Alun Davies: We were the future. [Laughter.] And I hope we will all be able to join with those young people to engage in a debate about the nature of our democracy. The proposals that were put forward by my predecessor, the current Cabinet Secretary for Finance, and I, in terms of strengthening local democracy, were to do exactly that: to strengthen political participation, to strengthen...
Alun Davies: Can I very much welcome the report of the panel on town and community councils, which reported to us on 3 October? The recommendations, I thought, were very persuasive in many different ways. I'm a great fan of local community and town councils. I know we've benefited greatly from the work of Tredegar Town Council at home. Can I say that I think there are a number of ways in which I want to...
Alun Davies: I set out my plans for the next steps for local government reform in my statement on 17 July.
Alun Davies: Presiding Officer, I'm not sure the WLGA are confused, but I think the Member is. He's confused a number of different issues in a single question, which I accept is quite an achievement. Let me say this to him: I set out my intentions in the statement on 17 July. It appears he doesn't know that, and perhaps he should know that. I will be meeting with the working group next on 30 November to...
Alun Davies: The Member asks me to allow others to take the lead in her question. In a previous question, of course, she demanded that I take the lead. I think she needs to make her mind up.
Alun Davies: No discussions have taken place on the use of RAF Valley for training purposes with pilots from Saudi Arabia. The use of RAF Valley for training purposes is a matter for the RAF and the Ministry of Defence. However, I did meet with the Ministry of Defence earlier this week and I will be meeting with Ministry of Defence Ministers again next week.
Alun Davies: Presiding Officer, the Member is aware, and I think Members on all sides of the Chamber are aware, that operational matters for the Royal Air Force are not a matter for this place, and it's not properly a matter to be discussed here. We will all have our views on world events, such as those taking place in Yemen and elsewhere, and we will all have views on that. What is a matter for this...
Alun Davies: Presiding Officer, as I've already stated, Members on all sides of the Chamber will have their own views on world events and those taking place in Yemen and elsewhere, and I think we would all share similar views on the impact of warfare on civilians, wherever they happen to be, and we recognise that. It is not, however, a matter for this place to debate or discuss the operational decisions...
Alun Davies: Formally.
Alun Davies: Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. Like others in this debate, I'd like to start my remarks by paying tribute to the work of my friend and predecessor Carl Sargeant. I think today has been a difficult day for many of us and our hearts go out to Bernie, to Jack and to Lucy and to the family. And in replying to the debate this afternoon, I hope that we will all think about the...
Alun Davies: Yesterday, I sought to outline how the Welsh Government will continue to support the armed forces community. I want to welcome very much the remarks made by Mark Isherwood in opening the debate this afternoon. I felt that he made some excellent remarks, and I thought it was a very thoughtful and valuable contribution to this debate. I will seek to answer most of the points that have been made...
Alun Davies: On 9 October, I published the provisional local government settlement, detailing the core funding allocations for local authorities for 2019-20. Collectively, the authorities in north Wales will receive over £900 million of settlement funding and will benefit from over £800,000 of floor funding, fully funded by the Welsh Government.
Alun Davies: I meet regularly with local authority leaders and the WLGA to discuss local government matters, including finance. The financing of local government services in Islwyn is a matter for the local authority.
Alun Davies: I have always been clear about the importance of Welsh Government and local government working in partnership for the benefit of communities across Wales.
Alun Davies: Local authorities will engage with a range of preventative service providers, in a range of ways, across their responsibilities.
Alun Davies: In my oral statement yesterday, I announced funding of £500,000 to support armed forces liaison officers for two years from 2019, to enable them to ensure covenant guidelines and services are embedded within local authorities' mainstream support in the future.
Alun Davies: Collectively, the local authorities in South Wales East will receive over £900 million of settlement funding in 2019-20 and will benefit from over £700,000 of floor funding, fully funded by the Welsh Government.
Alun Davies: I meet regularly with local authority leaders to discuss finance and other matters.
Alun Davies: Deputy Presiding Officer, we are all rightly proud of our fire and rescue services. They respond swiftly, effectively and selflessly to serious threats to our safety. More than that, their prevention work has helped reduce the number of fires and fire casualties by more than half since responsibility was devolved to Wales in 2005. That is a huge success, but it is also a challenge. As the...
Alun Davies: We already have several fire stations in Wales that typically deal with less than one emergency call-out to a fire every month, and many that see only a few dozen a year. We understand that this is not sustainable and it makes recruiting, motivating and retaining firefighters very difficult indeed. But nor should such stations be closed, as that would leave large parts of the country with no...
