Lee Waters: I’ve been speaking to some headteachers recently who are concerned about the evidence base for this policy. They’re also concerned that schools that are already oversubscribed—by reducing the standard number, it may result in them being able to take even fewer pupils. They’re also concerned about the ability of the school buildings to cope with the changes that will flow from this...
Lee Waters: I must confess that when I first read the motion, that, following Brexit, Tata Steel in Port Talbot has a better chance of survival, I thought it was a sick joke. I don’t want to begrudge those who campaigned to leave the EU their moment to enjoy their victory, but I would ask them not to be flippant. I have constituents working in Port Talbot, and hundreds of families reliant on the...
Lee Waters: I will.
Lee Waters: I’m simply reflecting the views of business, and he’s taking a very selective view of the economic picture to justify the hell that has been unleashed on the markets. An economic policy based simply on the cheap exchange rate is a very short-sighted one, I would argue. A few weeks ago, as David Rees, the Member for Aberavon, has already said, he and I met with the chief executive of Tata...
Lee Waters: Same in Carmarthenshire.
Lee Waters: Minister, I share the scepticism about the medium-term interests of Tata. They’ve been playing a game of hokey cokey with us. They’ve been in and they’re out, and they’re in again. Given that Gerry Holtham has estimated that the contribution of Port Talbot to the Welsh economy is the equivalent of 6 per cent of gross value added, it’s important that Tata understands that this is not...
Lee Waters: Diolch, Lywydd. Can I pay tribute to Bethan Jenkins for the interest she’s shown in this area over recent years? I’m very pleased that this Assembly has now established a committee with communication specifically within its remit, and I’m very pleased to be serving on it, and look forward to serving with her. As the motion notes, in the last 10 years the amount of money invested in...
Lee Waters: 5. Will the First Minister provide an update on the Welsh Government's progress in recruiting more GPs? OAQ(5)0120(FM)
Lee Waters: Thank you, First Minister. There’s understandable concern in Kidwelly, First Minister, about the difficulty in recruiting and retaining GPs in the Minafon surgery, and local Labour councillors have been working hard with the health board to try and inform the community. In fairness to Hywel Dda, they’ve been trying their best to try and recruit a clinical team to the surgery and to bring...
Lee Waters: Minister, having spent many happy hours walking 10 miles a day through the streets of Llanelli during the election campaign, I witnessed at first hand the litter problem we have in the town. I’m now discussing with the local authority setting up on a cross-party basis a litter taskforce for the town. One of the issues that comes back time and again on Facebook from residents is the...
Lee Waters: 6. What work is the Welsh Government undertaking in relation to precision agriculture? OAQ(5)0030(ERA)
Lee Waters: Thank you, Minister. Some estimates suggest that farm production could increase by as much as 30 per cent through the use of big data and analytics. Leading thinkers in innovation are identifying precision agriculture as the most important development in modern farming, encouraging the efficient use of scarce resources and minimising the use of harmful chemicals. I’d urge the Minister to be...
Lee Waters: Will you give way?
Lee Waters: Thank you very much. With the greatest of respect, we have heard this speech several times before. At the briefings lunch time in the Assembly, the Institute for Fiscal Studies said it is now the consensus of economists that the British economy is going to shrink as a result of Brexit. So, while we are hearing increased informed commentary about the negative effects that come before us, the...
Lee Waters: Will you take an intervention?
Lee Waters: Would you give way?
Lee Waters: It is slightly alarming listening to the anecdote that we are having in place of evidence when we face such severe economic challenges. Paul Johnson, who is the highly respected head of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, said that our economy will be significantly smaller as a result of Brexit. So, let’s talk about facts and serious opinion, rather than anecdote.
Lee Waters: I’ll intervene again. Caroline Jones gave a speech based on some businesses she had met, and this is somehow a substantive response to all of the economists saying our economy is going to decline. And you’re telling us about effluent coming from car washes. So, that’s anecdote.
Lee Waters: First Minister, there’s been considerable progress in harnessing the power of the public pound, but there’s still more to do. Professor Kevin Morgan, who’s one of Europe’s leading experts on sustainable food, has pointed to a skills gap as a major challenge ahead of us. He’s made suggestions about recruiting a dozen skilled professionals to be able to give the Welsh public sector...
Lee Waters: Thank you, Minister, for your statement and for the personal commitment that both you and the Cabinet Secretary for the economy have shown for this agenda. In many ways, passing the legislation is the easy bit in this project. This is an ambitious and generational project to try and change attitudes and behaviours, and even though, through the existence of the Act, we have some very...
