David Rowlands: Well, I make no excuses for repeating some of the figures used by Bethan Sayed and others, because they deserve repeating time and time again. Approximately 600,000 children live in Wales. Of those, one in three, or 200,000, are in poverty; 90,000 are living in severe poverty. More than half of Welsh children in low-income families are worried their parents are finding it harder to pay for...
David Rowlands: First Minister, one of the fundamentals of economics is the law of supply and demand. If supply exceeds demand, the price of a commodity falls. This applies as much to the supply of labour as any other commodity. Would the First Minister not agree with me that it is the over-supply of cheap labour, especially in the semi-skilled and unskilled marketplace, caused by uncontrolled mass...
David Rowlands: It is gratifying to see that the Welsh Government now has a clear idea of its role in supporting the business community in Wales, especially with regard to investment. It appears we now have a framework within which the Government can achieve its objectives. This is an essential part of delivering that much-needed boost to prosperity so desperately needed by the people of Wales, especially...
David Rowlands: Before I begin, I feel I ought to declare an interest and would assert that I am obviously eminently qualified to take part in this debate. I would fully endorse the Minister when he says that he wants Wales to be the best place in the world to grow old and even to be old. We live in a world obsessed by age and stereotypical views of older people. All too often they're spoken about in a...
David Rowlands: No, sorry, Llywydd. I'm sorry.
David Rowlands: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. On behalf of the Petitions Committee, I welcome the opportunity to introduce this afternoon’s debate on this petition and our report on the evidence we received. The petition we are discussing was submitted by Tim Deere-Jones, and received 7,171 signatures. It relates to sediment that will be dredged from the Severn estuary close to the site where the Hinkley Point...
David Rowlands: I will address the depth of sampling first. The petitioner was concerned initially that samples had only been taken up to a depth of 5 cm. However, this was not correct. The committee heard that samples were taken and tested in 2009, 2013 and 2017. Some of the 2009 samples were taken up to a depth of 4.8m. The agencies involved in the testing have stated that they found no greater...
David Rowlands: Diolch, Llywydd. Before I make my final comments, I wish to acknowledge and thank the clerking team for the work they have done under pressure of time. So, I do thank them for that. And can I thank the petitioner for bringing this petition forward? It has made us scrutinise the whole procedure with regard to nuclear power dumping, and I do thank you for doing that. I also thank the...
David Rowlands: 1. How does the First Minister assess progress in delivering the commitments relating to economic development set out in the programme for government? OAQ52286
David Rowlands: One of the recommendations of the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee report, 'City Deals and the Regional Economies of Wales', stated, 'There is a real danger that the creation of Regional Boards and structures to support them add an additional level of bureaucracy to economic development in Wales.' We now understand that north Wales, south-west and mid Wales, and the South Wales...
David Rowlands: Well, perhaps I ought to point out that those wonderful trains that Rhun ap Iorwerth referred to on the continent were probably paid for by the billions of pounds Britain has poured into Europe over the last 40 years. But, to move on, can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for this statement, which gives a comprehensive overview of what the new franchise is expected to deliver over the coming...
David Rowlands: I thank the leader of the house for this statement. Of course, UKIP welcomes any project that promotes employment opportunities in some of our most deprived areas. It is especially appropriate that it is in design to engage those who have not been employed for some time and that there is a mention of work for disabled people. However, on the subject of the disabled, would it not have been a...
David Rowlands: Diolch, Llywydd. Cabinet Secretary, statistics consistently confirm that Wales has the highest number of families classed as living in poverty, which at 24 per cent is the highest in the UK, yet those who occupy this Chamber and who are in well-salaried employment have decided that there will be no extraction of shale gas in Wales, period. However, in light of the situation highlighted above,...
David Rowlands: I thank the Cabinet Secretary for that explanation, which, of course, reiterates the same old policies. The United States is at the forefront of the shale gas extraction industry, and it has brought enormous wealth to that country. Many other countries around the world are now seeking to exploit this new resource, including China, Canada, Mexico and Indonesia, as well as countries in Europe,...
David Rowlands: Gas fuel is far cleaner than any other fossil fuel and, indeed, given recent evidence, possibly far cleaner than the wood chip we use to heat this establishment. The dangers relating to extraction have been extensively exaggerated, as statistics from the USA have proven over a number of years. Surely, Cabinet Secretary, the people of Wales have the right to at least have this huge resource...
David Rowlands: You make an eloquent defence of the matter, as you always do, Cabinet Secretary, but again I reiterate: is it right that we allow a quarter of our population to live in poverty when we have a natural resource worth billions of pounds lying dormant beneath our feet? It is estimated, Cabinet Secretary, that there may be up to 34 trillion cubic feet of gas in Wales, with at least 12 trillion...
David Rowlands: Firstly, may I say I'm supporting this motion in a personal capacity? My party will have a free vote on the proposals, and my contribution to this debate will be brief and succinct. I believe it is essential that the people of Wales have the broadest—[Interruption.] I'm sorry. I believe it is essential that the people of Wales have the broadest possible range of choice with regard to energy...
David Rowlands: Of course.
David Rowlands: Shall I say that we are a party that thinks out of the box? [Laughter.] And therefore we're a party of free minds as well. Well, I thank Plaid Cymru for bringing this debate to the Chamber, and the establishment of a not-for-profit Welsh-based energy company or companies must work in the interests of the Welsh public. Many of the private companies supplying Welsh homes are foreign-owned. This...
David Rowlands: It's a well recognised fact that Japanese knotweed is one of the most pernicious plants ever to be introduced to the British isles. I understand that local councillors have a duty to control knotweed infestations. As these infestations can blight private houses, it is essential that these controls are in place, and yet even a cursory observation of mostly urban areas show that control...
