Russell George: 5. Will the Minister make a statement on the accessibility of facilities for those with physical disabilities in Powys? OAQ54571
Russell George: Thank you for your answer, Deputy Minister. No doubt you will agree with me that the standard accessible toilet does not meet the needs of all people with physical disabilities, such as those suffering from spinal injuries or multiple sclerosis, for example, and, often, people, of course, need the extra equipment and space to allow them to use a toilet safely and comfortably. My understanding...
Russell George: First Minister, you'll no doubt agree with me that having a thriving Cardiff Airport is essential for the south Wales economy. Now, the loans given to the airport has now increased to more than £50 million, nearly as much as it cost to buy the airport back in 2013, and the losses made to the airport continue to grow. Your predecessor said, First Minister, that it was always the Welsh...
Russell George: Diolch, Llywydd. Deputy Minister, has the timetable for the South East Wales Transport Commission slipped?
Russell George: Thank you. That's good to hear. In June of this year, Deputy Minister, your boss, the Minister, said to this Chamber that transport is an area where the Welsh Government has ambitious plans for the future. He said he expected an interim report for the South East Wales Transport Commission within six months. The Minister also said, and I'm quoting here: 'I've been very keen and clear in saying...
Russell George: Thank you, Minister. You'll also be aware that the volume of traffic on the M4 is increasing day by day. We've had a new poll, which shows that almost twice as many people in Wales now believe that the M4 relief road should be built, contradicting the view of the First Minister and the Welsh Government. But can you confirm whether or not the option of building the M4 relief road is, or isn't,...
Russell George: 5. Will the Minister provide an update on trunk road preparedness in advance of potential adverse weather conditions? OAQ54613
Russell George: Thank you for your answer, Deputy Minister. Certainly in my constituency over recent weeks there's been a number of flooding issues where we've seen a number of road closures. And what constituents come to me about is the fact that they can't get information about where roads are closed, whether it be trunk roads or local-authority-responsibility roads. Now, I know the Minister has previously...
Russell George: —or woman, Joyce, to have the facility to allow local authorities to pass on information to Traffic Wales's website, so that we've got that one-stop shop for any kind of road disruption.
Russell George: Trefnydd, could I ask for a statement on the safeguarding of schoolchildren at locations that are used as polling stations, please? There is a concern regarding the safety of pupils due to school facilities also being used as polling stations on the general election day. I give one example here of a headteacher who has contacted me, unable to secure the school safely for the pupils as the...
Russell George: Can I thank the Minister for his statement today? I largely support the aspirations of what the Minister has said in most of his statement. I certainly agree with the start of his statement today, when he said that small and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of the Welsh economy. I couldn't agree with that more. I suppose the latter part of his statement was perhaps a little negative....
Russell George: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and I move the amendments in the name of my colleague Darren Millar. I would agree with the Deputy Minister's opening comments when he said that broadband is now not a luxury; it's part of everyday life. It's like gas and electricity, and it's expected. I would agree with the Deputy Minister in his opening comments. The Deputy Minister made a number of...
Russell George: Thank you for giving way. If this isn't a devolved area, why put in your Welsh Assembly manifesto—a commitment that all premises across Wales will have superfast broadband by 2015? Also, I challenge you on your level of involvement in this, absolutely. I mean, come to my constituency and come to a public meeting—these are not my words, these are the words of the people that have been...
Russell George: 5. Will the Minister make a statement on how the Welsh Government is supporting the farming industry in mid-Wales? OAQ54668
Russell George: Thank you for your answer, Minister. As you can imagine, I regularly meet with the farming unions in Montgomeryshire. The issue that they raised with me in the last meeting, as you would not be surprised about at all, is the 'Sustainable Farming and our Land' consultation. They have raised a number of questions regarding how the scheme would work in practice, and how the abandonment of the...
Russell George: Can I thank the Minister for his written statement and his statement today? And, of course, I would agree with him that this announcement yesterday will be very worrying for the workforce of Tata Steel in Port Talbot and other locations around Wales. I'm pleased you've had an initial discussion today, and in that discussion, was there any indication of how this announcement may affect the...
Russell George: 1. What additional allocations will be made available during the current budget round to support public services in dealing with adverse weather conditions? OAQ54689
Russell George: Thank you for your answer, Minister. No doubt you will agree with me that we are seeing the changes in our climate due to climate change. And I would certainly say additional funding does need to be put in to dredging our rivers and water courses, which used to be undertaken on a more frequent basis some years ago, and also with additional funding for local authorities to carry out cleaning...
Russell George: I'm delighted to speak in support of this motion today and endorse what colleagues have said in praising the role of hospices and the services that they provide to those experiencing a life-limiting condition and their families. In my own constituency, I'd like to pay tribute to the League of Friends of Llanidloes Hospital. Their palliative care suite was officially opened last year, and I...
Russell George: Diolch, Presiding Officer. I formally move amendment 2 in the name of my colleague Darren Millar. Can I congratulate Plaid on a very well crafted motion and indicate our full support today? The Government's amendment today was not well crafted, as it does fail to recognise the responsibility for provision of capacity for Welsh services and Wales-only services under the railway franchise that...
