Suzy Davies: The next item is the UKIP debate on business rates, and I call on Caroline Jones to move the motion.
Suzy Davies: I have selected the six amendments to the motion. If amendment 1 is agreed, amendments 2 and 3 will be deselected; if amendment 2 is agreed, amendment 3 will be deselected. I call on the leader of the house to move formally amendment 1 tabled in her name.
Suzy Davies: Thank you very much. I call on Nick Ramsay to move amendments 2, 4, 5 and 6 tabled in the name of Paul Davies.
Suzy Davies: I call on Adam Price to move amendment 3, tabled in the name of Rhun ap Iorwerth.
Suzy Davies: I call on the leader of the house, Jane Hutt.
Suzy Davies: Actually, I wanted to ask you a little bit more about the chemical control of Japanese knotweed myself, but I hear your answer there. Have there been any preliminary findings that Swansea University might be able to release, or any additional trials that might have taken place on interim findings? As you know, our local development plan means that there’s going to be quite a lot of land...
Suzy Davies: All our local authority councillors, of course, should consider social justice in all their decision making, but I wonder if it’s likely you will welcome the specific appointment of a social justice champion in Monmouthshire County Council. This is an individual who has been tasked to make sure that the whole concept is cross-cutting through all decision making. Myself, I’d be more than...
Suzy Davies: Will you forgive me for beginning by saying ‘purposeful consultation’ is perhaps just a little bit late for a Government whose last scheme collapsed so spectacularly and which, of course, affected my constituency? The first thing I want to speak about is those constituents. My region pretty much follows the boundaries of the old West Glamorgan authority, which, back in the mists of time...
Suzy Davies: The external affairs committee recently reported on the implication of Brexit for Welsh ports, of course, and there is criticism there that the economy Secretary hadn’t at that stage had direct conversations with his counterpart in Ireland, but I think that that may have happened now. Do you know whether there were any discussions about whether existing technology could be rolled out to...
Suzy Davies: Leader of the house, I’d be grateful if I could repeat my request of four weeks or so ago for a statement regarding the publication of regulations for the Welsh language standards for the health sector. You did say in your reply to me, at the time, that there would be something in the following day’s debate, but there wasn’t, I’m afraid. So, I’d be very grateful if perhaps you could...
Suzy Davies: When did the First Minister last hold discussions with other European regional leaders regarding Brexit?
Suzy Davies: Well, I’m concerned about governance and the delays that uncertainty about it might be causing at the moment. And I was very encouraged by your own comments last year, when you told me that, once the deal is agreed and funding secured—which you’ve just confirmed now—then the board should be representative of businesses in the region. And you assured me that you would include this...
Suzy Davies: Can I just remind Members of my declared interest in that my husband is the partner in a tourism business? Cabinet Secretary, I’m still hoping that this bed tax is something of an Aunt Sally and is included in the list of Welsh Government taxes being considered so you can be seen as a listening Government when you drop the idea. At the moment, it’s a little bit like threatening a child...
Suzy Davies: I’m grateful to you for taking the intervention. I’m wondering, in deciding on choosing the four, which included the tourism tax, for your list, how much evidence you’ve taken from those parts of the world that have decided not to proceed with a tourism tax.
Suzy Davies: Just on that point of consideration, I wonder if you can tell us whether, in examining the case for the new body to replace the language commissioner, the Government, as it says in the White Paper, needs to consider carefully how any staff might be affected and whether there will be transfers of staff. So, can you tell me whether officials have already scoped the likely cost of the Transfer...
Suzy Davies: May I congratulate the new Minister? I look forward to working with you in one of the most important areas covered in this Assembly, namely social care.
Suzy Davies: We won't be opposing these regulations at all, but in the responses to the Government's work on this there were some queries raised about the capacity of the ICT system that will underpin the registration and annual return system. I think the response was that the information had been collated and passed to relevant officials and Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales. I appreciate that...
Suzy Davies: May I also start by welcoming the Minister to her new role and to wish her well? Perhaps she could start by explaining why voting against amendment 2 is in accordance with having an open mind on these issues. I thank the commissioner for her report; it’s a good idea to start with the 2011 census, given that the commissioner is fighting for her role, because she is bound to show that there...
Suzy Davies: Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. Cabinet Secretary, your retained responsibilities after the reshuffle include research and development in health and social care, despite having a social care Minister who oversees the work of Social Care Wales. In assessing your budget priorities, you've elected to cut the money available for that research. What current and future research is likely to...
Suzy Davies: I must admit I was sincerely hoping for an answer as to what exactly you are going to cut in terms of research—not necessarily the amount, but which forms of research are now going to lose out. What exactly are we going to not see being done? Which partners are possibly going to lose their funding as a result of our decision? And just one example would have been fine for that. I'll just...
