Mick Antoniw: Thank you for that answer, First Minister. I'd like to return you briefly to the issue of road congestion and the impact on climate change. I very much welcome the consideration that's now being given to the issue of congestion and pollution from traffic into Cardiff. Of course, that traffic doesn't miraculously appear in Cardiff, it goes through constituencies such as mine into Cardiff, and...
Mick Antoniw: Diolch, Llywydd. We took evidence from the First Minister about the Welsh Government's legislative consent memorandum on the European Union withdrawal agreement Bill at our meeting on 13 January 2020 and we reported last Friday, 17 January. Our report, with the unanimous agreement of the members of the committee, drew five conclusions. The first of these reflected observations we've made on...
Mick Antoniw: Yes I will.
Mick Antoniw: Yes, but the issue in this case is that the primary objective of the Bill is not something that is being objected to; it is the quality and stature and the composition of that Bill that is the issue that is of concern to us. And that is why Sewel is so important, because, by not seeking to achieve consensus, by not acting to obtain that, and to nevertheless override Sewel, is, in fact, a...
Mick Antoniw: So, why do you say—? Thank you for taking the intervention. When you say those items with regard to employment protection are not there any longer, 'of course they're not', why do you say, 'of course they're not'? Why should they be taken out? What is the justification for taking them out when they were perfectly acceptable before? This isn't a game of poker; this is a game of good...
Mick Antoniw: Minister, most of the points I wanted to make have already been made, and you've answered most of them. There is just one point that, obviously, is of concern, and that is the references to the punitive culture within the maternity services. Of course, it is something that has been rumoured of and of concern for quite some time. And you indicate in your statement, of course, that you've met...
Mick Antoniw: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. We considered these regulations at our meeting on 13 January and we laid our report before the Assembly on 14 January. Our report raised one merits point under Standing Order 21.3. We noted and welcomed the thorough information provided in the explanatory memorandum to the regulations. In addition, we noted how the regulations, which were laid on 10...
Mick Antoniw: 3. What discussions has the Minister had with the UK Government about widening access to justice in a post-Brexit Wales? OAQ54955
Mick Antoniw: Thank you for that answer, Counsel General. It's very important that we have an understanding of some of the changes that are likely to take place now in the post-Brexit environment. It is very clear that we will not have the fundamental protections of the European Union in respect of employment rights. Already, there are very many adverse consequences to what may happen with regard to...
Mick Antoniw: Diolch, Llywydd. We considered the legislative consent memorandum for the Direct Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) Bill at our meeting on Monday of this week, and we laid our report yesterday. Given the limited time available to us, it was not possible to look in detail at the LCM and the proposals in the Bill. However, we have made three conclusions. Before speaking about our...
Mick Antoniw: Our first conclusion relates to the regulation-making powers in clause 6(1), which can be exercised by Welsh and UK Ministers. It is a Henry VIII power, but the regulations will be made under the negative procedure. Our long-standing position is that regulations that permit the modification of primary legislation should be subject to the affirmative procedure. Our first conclusion reiterates...
Mick Antoniw: Minister, during the south Wales programme, I and other Assembly Members and Members of Parliament campaigned together to successfully retain accident and emergency in the Royal Glamorgan Hospital. So, six years on, I again share the widespread concern at these new proposals to consider a number of options, including the possibility of downgrading or removal of A&E services. Now, short-term...
Mick Antoniw: Thank you, Llywydd. I hadn't intended to speak, but in response to those particular comments, which I consider actually are very misleading—. Because although justice per se is not devolved, we have considerable justice functions and we have no mechanism for the scrutiny of those justice functions and to evaluate them, nor indeed to evaluate the recommendations of a particularly important...
Mick Antoniw: Darren, Pontypridd is probably one of the most regenerating towns in the whole of south Wales. European money enabled the pedestrianisation; European money enabled the lido; European money is enabling the regeneration of the former Taff precinct; are you saying that that is wasted money? Will you say that to all the people now gaining jobs moving in to the Pontypridd area?
Mick Antoniw: Will you take an intervention?
Mick Antoniw: Thank you for taking the intervention, but the fact of the matter is that those are still within the clear objectives of negotiation of the US Government.
Mick Antoniw: Will you take an intervention?
Mick Antoniw: Thank you for taking it. Obviously, we will have expressions of our views during this motion, but repeating the fallacy that the austerity post 2010, post the financial collapse, was the result of spending by the Labour Government is economically disproven; it is factually incorrect. At the time, just before the financial crash, borrowing was 35.7 per cent of GDP, which was 0.1 per cent above...
Mick Antoniw: There are many, many challenges with our health service. We see these in Wales, the UK, Europe and around the world, and I'm not going to go through those analyses. What I do want to do, though, is to talk about the importance of the hospital that is only really a few minutes from where I live and that's the Royal Glamorgan, and performance there and the importance of that particular...
Mick Antoniw: Yes, I will take an intervention, but let me just finish this. The Labour proposal was 4.3 per cent in real terms. Yes, I'll take an intervention.
