Rebecca Evans: Diolch, Llywydd. There are several changes to this week's business. Later this afternoon, the Government will propose a suspension of Standing Orders to enable the Assembly to hold a debate on European Union withdrawal negotiations. In order to accommodate this, the statements on apprenticeships, investing in skills for the future, and flood and coastal erosion risk management have been...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much for raising that, and I'm more than happy to provide the clarity on what is happening with our funding situation, because, of course, the UK Government's sustained austerity agenda has led to a cut of nearly £1 billion to Wales's overall budget. But, in spite of this, the Institute for Fiscal Studies has explicitly stated that school funding per pupil has fallen faster in...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much, and I am very happy to be very clear on this matter: the Welsh Government has no intention to bring forward any proposals for disposal sites in Wales.
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much for raising both of these points. With regard to Virgin Media, I can confirm that a jobs fair was held at the end of February to coincide with the March tranche of people leaving the company. The remaining company—the remaining workers, I should say, will be leaving the company in June of this year, and our partner the Welsh contact centre forum has been leading on those...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much for that, and for building on the issue raised by Mike Hedges regarding pensions. I can confirm that we only had the information regarding pensions just before the finance quadrilateral that took place in the middle of February, but I do intend to make a statement—hopefully, a written statement—tomorrow with the kind of clarity that the Member is looking for. With...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you for raising those issues. Certainly, the first that you mentioned related to the pressing environmental and climate change challenges that we are all more than aware of. Certainly, our Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 does compel us to not only think differently but very much act differently in terms of the decisions that we take as a Welsh Government, but also...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much for raising that, and congratulations for holding a successful event here in the Assembly to raise awareness of and seek support for the Robin Hood tax. I can certainly confirm that the Welsh Government supports the principle of the tax that you describe. We recognise that this isn't within our devolved competence, and we would certainly encourage the UK Government to...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much. I know that the Minister has been very clear that she does welcome the decision to push back any final decision in terms of a way forward in order to be able to have some further discussions. I think that having this space now to find an appropriate way forward is certainly a positive move.
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much for raising that issue. Certainly, dog attacks on livestock are a real area of concern for Welsh Government. I know that work does go on with North Wales Police in particular, but also the police across Wales and with the farming unions, to explore how we can better promote responsible dog ownership in all kinds of areas, but with a particular focus on preventing attacks...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you. I'll certainly discuss with the health Minister in terms of the way in which he can explore this particular issue that you describe with the health board, and he will report back to you.
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much for raising this and for paying tribute to Steffan's work in this particular area. Of course, Welsh Government has also been a long-time supporter of our mineworkers here in Wales, and I know that the First Minister has met with the NUM in order to look at the progress that's been made with regard to this particular campaign and to discuss how we can best support the...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much for raising these issues relating to the children's commissioner's report. I can hardly believe I have to say that, yes, schools should be providing opportunities for children to drink free, fresh drinking water at any point during the school day, should they wish. Schools should be signposting water stations throughout the schools, providing younger children with a cup or...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much. As you indicated, we have very recently had a debate on railway services here in the Assembly Chamber, led by the Minister, Ken Skates. Certainly, Transport for Wales is working very hard to improve the situation and to deliver the kind of investments now that we have agreed with them. I'm sure that Ken Skates would be happy to bring forward another statement in due...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much. You'll recall that the health Minister made a statement on the new treatment fund just a few weeks ago here in the Assembly, but certainly if you wanted to write to him with the details of your specific case, I know that he would be interested to explore the issues that you've raised in greater detail. The question regarding rugby, on why, I think that's probably a...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much for raising those issues. I can confirm that the Minister will be going out to consultation on 'Brexit and our seas' later this month, which will explore the future of our fisheries in Wales, and I know that there will be an opportunity in due course then to discuss the marine environment more widely with the Minister. I think that I recall that we tend to have an annual...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you. This second supplementary budget is a standard part of the annual financial management process and provides a final opportunity to amend budgetary plans for the current financial year as previously approved by this Assembly. I would like to thank the Finance Committee for their scrutiny of this second supplementary budget. I will respond to the committee's recommendations in due...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much, Llywydd, and thank you to everybody who has contributed to the debate this afternoon. I'll do my best to respond directly to some of the points that have been raised in the Chamber today, and I will be responding formally to the committee's recommendations in due course. There was a great deal of interest in committee scrutiny regarding the well-being of future...
Rebecca Evans: Formally moved.
Rebecca Evans: Thank you. The 2019 budget, approved by the Assembly in January, provides £7.4 billion for core NHS funding, representing record levels of investment in the NHS in Wales.
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much for raising this, and for your interest in the way in which we are making the future generations Act come to life through the budgetary decisions that we make here in Wales. I've had a recent meeting with the future generations commissioner to explore how we can better incorporate the Act within our budgetary decision making at the earliest possible opportunity. And it's...
