure you are an avid reader of the Welsh Conservative manifesto, especially the one for the 2021 Senedd elections. In that, we...
Sam Rowlands: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Can I say what a pleasure it is to be able to close today's Welsh Conservatives debate on free ports, submitted in the name of my colleague Darren Millar? As outlined by Paul Davies in opening today's debate and outlined in point 1 of our motion, free ports have a role in really energising the Welsh economy. As the Minister just mentioned there, they're certainly not...
