David Melding: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Can I just say that serving in the fifth Assembly is a great honour? When I compare it to the fourth Assembly, two things stand out: (1) the Deputy Presiding Officer's got much better—[Interruption.] Yes, we're very lucky. But, secondly, the way these debates are being used has brought a new dimension and a new power to the backbenches. Using this...
David Melding: Then Mick said that the practice for existing leaseholders needs to be examined. Again, I think the Minister did indicate that that's a real concern. So, I thought, in general, where you started is where the other Members then took us in more detail, and then the Minister broadly, I thought, did reply to most of the points. Janet Finch-Saunders mentioned the action, or the intentions, that...
David Melding: Can I welcome the fact that the Welsh Government is now moving to adopt a housing first policy, or at least to extensively pilot it? It's something the Welsh Conservatives have been urging for some time, and I'm pleased to see it. I do have some specific questions, however. First of all, how many of the pilots will be on a county basis, or are they on a smaller scale? I think we need to know...
David Melding: Cabinet Secretary, can I say I've not seen such an elegant button hole since William Graham was a regular in the Chamber? You will be aware that the 2016 Tour of Britain event was a huge success for the Cynon valley, not only its economic benefits, but also for the promotion of cycling. I know it's at the elite level, but the rest of us can take inspiration. I believe the 2018 route is...
David Melding: Can I also join with other Members in congratulating Laura McAllister and the panel for producing an authoritative report? I think it stands comparison with anything you'd see produced in other parts of the United Kingdom and it stands in a proud tradition of constitutional reporting that we've had in our history of devolution. Perhaps we've had to do a lot of the thinking along the...
David Melding: No, not all.
David Melding: You will recall, Presiding Officer, that Carl Sargeant and I often clashed on the right to buy—and, it has to be said, on some other housing matters as well—but on this, we were in agreement. And can I welcome his son, Jack, to the Chamber this afternoon? Your father was held in great affection and respect on this side. He was a truly worthy and powerful opponent. I suppose I ought to...
David Melding: I am likely to be making some amendments, basically reflecting what both committees have said, and I'm a member also of CLAC, but in no way will we—well, on this side of the house—put ourselves in a position where we're not able to make the necessary adjustments. Because any restriction on the borrowing capacity of housing associations would deliver a real blow to the targets we currently...
David Melding: It's for you to decide, I think, who—
David Melding: 4. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the impact that smart meters are having on combating fuel poverty in Wales? OAQ51750
David Melding: Two weeks ago, I was with British Gas to discuss the roll-out of smart meters in Wales; 47,000 now have been installed in homes in South Wales Central. They're part of the solution. Obviously, as a more informed consumer, you can observe the impact of your energy consumption. Of course, when combined with better insulation, it can be a key factor in reducing energy poverty. So, I would like...
David Melding: Minister, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health recommends more 20 mph zones around green spaces so that children can walk, cycle and play safely, and also access those spaces more safely. I'm particularly concerned about the lack of access to green spaces for children who live in relatively more deprived areas. We need an action plan to ensure that children do have access to safe...
David Melding: Cabinet Secretary, what are the chances that the rates will actually diverge between Wales and England? Or, do you feel that the problem of the border is always going to be insuperable in terms of having a more nuanced and specific policy in Wales to meet our own needs?
David Melding: I think we've heard two outstanding speeches that covered most of the ground and done so, I think, with great eloquence, because I think we all have experience of this issue and it is a matter that really does affect our constituents. It affects day-to-day life and can leave them in a very exposed financial situation. Like others, I've been very concerned to find that we're way short of best...
David Melding: It's a pleasure to take part in this debate. It's one of a series we've had this afternoon when there is cross-party support for better services in a particular area. Last week, I sponsored for the Time to Change Wales campaign an event here in the Senedd. As you will know, the goal of that campaign is to end mental health stigma and discrimination in Wales. Only a week before—I'm sure many...
David Melding: Yes.
David Melding: Thank you for that. I'm delighted to refer to my friend and colleague Jonathan Morgan, who I greatly miss here, if I might be indulgent. But I think, absolutely, and that was a shift in our practice and aspirations in Wales. Can I just finally, in conclusion, say that I do welcome the Plaid Cymru amendment? I think it does add to the motion, and just to say, in terms of some recent...
David Melding: I'm very grateful to Mark Isherwood for giving me a minute. I just want to focus on the potential we have to drive even more change through social housing. There's already good, indeed best, practice, emerging in this sector, because they can build at scale. So, we can be looking at homes that potentially generate more energy than they consume. That ends fuel poverty in those homes. It's...
David Melding: What additional financial provision has been made to the energy, planning and rural affairs portfolio to support national parks in Wales?
David Melding: Leader of the house, I'm sure you'll welcome the decision by the BBC to eliminate by 2020 all single-use plastics from their premises, and the royal family, which is an institution nearly as grand and august as the BBC, has said that internal caterers at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyrood will have to use china plates and glasses, or...
