Nick Ramsay: Leader of the house, I'm delighted to announce to the Chamber that the Freshwater Habitats Trust have appointed me as the Assembly's new species champion for the freshwater pearl mussel as part of their #ShowTheLove campaign, a role that I am going to relish, I'm sure. I'll be raising many questions on protecting that species with the Cabinet Secretary when I bed into the role—on the sea...
Nick Ramsay: Can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for Finance for his statement, and also for the co-operation he has given, both to me during the budget-forming process and with the Chair of the Finance Committee and the members of that committee? I have to say that I did find your speech a rather strange mixture, Cabinet Secretary, and I would say that it was a little bit like the budget, good in parts...
Nick Ramsay: I do, yes. I think that a lot of things that the Welsh budget aspires to do, and says that it wants to do, are good, but when you look into the greater detail, that simply isn't there. I realise I'm running out of time, Presiding Officer, but at the start of my contribution I did say that I thought that this budget should be one that looks at creating a transformational change. I think we...
Nick Ramsay: Thanks, Jane, for giving way. I agree with what you say about the future generations legislation. I think, in principle, it's a great piece of legislation, but the Finance Committee did have major problems in proving how, actually, the budget was really being affected by the future generations legislation and vice versa. I know that, if Steffan Lewis was here, he'd probably be making that...
Nick Ramsay: Thank you for giving way. I welcome the money that has come in to the Welsh Government from the UK Government, as you did yourself in your written statement. So, I was just pointing out that your speech was overtly negative. I'm all for a sense of balance, and I know you agree with that, Cabinet Secretary, but also I would appreciate that you recognise the difference between real-terms...
Nick Ramsay: I wasn’t going to speak in this debate, because, as the Cabinet Secretary knows, the Welsh Conservatives will be supporting this instrument. However, I’ve been inspired to do so by the comments made by Adam Price. Whilst I do have a measure of sympathy for the comments that you’ve just made, Adam, in terms of your long-standing commitment to change the whole business rates system in...
Nick Ramsay: I have two more words to say, but go for it.
Nick Ramsay: No, I think that we're talking at cross purposes here. I think that in terms of the wider issue of business rates and an unfairness that currently exists in Wales, I agree with that. However, we do have the situation of a change across the border. There is, I believe, a Barnett consequential that is going to come here—well, perhaps the Cabinet Secretary can say what that consequential will...
Nick Ramsay: Thanks for giving way. I also welcome the fact that the Welsh Government did make Sativex available for the treatment of medical conditions. Isn't key to this motion, though, the problem that it is not available to all those people who need it, perhaps because there are supply issues, cost issues—whatever that might be—and people are currently being criminalised because they are having to...
Nick Ramsay: What discussions has the Cabinet Secretary had with local authorities regarding the fairness of the funding formula for Wales's 22 councils?
Nick Ramsay: First Minister, I think Lee Waters made a very good point, and I agree with most of your answer there. Yesterday, I attended the Severn growth summit at the Celtic Manor. The summit looked at ways of developing the economy of south-east Wales, particularly now in the light of, first, the reduction in, and then the decision to abolish, the Severn bridge tolls later in the year. First Minister,...
Nick Ramsay: Leader of the house, I mentioned in First Minister's questions that I attended the packed Severn growth summit at the Celtic Manor Resort, which is looking at ways of building on changes such as the abolition of the Severn bridge tolls later in the year. Would it be possible to have a statement from the Welsh Government on how you also intend as a Government to work to develop the economy of...
Nick Ramsay: Diolch, Llywydd. Finance Secretary, yesterday, the First Minister didn't fully answer the leader of the opposition's question on an upper funding cap for the proposed M4 relief road. Are you prepared to give details of a cap, or is the Welsh Government happy for the costs simply to spiral?
Nick Ramsay: Diolch. I don't disagree with what you've just said, finance Secretary, and I appreciate that there's currently an ongoing public inquiry looking into the different possible solutions and routes for the M4 and that should be allowed to take its course. I also appreciate that there's a policy issue to be debated here, and you're not the Secretary to do that with. However, I'm asking you...
Nick Ramsay: Thank you, finance Secretary. I'm getting increasingly concerned, because once again today there appears to be a distinct lack of figures. It wasn't that long ago that the Welsh Government told the Assembly that the cost would be less than £1 billion. I think a guarantee of some form was issued to us, whether it was that word or not, back then. But it now seems that this was grossly...
Nick Ramsay: Diolch, Dirprwy Llywydd, and congratulations, or maybe not congratulations, to the Chair of the Finance Committee for having the onerous task of taking that Bill forward. We’ve had many discussions about that, and that does have the support of the committee.
Nick Ramsay: I'm pleased to be here to debate today the Finance Committee's inquiry into the financial estimates accompanying legislation—probably not the talk of bars and pubs across the land, but nonetheless—[Interruption.] Well, maybe in your neck of the woods, Dai Lloyd. Nonetheless an important issue for us to discuss because it does go to the heart of what we do here in terms of forming...
Nick Ramsay: Will the Cabinet Secretary give way?
Nick Ramsay: On that specific point—because I did mention the fact you'd rejected that recommendation. I do take the Welsh Government's point on why you didn't find that recommendation acceptable, but would you at least undertake to look at ways that the process can be bolstered so that those issues of funding and affordability, whilst I understand they're being looked at in other areas, are brought...
Nick Ramsay: Will you also accept an intervention on fuzzy boundaries? [Laughter.]
