Nick Ramsay: Will the Minister provide an update on the Welsh Government's spending plans in the wake of the UK Government's spending review?
Nick Ramsay: Trefnydd, over the weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the Abergavenny Food Festival, now in its twenty-first year. The festival continues to go from strength to strength, with local companies such as Sugarloaf Catering playing key roles, and also companies from further afield as well. I also took part in the Love Zimbabwe march for Africa, along with the mayor, Tony Konieczny, and...
Nick Ramsay: Diolch, Chair. Minister, you've just mentioned the scheme that involves being able to add a bedroom. I think that that's the scheme in Chepstow, from my memory of your statement. I was delighted to see that that's been included—Monmouthshire Housing Association, I believe, will be receiving funding to build 17 homes in Chepstow. The ability to add a bedroom, or other examples of...
Nick Ramsay: 2. How is the Welsh Government ensuring that pupils at Key Stage 4 have access to vocational courses? OAQ54368
Nick Ramsay: Thank you, Minister. You've been quite clear that your move away from the five A* to C English and Maths measure was designed to encourage schools to focus on realising the potential of every child, not just those on the C/D/C borderline. Your new measure—the capped 9—puts value on vocational courses, which is very welcome, and, as she says, so many young people can secure a rewarding and...
Nick Ramsay: I'm pleased to contribute to this afternoon's important debate on budget priorities, as we move into the all-important budget-setting phase of the Welsh Government and the budget-scrutinising phase of the Assembly's Finance Committee. I was pleased to take part in the stakeholder event at the Marine hotel in Aberystwyth—a nice sunny day, as I seem to remember; it seems a world away now. We...
Nick Ramsay: Thanks, Rhun. Just before you move on to the local authorities, with regard to health, I hear what you’re saying and I said in my own speech that the preventative agenda is all important, but, nonetheless, if a significant amount of money is going into the health service in England, and, as a result of that, we get money through a consequential here, you would accept that you would want to...
Nick Ramsay: You must have expected me to rise with that comment. As I said to you previously in questions, I accept what you're saying about comparing the figures with 2010-2011—there's still a long way to go—but even you, when you're being optimistic, Minister, must accept that, compared with last year, this is over a 2 per cent real terms increase—that's real terms. So, this really will improve...
Nick Ramsay: Will the Minister make a statement on the support available for people living with dementia in their home setting?
Nick Ramsay: The Member makes an important point: it's important in all these schemes that efficiency is gained and value for money is achieved. Of course, it's not just the Welsh taxpayer who funds the Arbed scheme; a significant proportion of that money comes from the European regional development fund. So, I wonder what work is being done, in advance of Brexit, to ensure that energy efficiency schemes...
Nick Ramsay: Neil McEvoy has stolen my thunder on an issue I was going to raise on incineration, as I've also had a local issue in Monmouthshire, just outside Usk, with concerns surrounding a proposal for an incinerator. I think you said, in answer to Neil McEvoy, that the Welsh Government is going to be looking at this. I know that, across the water in the United States, there have been concerns for some...
Nick Ramsay: Will the First Minister provide an update on the Welsh Government's policies for improving transport infrastructure in south-east Wales?
Nick Ramsay: Minister, many of our railway stations have been inadequate when it comes to disabled access for a considerable length of time now. I know, as you've said, you've been trying to address this. You've just mentioned the list of Access for All stations. Abergavenny station was on the list, I believe, that was put forward by the Welsh Government, and I think was successful following discussions...
Nick Ramsay: Thank you for giving way, Alun. As you've mentioned rivers, as the chair of the cross-party Assembly group on waterways, it'd be remiss of me not to also mention the important role that canals have played in our history and industrial heritage. So, when you mention rivers, then perhaps you could give—actually, I'm not speaking in this today—perhaps you could give a word to our canals as well.
Nick Ramsay: I'm also pleased to contribute to this afternoon's important debate—important because what could be more important than discussing education? What could be more important than the future of our young people? The results that we've been talking about this afternoon are not the be-all and end-all of education, but they are a key indicator of where we are as a country in terms of educating our...
Nick Ramsay: As Neil McEvoy has said, or indicated, I think if one thing is clear about lobbying in Wales at the moment it's that there is a distinct lack of clarity, which has caused some of the issues over the last, well, few months and years. So, it's clear, as you mentioned, the standards committee report—I think my colleague Paul Davies was on the committee at the time that was looked into—came...
Nick Ramsay: Minister, you just mentioned three of the projects in Cynon Valley. I didn't quite catch, at the start of that, the number of projects overall that have been given funding, so if you could repeat that, I'd be grateful. From my own perspective, I'd be interested to know if any projects in Monmouthshire have received money since the scheme has been going, and what's being done to ensure that...
Nick Ramsay: Trefnydd, last week a planning application for 111 houses on the edge of Raglan in my constituency, which had been called in by the Welsh Government, was refused by the independent planning inspector, and I received a copy of the report and the letter, primarily on the grounds of conflict with the well-being of future generations legislation. It strikes me that this legislation and the...
Nick Ramsay: Diolch, Llywydd. Will the First—? Will the Minister make a statement—? I was promoting you there.
Nick Ramsay: 4. Will the Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's policies for supporting farming? OAQ54478
