Russell George: Thank you for your answer, Deputy Minister. Given what you have said yesterday that your Government doesn't know what it's doing on the economy, can I ask did the Welsh Government know that Jistcourt was facing any financial difficulties, and, if so, when and what specific action did the Welsh Government take at that time? It would be useful to have a summary of events. I know that my...
Russell George: In yesterday's statement on improving outcomes for looked-after children, you mentioned, Minister, that you've seen the number of looked-after children in Wales increase by 34 per cent over the past 15 years, and you've promised to look at this closely. I wonder if you have or you would consider launching an investigation into the rise of looked-after children as part of this process.
Russell George: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and I would like to associate my own comments with the comments of the Deputy Minister. I think we're all saddened by the tragic incident involving rail workers this morning, but I'm sure that all Members here would want to pass on our thoughts and condolences to the families who are involved. Deputy Presiding Officer, I move the motion in my name. After...
Russell George: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Transport for Wales and the Minister stated their commitment to openness and transparency, but I would just say that their record on this is imperfect. There have been gaps in time frames covered by Transport for Wales's remit letter, and we've still not seen the long-awaited business case for its future governance. Now, Hefin David spoke at some length...
Russell George: I think you are. I was just going to come on to talk perhaps a little bit about that as well following your contribution. From the evidence that was gathered—. I'll come back to JTAs. From the evidence we gathered, I don't think we're able to conclude that one specific governance model would be a perfect fit for Wales, but I think a pick and mix of best practice should be applied. We heard...
Russell George: 3. Will the First Minister make a statement on ambulance response times? OAQ54197
Russell George: Thank you for your answer, First Minister. In the eight years that I've been an Assembly Member, it's the last couple of years that my office and I have received the most significant concerns in regards to slow ambulance response times. In a letter to me last year, the chief executive of the Welsh ambulance service confirmed for my constituents that the average ambulance handover time was...
Russell George: Diolch, Llywydd. Minister, do you agree with the First Minister when he said that there have been major improvements to the Welsh economy since devolution?
Russell George: Thank you for your answer, Minister. Your Deputy Minister, of course, has recently said that the Welsh Government has pretended to know what it's doing on the economy for the last 20 years, and efforts to improve the economy under devolution have not worked. Personally I think it is refreshing to hear a Minister speaking very candidly about the economy. I very much agree with the Member for...
Russell George: Well, thank you for your answer, Minister. I appreciate you speaking candidly about some of the challenges of the Welsh economy as well. Two main strands of the economic action plan, the regional business plans and the plan for the foundational economy, remain undelivered. So, I would ask you if you would look at some of the ideas that we have on these benches, for example for deploying trade...
Russell George: In the first 20 years of devolution, we have pretty much solved a challenge that Wales has faced during the course of deindustrialisation, which is a higher level of unemployment than the UK average. We brought it down to the UK average and, indeed, on many occasions in the last year, it's dipped below the UK average, and for the first time, as I say, again, inactivity rates have fallen to...
Russell George: 4. Will the Minister make a statement on train services on the Cambrian line? OAQ54198
Russell George: Thank you, Minister. I'm pleased to hear that answer. A member of the Montgomeryshire access group has contacted me to say that they've received yet another complaint from a wheelchair user that they could not use a toilet on the Cambrian line, which means that, in some cases, people have resorted to, in their words, wearing adult nappies. Following, of course, the Equality Act 2010,...
Russell George: 3. Will the Counsel General make a statement on the Welsh Government's engagement with small businesses on Brexit preparedness? OAQ54221
Russell George: Thank you for your answer, Minister. I'm sure you would agree with me that it is, obviously, vital to engage with businesses across Wales in preparation for Brexit. You mentioned that you have been talking to some of the key organisations and they are around the table in your meetings also. But I'm particularly concerned about small, independent businesses that might not be members of such...
Russell George: 4. Will the Deputy Minister make a statement on the implementation of the Equality Act 2010 in Wales? OAQ54259
Russell George: Thank you for your answer, Deputy Minister. Transport for Wales has to, of course, ensure that reasonable adjustments for disabled people are in place following the Act. Now, reasonable adjustment for a train where you could sit for over three hours between Aberystwyth and Birmingham International is simply, of course, a properly designed disabled toilet. It's the case at the moment that many...
Russell George: 2. How is the Welsh Government supporting the farming community in mid Wales? OAQ54260
Russell George: Thank you, Minister, for your answer. I recently met with the executive officer of the Farmers Union of Wales Montgomeryshire branch, and, on behalf of members in Montgomeryshire, a number of issues were raised, which included an increasing spate of theft of farm tools and farm equipment, also the introduction of nitrate vulnerable zones, and also their campaign to minimise dog attacks on...
Russell George: 6. Will the First Minister make a statement on the performance of services provided by Transport for Wales? OAQ54313
