Andrew RT Davies: I am grateful for the clarity on the tolling, but, again, you can't seem to have the two projects here in isolation, because the two projects are so massive in their capital expenditure. We know the M4 relief road, at the moment, by your own estimates to the public inquiry, will be costing £1.4 billion, and rising, I might add. The metro system is £700 million at the current estimates. Most...
Andrew RT Davies: Leader of the house, irrespective of the exchanges in First Minister's questions around the consultation that the Government is going to undertake for seven and 11-year-old children around their thoughts on Brexit, I'd be very grateful to understand how, if we have a statement from the Minister who's responsible, the Welsh Government are going to undertake this survey and interaction with...
Andrew RT Davies: Will the First Minister make a statement on NHS ambulance response times in South Wales Central?
Andrew RT Davies: Minister, you only need to step outside this building and go over by the Norwegian Church to see a huge amount of plastic floating in the bay area. And whilst fine words are carried out in this Chamber, we all need to take corrective action to make sure we reduce our plastic usage and clean up our environment, But one thing that has gained prominence in recent weeks is the amount of...
Andrew RT Davies: 3. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on improving the planning system in Wales? OAQ51919
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Cabinet Secretary, for that answer. One of the things that has happened in other parts of the United Kingdom via the planning system is a greater allowance under permitted development rights. One of the bottlenecks that I see in local authorities is just the sheer volume of applications that come before many local authorities and their inability to process them in a timely...
Andrew RT Davies: 2. What support is the Welsh Government providing to local government to improve services across Wales? OAQ51921
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Cabinet Secretary, for that answer. Obviously, we've had a brutal two weeks when it comes to the weather over the last—well, certainly the last two weeks that we've endured, but it's been a pretty wet and bleak winter as well. Road surfaces across my region in particular—but I'm sure across the rest of Wales—have suffered and broken up greatly, as was emphasised in press...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Presiding Officer. First Minister, when devolution came into being in 1999 we said at that time that things were going to be different, politics was going to be different. This morning, your Government, and you in particular, wrote a letter to the Presiding Officer indicating that you were minded to seek a legal judgment from the court to stop a debate in this Chamber taking place...
Andrew RT Davies: As I understand it, First Minister, from the letter that you sent to the Presiding Officer, you seem to deem yourself outside the scope of the Government of Wales provision, and therefore you do not feel that you are bound by the provisions within the Government of Wales Act, and that is what you will be seeking a judgment from the court on if you seek that route. That, in effect, places you...
Andrew RT Davies: First Minister, I never thought I'd stand in this Chamber and find us debating these types of points, or discussing these types of points, where you—you—as First Minister, because it's your signature on the bottom of that letter, are trying to prevent a debate coming forward tomorrow because you want to seek a judgment of the court to prevent that happening. Now, you have said time and...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Presiding Officer, and I welcome the opportunity to move the debate in the name of Paul Davies that's on the order paper this afternoon. And in particular, it's worth reflecting just very briefly on the events of yesterday—that we were faced with this debate not actually taking place. In particular, if I may draw the Assembly's attention to the letter that was sent to the...
Andrew RT Davies: Yes, I certainly will.
Andrew RT Davies: I would suggest to the Member for Llanelli that these are unique circumstances. I have asked the Presiding Officer to provide me with the examples that she cites in her letters to Assembly Members around the inability to provide the report. These are a unique set of circumstances that have led, sadly, and looked at, the death of an individual. It is vitally important that, as Assembly...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. I thank everyone who contributed to it. If I could focus on predominantly, in the time that I am limited to, responding to the Counsel General's reply. I believe that the first part of the argument was trying to set the First Minister up above the law, if you take the interpretation that he has given us that, actually, he is not accountable under the...
Andrew RT Davies: I'm pleased to say the Conservative group voted to allow the debate to go forward this afternoon. I do think it is important that when motions of this severity come forward—or importance rather than severity, importance, come forward—that the Assembly does have the opportunity to express its view. I disagree with the view that the leader of Plaid Cymru has put across. I disagree with some...
Andrew RT Davies: Yes, Mike.
Andrew RT Davies: Well, that's a view you might put forward, but I've noticed this week that many people who voted to prevent those air strikes—specific air strikes, I might add, because it wasn't an open-ended mandate—specific air strikes, now regret that they took that decision. But history will show us what has been achieved, and what we do know is that Assad has continued to use chemical weapons...
Andrew RT Davies: I do believe, in this situation, that she was correct in the action she took, because it was an alliance of France, the United States and the United Kingdom. It wasn't unilateral action. I think that, if it was unilateral action, it would be a completely separate issue and it would require, in my mind, parliamentary approval. This week, we have had votes in the House of Commons, which the...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Presiding Officer. Could I join the sentiments of the leader of Plaid Cymru in acknowledging the statement you made to the Labour Party conference, First Minister? There will be a time to pay tribute in this Chamber to your time in public life and service here as First Minister and Minister, but, without doubt, obviously, this will now form an election in the Labour Party to find a...
