Rhun ap Iorwerth: I welcome that intervention, but I would point out that what we would be talking about here is possibly regulated raw cannabis, which would be much safer, of course, and would be prescribable. That is the whole point of what we're talking about. I will also address a point that was made in an intervention and also from the UKIP Member for South Wales West, who talked about smoking cannabis....
Rhun ap Iorwerth: The evidence is clear, I think, or certainly I have been convinced. In 2016, as we heard, the results of seven months of research by a cross-party group in Westminster were published. That inquiry, in turn, was based on a world-wide review of evidence, and the very clear recommendation was that cannabis should be legalised for medical use. It is important, of course, that we draw up...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Will you take an intervention?
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Just very briefly—and thank you for taking the intervention—wouldn't removing the barrier of legality help ease the way towards seeking methods of using cannabis in a medicinal way?
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Certainly, I learnt a great deal during this inquiry. I have experience in my constituency as an Assembly Member for Ynys Môn of seeing a cluster at work—a very effective cluster as I understand it. I've sat in on cluster meetings and have seen the multidisciplinary work coming together in a way that I believe was very effective on behalf of my constituents in Ynys Môn. But I've also...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Welsh Government has rejected five of the committee recommendations. That's nearly a third. I'm disappointed at that as a committee member. I don't think it's particularly acceptable, in that none of those five, I don't think, are particularly controversial. I don't consider them to have massive financial implications, but, of course, I look forward to hearing the Cabinet Secretary's...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: I’m looking at a map of the electric car charging points across Britain. We see, across north Wales, how poor the provision is in terms of swift charging. I look forward to the revolution in the use of electric vehicles, but that isn’t going to be able to happen unless the Government truly shows ambition and puts a strategy in place in order to ensure that we are preparing the...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Firstly, any evidence that people are finding it easier now to get drugs that they are entitled to is to be welcomed, but a word of background: you may recall that, in 2014, Plaid Cymru announced a policy of seeking a new treatment fund that was specifically designed to fund the drugs obtained through individual patient funding requests. I'm very pleased that we are a step forward now, as a...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Thank you very much, Llywydd. In the absence of our finance spokesperson, I hope that the Cabinet Secretary will forgive me for mentioning health. But don’t worry—it’s in the context of budgetary allocations. Cabinet Secretary, how does the Welsh Government, in allocating funds to large public bodies such as the health service, ensure that those funds are spent in a way that is...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Thank you very much. I do consider that to be a useful answer. It is an ambition of Government to enhance healthcare services in the community, but it’s difficult to check whether that’s happening in terms of where the funds are going because we get only a single budget line from you as Cabinet Secretary. Don’t you believe that there is scope to provide some sub-budget lines, in order...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: There’s a responsibility on you as Cabinet Secretary to ensure that public funds in Wales are spent as effectively as possible, and I appreciate, from your earlier answer, that you do hold meetings with Cabinet Secretaries in different areas in order to assess whether things are going in the right direction. To give one specific example, we know that expenditure on primary care has reduced...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Will you take an intervention? Just very quickly—thank you for taking an intervention. Is the Member aware—and I note that you called the Northern Powerhouse England's Northern Powerhouse—are you aware that north Wales is included in publicity material for the Northern Powerhouse, not as a partner for the English Northern Powerhouse to work with?
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Will you take an intervention?
Rhun ap Iorwerth: On that point, what was the figure when Labour were in Government?
Rhun ap Iorwerth: In the absence of my colleague and the Plaid Cymru spokesperson on the economy, it's my pleasure to participate in this important debate and to make a few comments. Without doubt, there are some elements of the strategy that we would welcome: a new emphasis on the foundation economy, decarbonisation and the decision to encourage businesses to be more responsible if they are to receive...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: With permission from the Presiding Officer, yes.
Rhun ap Iorwerth: The point I make is this: close co-operation is very, very important. You can look throughout the world at the importance of cross-border co-operation, but let's remember what the focus is here, and be realistic about the fact that it's not the interests of Wales that's at the heart of some of these developments, like those trumpeted by Alun Cairns this week. The fact, I think, that it's...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: The figures don't bear that up, and I'll remind you that, in those years, Wales took some of the steps that the UK Government failed to take to stand up to the worst problems caused by the financial downturn.
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Which part of 'those relationships across the border are vital' did you not understand?
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Will the Leader of the House make a statement on the importance of access to 3G/4G services in rural areas?
