David Melding: Cabinet Secretary, thank you for that very concise answer. The Welsh Government's proposals to amalgamate several grant-funded streams into a single grant—the early intervention, prevention and support grant—will remove the ring-fenced protection for several streams such as Supporting People, the Flying Start revenue grant and Families First. Now, in my region, this could have a...
David Melding: Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. Following on from yesterday's debate on affordable housing in Wales, I would like to touch upon some important broader concerns that weren't raised in the debate. My concerns particularly regard the futureproofing of the increased supply of housing that we need and how we can build homes at volume that meet the needs and demands of future generations, particularly...
David Melding: Thank you for that, which is in part encouraging. As you know, the Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee has been looking at this whole issue of energy efficiency in housing. Our evidence has suggested that there is a significant number of barriers to delivering transformative change in house building in Wales at the moment. The Home Builders Federation expressed concern...
David Melding: Minister, we in the Welsh Conservatives recently released an urban strategy that will create, we hope, cities that are fit for the twenty-first century and I'm glad my colleagues, at least, have read the paper.
David Melding: I've set an exam, don't worry. This includes some elements of housing policy and we will be producing a further document specifically on housing in the autumn. But one area that we did look at in that strategy was green roofing. There are housing developments now throughout England—one example being in Barking in London—where developers are exploring the use of green roofs on housing...
David Melding: First Minister, this has been examined, reviewed, endlessly across Europe, and very many countries now have a 20-mph limit, or 30 kmph in their measures. Can I commend Cardiff council for just getting on with this? And I welcome the local campaigns that are now pushing us, like the one in Sully. It should be default and the motorist should not be king in terms of who can go out and enjoy...
David Melding: What powers does the Welsh Government have to set a general speed limit in urban areas of 20 mph?
David Melding: Cabinet Secretary, research has consistently shown that better outcomes are achieved for victims and their children when an integrated approach is taken by the agencies, and we know from Government stats in Wales, England and Scotland that domestic abuse counts for at least one in 10 people who require local authority support for homelessness. Some of the charities in the sector report that...
David Melding: I enthusiastically support the case put forward by John Griffiths. I do think that the default should be at 20 mph. There's overwhelming evidence. I think there's popular demand increasing for it. Some survey data were published today about how the public are getting much more demanding of what they expect in their cities, and they want less reliance on cars and more responsible use of cars....
David Melding: What measures are in place to improve the efficiency of Welsh Government public spending?
David Melding: What are the Welsh Government's plans for easing congestion on the A470 throughout South Wales Central?
David Melding: 5. What is the Welsh Government doing to protect rural schools? OAQ52599
David Melding: Cabinet Secretary, I've heard, in relation to the proposed transfer/closure of Llancarfan Primary School, which my colleague has just referred to, that the issue of access to the school building programme requires schools, often, to be built on new sites and schools to be consolidated or expanded. This is a real problem for schools in rural communities, where there may be a constrained site,...
David Melding: 8. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the availability of services to support children with arthritis in South Wales Central? OAQ52597
David Melding: Minister, you'll know that Arthritis Care merged with Arthritis Research UK last year and I understand that in Wales, the charity will now be known as Cymru Versus Arthritis. I'm sure we all commend that objective. Regarding provision in south Wales, I am aware that the paediatric rheumatology provision was included in the annual financial plan for the Welsh Health Specialised Services...
David Melding: Minister, I think you've heard the real concerns that are around this Chamber, although there are positives as well, but as the great Mark Isherwood has just told you, your wishy-washy approach just won't wash, and, frankly, that is something I wish to echo very, very strongly. I really think post-legislative scrutiny is an essential aspect of what we need to do in this Chamber, and we should...
David Melding: Cabinet Secretary, I hope you'll forgive me for having the temerity to start with some good news, because actually there is some good news out there. I know we bumped into each other in the canteen during the summer recess, proving that AMs continue to work through what the outside world continues to call the holiday period, and I did explain that my niece Nia was about to get her A-level...
David Melding: How does the Cabinet Secretary plan to improve NHS complaint-handling delays so that cases are dealt with in the NHS's standard 30-day target period?
David Melding: 4. Will the First Minister make a statement on Welsh Government funding for social housing? OAQ52646
David Melding: First Minister, you no doubt would have heard the Prime Minister's announcement for £2 billion for social homes in England and she emphasised her pride in social housing, and I think we should all share that pride. It's been at the heart of the great house-building programmes throughout the last century. Sadly, it's tailed off in the twenty-first century. As part of the UK Government's...
