Andrew RT Davies: Well, you can look at austerity in two ways: you can look at it in the way that you look at it, as a failed policy, finance Secretary, or you can look at it—[Interruption.] Or you can look at it as living within your means. We all know what happens when the Labour Party get their hands on the finances. It just spirals out of control, and it’s the next generation that has to pick up the...
Andrew RT Davies: But, going back to the question, the question refers to the resilience of public services in Wales. I was just wondering: has the finance Secretary had a chance to have a detailed conversation around the Cabinet table of how the Cabinet will make use of the additional capital expenditure that’s available via the comprehensive spending review? I believe in the region of £400 million has...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Presiding Officer. First Minister, the interim report from the commission on health and social care published its findings today. The Government obviously set this commission in motion, and the final report is due at the end of this year. Previous Labour Governments haven’t got a very good record when it comes to implementing detailed findings from commissions, such as the...
Andrew RT Davies: I think what’s important for us to understand, in fairness—. And I commend you for setting up the parliamentary review, because some of the findings that they’ve made available today are backed up by evidence, showing, obviously, in the next couple of years, we’ll see a 44 per cent increase in over-65s, and yet a 5 per cent contraction in working-age people, which shows that there are...
Andrew RT Davies: I think what would have given us more confidence is if we could have had a clearer answer that would have said, ‘Yes, this will form our thinking going forward—the recommendations’, and that ultimately you look forward to delivering those recommendations, rather than just looking forward to getting the report and then deciding what to do, because time is of the essence. As Mansel...
Andrew RT Davies: I’d like to raise with the leader of the house, the possibility of having a statement. Although not in my constituency, I’ve been approached by workers who are deeply distressed by the news about Coilcolor today and the potential that 50 jobs could be lost by the end of the week in Newport. There does seem to be a dispute between the Welsh Government and this particular company. I don’t...
Andrew RT Davies: Minister, thank you for your statement this afternoon. It does remind me of a predecessor of yours, Leighton Andrews, who was up and down on his feet on the same afternoon serving us several statements at once. I hope you don’t have the same political future as, obviously, that particular Minister had. But I do welcome your statement. Obviously, you have put a huge amount of personal energy...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Presiding Officer. First Minister, yesterday the auditor general issued this report into the Cardiff and Vale university health board’s contractual relationships with RKC Associates, which, for the uninitiated, is a human resources company. In the 10 years that I’ve being in this Assembly—and I’ve seen quite a few reports, in fairness, in those 10 years—this clearly is...
Andrew RT Davies: First Minister, I had hoped you’d be far better briefed than that. It isn’t exclusively a matter for Cardiff and Vale health board by any stretch of the imagination. This is a health board that is in some measure of special measures from the Welsh Government—financial scrutiny, in particular, because it faces a huge financial deficit of £30 million to £35 million, at the last...
Andrew RT Davies: I notice you didn’t give a vote of confidence to the chair of the health board, and I offered you that opportunity. Can you not understand how frustrated and how angry members of the health board feel when they see a report like this that identifies consultants being brought in on £1,000 a day plus expenses? Over the 18 months of the employment, £26,000 plus VAT in expenses...
Andrew RT Davies: In First Minister’s questions, I raised with the First Minister this damning report that’s come from the auditor general around the way that Cardiff and Vale University Local Health Board has recruited someone to a senior position within its structures at director level, has engaged in carrying over considerable sums of public money—over £300,000 of public money—that there does seem...
Andrew RT Davies: Minister, you just said that the strategy will be unveiled tomorrow. The Minister, Alun Davies, made a statement last week. I did press him on his statement to try and explain what the hubs economically are going to achieve. He talked that there would be six hubs. One of those six is the automotive enterprise park—call it what you will—in Blaenau Gwent that has been allocated £100...
Andrew RT Davies: Will you take an intervention?
Andrew RT Davies: We know that this responsibility is coming to the Assembly as of next year. I hope the Government aren’t waiting to do some of the preparatory work that might be required to put the safeguards in place when there seems to be a consensus around this Chamber. As I said, we know the scope of the responsibilities that we’ll be inheriting come April next year, so can you confirm that the...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Presiding Officer. First Minister, in August, the report about Kris Wade was published from the Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Local Health Board. This was a desktop review into the employment by that health board of Kris Wade, a man who is currently serving a 21-year sentence for the sexually motivated killing of 65-year-old Christine James. In the years leading up to Ms...
Andrew RT Davies: First Minister, it’s my understanding that not one patient, not one medical professional and not one member of staff was asked to give a formal interview in the course of the review. That, surely, is unacceptable. Can you confirm that Healthcare Inspectorate Wales will take evidence from clinicians, from patients and, above all, anyone associated with the investigation that allowed the...
Andrew RT Davies: I think most people would say it would be fair for you or your Government, in the shape of the Cabinet Secretary, to set the terms of reference for the Healthcare Inspectorate Wales inquiry report, investigation, call it what you will, because obviously he has asked them to do that. When I found out that not one medical person had been asked, not one patient had been asked, to give evidence...
Andrew RT Davies: Leader of the house, is it possible to have a statement from the Cabinet Secretary with responsibility for transport about the improvements on the Heads of the Valleys road, and I use the word ‘improvements’, because obviously when the work is completed it will be a radical improvement on the transport opportunities that businesses have in that particular part of the world. But businesses...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. First Minister, thank you for your statement this afternoon. One thing both you and I must be contributing to the local economy is buying our suits in the same shop. I notice we’ve got the same suit, but you extended to the waistcoat, you did. [Laughter.] I won’t expect any quips. I welcome the statement. Obviously, it’s a progression on from the...
Andrew RT Davies: I will wind up.
