Llyr Gruffydd: May I ask the Trefnydd for two statements from the Government? First of all, of course, we'll all be aware that many EU citizens had failed to vote during the European elections recently. That is a cause of concern for each and every one of us. I know that at least 3,500 have made official complaints across the UK that they had got to the polling station and been rejected. There will be far...
Llyr Gruffydd: Could I ask for a statement from the health Minister, if I may? Many of us are increasingly concerned about the creeping privatisation within the health service in Wales. I'm particularly concerned about the situation in Betsi Cadwaladr in my region, in North Wales, which is of course under the direct control of this Labour Government at the moment. Last year, I'm sure you will recall, many...
Llyr Gruffydd: May I thank the Minister for her statement this afternoon? Clearly, we will need to look in detail at the supplementary documents that have also been published today before we can come to a full conclusion on some of the changes that the Minister has referred to. Clearly, much of the detail will be contained within the consultation, which will appear next month, so we look forward to seeing...
Llyr Gruffydd: Moments ago, the First Minister told us in relation to the M4 decision, and I quote from his statement, 'Llywydd, this decision is being made at the point of maximum uncertainty about our financial future. Unprecedented austerity in the public finances is combined with a complete lack of clarity over our...budgets for the coming years, and is exacerbated by the uncertainty surrounding...
Llyr Gruffydd: As we’ve heard, special measures was to be a temporary measure for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. Now, four years later, they are still in special measures. I can tell you, Minister, that the people of north Wales don’t consider those measures to be temporary and the people of north Wales don’t consider special measures to be special in any way whatsoever, because, as the...
Llyr Gruffydd: The problem I have, of course, is it’s not clear at all what Brexit actually meant, what kind of Brexit people could expect after the referendum, and so there was a vacuum. During the campaign, and certainly since the campaign, every Brexiteer has projected their version of Brexit onto the ballot paper that people were marking in the polling stations. There were all sorts of different...
Llyr Gruffydd: No, I won't, because I've got a lot to get in. Try again later on, all right? [Laughter.]
Llyr Gruffydd: A soft Brexit, a hard Brexit, a Brexit with an agreement, a 'no deal' Brexit, a free market Brexit— there's a protectionist Brexit—
Llyr Gruffydd: —open Brexit, there's a xenophobic Brexit, the Canada option, Norway plus, Ukraine option, Swiss option, Turkey option. I'm told there's a Tory Brexit somewhere. There's certainly an ERG Brexit. There's a Corbyn Brexit, there's a UKIP Brexit, there's a Brexit Party Brexit, there's a 'red, white and blue' Brexit, apparently, and a 'Brexit means Brexit' Brexit. [Laughter.] But it reminds me...
Llyr Gruffydd: Listen, and I'll refer you to the Scottish referendum on independence. There was a 700-page White Paper sat behind that ballot paper that told people exactly what they could expect if they voted for independence in Scotland. All we had with Brexit was a slogan on the side of a bus, and, of course, those responsible for that slogan are now being summoned to appear before a court just to...
Llyr Gruffydd: May I thank Joyce Watson for the opportunity to contribute to this debate? I listened very carefully to what she said on rewilding—is ailwylltio the correct term in Welsh? Obviously, reintroducing species is a topic that's very timely in Wales, but I do think that there's more work that needs to be done to persuade people that broader rewilding is something that people would wish to see. I...
Llyr Gruffydd: What extra work is the Minister doing within the education sector in response to the Welsh Government's climate emergency declaration?
Llyr Gruffydd: I came this afternoon from the cross-party group that I chair on sustainable energy, where we heard about possible funding sources in low-carbon energy infrastructure. We also heard about the Institute of Welsh Affairs's work on re-energising Wales. Now, that offers a route to decarbonising energy in Wales by 2035, and I do feel that there is consensus across the parties to take actions on...
Llyr Gruffydd: I was eager, as Chair of the Finance Committee, to make a contribution to this debate and to point to the work that the committee has done on this issue, because last year the Finance Committee undertook an inquiry to assess the preparations for replacing EU funding in Wales, as we were concerned, as were a number of Assembly Members, that very little information was known about how funding...
Llyr Gruffydd: 8. Will the Minister make a statement on public spending on the rail network in Wales? OAQ54010
Llyr Gruffydd: Well, thank you for your answer. I was quite struck by the letter that you shared with Assembly Members—the letter that you sent to David Lidington on 22 May—where you highlight under-investment in Welsh rail infrastructure. You say in the letter that there is a history of sustained and chronic under-investment in the Welsh network when compared with England, based on an approach that...
Llyr Gruffydd: Will the Counsel General make a statement on ensuring that Wales's voice is heard in discussions regarding Brexit between the governments of the UK?
Llyr Gruffydd: I would invite the First Minister, the next time he’s in the Ruthin area, to drive past Ysgol Pentrecelyn, which has been painting its own mural in the school with ‘Cofiwch Dryweryn’ on it as part of their work on Welsh history within the school. I agree with the need, of course, to promote more opportunities to learn about Welsh history and indeed local history. But the frustration,...
Llyr Gruffydd: 7. Will the First Minister make a statement on the future of the planning system in Wales? OAQ54076
Llyr Gruffydd: I'm sure that you will share my concern, having read the report by the auditor general published recently on planning authorities in Wales, where it highlighted that planning services were given too few resources and were underperforming. It stated in the report that all of the planning services in Wales had seen their budgets halved over the past 10 years, taking into account inflation. Now,...
