David Lloyd: Will the First Minister make a statement on the economic impact of the proposed closure of the Ford engine plant in Bridgend?
David Lloyd: Diolch, Llywydd. Minister, the importance of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 cannot be understated in the deliberations of local authorities. So, Minister, how does the Welsh Government track the implementation of the Act's principles by councils?
David Lloyd: Thank you for that, Minister, but we still see councils failing in some areas to seriously consider the Act. Might I just point to an example in my own region, in Bridgend? Recently, there has been a bus consultation on removing services. A report to cabinet recommending the cuts quite simply failed to do either an equalities assessment or an assessment of the impact on future generations....
David Lloyd: But the fact is that it looks like there's either no teeth to the Act itself, or no will in Government to track implementation, because on the other side of the region, Swansea, Swansea Council is looking to sell off land on the foreshore to make a quick buck, as I'm sure you'll be aware, and not even the iconic Singleton park is safe from this wheeling and dealing attitude. Is this not in...
David Lloyd: Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. And I move the motion on the annulment of the regulations on primary care and the Welsh language. The primary care sector—dentists, opticians, pharmacists, and GPs—are responsible for 90 per cent of patient experiences in the health service, and, indeed, it’s the starting point for most on their journey on the care pathway. These are the...
David Lloyd: Thank you, Llywydd. I don't have much time. I will thank everyone who has contributed: Suzy Davies, Bethan Sayed, Mick Antoniw, Caroline Jones, David Melding—I enjoyed that—and, of course, the Minister, although I didn't agree with him. To conclude, I was going to use this time just to explain in broader terms why this is so important and why the regulations are so insufficient. There is...
David Lloyd: 'Oh, you can all speak English'. Yes, but not everyone is confident and fluent, and even confidently fluent, or even have a Melding-esque grasp of nuance and syntax in their second language.
David Lloyd: Because, particularly in the case of children, older people, people with dementia or who've had a stroke, they can lose their second language. Provision in the Welsh language is crucial to improve the quality of healthcare, so that they can tell you exactly what's wrong with them. And, of course, in providing that care, you reduce the use of expensive tests such as blood tests, x-rays,...
David Lloyd: There are some comforting non-threatening stereotypes available when people nowadays, in the UK generally, feel the need to give a nod towards the existence of Wales. It doesn't happen often—Wales is usually ignored. This has been pointed out. Its own unique, ancient history is merely the stuff of myths and legends, people say. Not any truth at all, is there? This week, we had Tom Watson MP...
David Lloyd: There are over 1,000 Latin words in the Welsh language because these languages co-existed when the Romans were in power almost 2,000 years ago. Welsh written 1,500 years ago is to be seen in Aberystwyth today, Welsh written in Edinburgh, and old Welsh spoken across the British isles from Glasgow—as David Melding said, 'Glasgow' is an old Welsh word—down throughout the British isles. But...
David Lloyd: And the Welsh language mediated Merthyr riots, Chartist riots and Rebecca riots— riots in the received history of Britain; uprisings in folk, working people's memory. The Merthyr uprising and Dic Penderyn saying, 'Duw, dyma gamwedd', as he is led to the scaffold an innocent man. And these uprisings, as Alun Davies said, co-ordinated in Welsh, brought about, subsequently, the treachery of...
David Lloyd: I was quoting the Croatian national linguistic experience. Cofiwch Dryweryn—let me bring you forward a few millennia, David. The recent outbreak of murals to remember the forced removal of a Welsh-speaking village in 1965 to provide water for Liverpool—water that that city then subsequently did not use in the teeth of fierce opposition. That long-standing wall in Ceredigion, in the...
David Lloyd: Will the Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's actions to lower emission levels in South Wales West?
David Lloyd: Trefnydd, last week the leader of Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council, Councillor Rob Jones, stated that he believed that it was now time to 'turn discussion into delivery' with the Swansea bay city deal. You will remember that, only last month, we were discussing in this Chamber how that council had actually threatened to pull out of the city deal. So, this apparent change of heart is...
David Lloyd: Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. Quoting the words of the explanatory memorandum of this Bill: 'The purpose of the Legislation (Wales) Bill is to make Welsh law more accessible, clear and straightforward to use.' And, of course, the accessibility of our legislation is the inspiration underpinning the amendment tabled in my name this afternoon. We discussed many similar...
David Lloyd: Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. May I thank Suzy, Mark and the Counsel General for their comments on the amendments? I don’t intend to speak again during this debate, so, as well as recognising that there has been some co-operation behind the scenes to adapt these amendments before us today, I would wish to see them passed, particularly the one in my name, which does...
David Lloyd: 6. What discussions has the Minister had with the Minister for Health and Social Services about financial accounting and audit at Swansea Bay University Health Board? OAQ54131
David Lloyd: Last week, we heard that Abertawe Bro Morgannwg, which is now called the Swansea Bay University Health Board, has again failed to meet its financial duties. The health board has overspent over a period of three years and as a result of that, the auditor general had to qualify his views on its accounts for the year 2018-19. Although ABM health board had improved its financial situation as...
David Lloyd: 9. Will the Minister make a statement on how the Welsh Government is promoting south-west Wales as a tourist destination? OAQ54130
David Lloyd: Deputy Minister, I’m sure you’ll agree that ancient monuments could make a big contribution to tourism in any county. However, locally, in Neath Port Talbot in my constituency, there is frustration that a key monument, Neath abbey, isn’t promoted sufficiently as a tourist attraction, and there is concern that it isn’t advertised sufficiently and that there is poor access and signage...
