David Rowlands: I thank the Conservative Party for bringing this very important debate to Plenary, and can I echo the comments made by both Joyce Watson and Angela Burns with regard to front-line staff and the work that they've done throughout this coronavirus epidemic? We are not talking about an inquiry into their behaviour; we're talking about an inquiry into the behaviour of the Governments of the UK. It...
David Rowlands: Can I thank the Minister for his statement today? I think there is much in it that we would all in the Chamber agree with, and also, we acknowledge the many interventions that have been going on, put in place by the Welsh Government, and we thank you for those. Despite the considerable financial help that some businesses have been able to access, many of those in my constituency are now...
David Rowlands: Whilst we can agree with many of the initiatives mentioned by Helen Mary in her introduction to the debate, we believe that asking the Welsh Government to effectively underwrite a job guarantee scheme for the young suffering unemployment as a result of the coronavirus crisis is an ill-thought-out concept. Firstly, it could have considerable financial implications, which, given the...
David Rowlands: 3. What assessment has the First Minister made of the effectiveness of the actions taken by the Welsh Government during the COVID-19 pandemic? OQ55329
David Rowlands: I thank the First Minister for that answer. I do understand that there can be no real definitive answers until an inquiry has been convened and the report produced, and that will, of course, take time. But I would at this time ask the First Minister to put together an interim report, one that would allow corrective actions to be put in place quickly, based on the knowledge gained over the...
David Rowlands: Yes, okay. It's on lifting the lockdown, actually, Dirprwy Lywydd. Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. There is no doubt that the protection of public health in response to COVID-19 is raising extraordinary economic challenges. The UK Government has tried to freeze the economy using the job retention scheme, generous business loans and various handouts. But freezing the economy is the easy part. Just...
David Rowlands: We note with concern the Centre for Towns's report 'The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on our towns and cities', which suggests that the economies of towns in the Valleys and on the north Wales coast will be amongst the hardest hit by the pandemic. As mentioned in my address during the Brexit debate, the threat to our Valleys towns from the lockdown is very real. If we do not carry on...
David Rowlands: Whilst we acknowledge and welcome all the green projects you've outlined in your report, Minister, I have to return to the subject that R.T. Davies mentioned earlier on, and that's the business of tree planting. I'm not going to go into the details of it; I've got the details in front of me now. You have given a fairly comprehensive answer to R.T.'s question, but I have to say that we can't...
David Rowlands: Can I first congratulate the Chair and the members of the EIS committee for their work in identifying the necessary steps that may be necessary to restart and reinvigorate the economy post COVID-19, which are contained in all of their 34 recommendations? Before I go into the report, I wish to make the point that we are still unaware of the situation surrounding the co-prosperity fund. That...
David Rowlands: Since devolution, statistics have shown that the Welsh education system, once the envy of many, has become—and I make no excuse in using this hackneyed phrase—a race to the bottom. We can therefore well understand the current education Minister's desire to drastically improve the standard of education now being achieved in Welsh schools, and it is true to say that the tenacity and sheer...
David Rowlands: Would the Minister make a statement on the decision of Ineos to locate the manufacturing of the new model in France, rather than its initial announcement of Bridgend, given that this announcement is a devastating blow both to Bridgend and Wales? I understand that Ineos has entered talks with Mercedes-Benz for the acquisition of a site in Moselle in France. As the Ineos project was secured...
David Rowlands: Whilst we support the motion, it is disappointing to note that it could not include other iconic high-street retailers. I of course appreciate that the committee has to present the debate in the light of the original petition. I would like, however, to take this opportunity to emphasise that other major stores have closed or are about to close many of their high-street facilities. We in...
David Rowlands: What assessment has the First Minister made of the link between Covid-19 and obesity?
David Rowlands: Can I thank the Government for bringing this debate today, because it gives us all in this Chamber the opportunity to scrutinise the evidence against which the 20 mph is to be implemented? I wish to state at the outset that I support 20 mph limits around schools and other vulnerable places. I of course acknowledge that none of us wish to see anyone killed or indeed injured on the roads of...
David Rowlands: I have finished now. Thank you, Llywydd, much obliged.
David Rowlands: As the Chamber will know, I have raised these issues a number of times since being elected to the Senedd. Yet despite the many calls from across the Chamber to investigate the practices employed in particular in car washes, there appears to be absolutely no action taken with regard to these establishments. This is particularly disappointing given that a number of issues are present with...
David Rowlands: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Can I thank the Minister for his statement this afternoon? Minister, whilst we must all acknowledge that you have, to a certain extent, to follow what the UK Government, and indeed much of the world, is doing with regard to COVID-19, it is incumbent upon us as politicians to question these draconian actions, for draconian they are, because they are having far-reaching...
David Rowlands: Can I thank the Conservative Party for bringing this very important debate to the Chamber today? I shall note at the beginning that we shall be supporting the Conservative motion. I would also wish to take this opportunity to acknowledge that the coronavirus issue is likely to impact most severely on vocational students, due, of course, to the very nature of their learning practices. So, can...
David Rowlands: What assessment has the Minister made of the benefits to Wales arising out of the UK Government's trade deals with commonwealth countries?
David Rowlands: Thank you, Minister, for your statement, and can I endorse Helen Mary's comments with regard to our ability to have discourse with you, which allows us some input and gives us greater insight into your thinking behind the Welsh Government interventions? There is no doubt that these interventions will be welcome news for those many businesses who are struggling, not just to stay open...
