Russell George: Well, as a committee we certainly felt that the banks do have a social responsibility, and they should be playing that role. I'll come on perhaps to address that a little bit more as well. But there are some specific challenges in terms of the kind of resources that will be needed by Banc Cambria, and that was raised by a number of contributors—Bethan and Hefin I think made that point. So,...
Russell George: Yes, Mark.
Russell George: I take Mark Isherwood's point. This is a very complex area. What we were concerned about as a committee is that, although we saw the ambition of Banc Cambria, we were concerned about the consequences on credit unions and other organisations, in terms of having a negative impact, and perhaps the unintended consequences on other services. But it is a very hugely complex area, and the Welsh...
Russell George: EU structural funds are, of course, only available to certain parts of Wales, and given what you've just said in your previous answer in terms of being aware that money's being spent and being decided here in Wales, I wonder, First Minister, if you would agree with me that the shared prosperity fund provides a new opportunity to invest in parts of Wales outside of the Valleys and the west of...
Russell George: Minister, the majority of additional funding to deal with homelessness seems to be targeted at Swansea, Cardiff, Newport and Wrexham. So, can I ask what additional money is going to be provided to support homelessness in rural local authorities in particular, for example Powys?
Russell George: Can I agree with some of what David Rees has said in terms of the disappointing comments from the chairman? That is obviously going to be worrying for the 4,000-strong workforce at Tata Steel. Clearly, there are roles here for both the Welsh Government and the UK Government; both Governments have levers at their disposal. I wonder if the Minister would welcome the measures that the UK...
Russell George: Diolch, Presiding Officer. The Knife Angel arrived at the Oriel Davies Gallery in Newtown on Saturday. It's the first Welsh location to host the monument as it continues its tour across the UK, and it will remain in Newtown until the end of January, in an effort to end knife crime and violent behaviour. Thankfully, Powys does not have a serious issue with knife crime, but the Knife Angel also...
Russell George: Trefnydd, in the past, it's always been courteous, when a Minister visits a Member's constituency, that a notification is sent out in advance. Over recent times, I've noticed that those visit notifications do tend to be more and more last minute, often with an apology for those notifications being last minute. But I would point out that I've been aware that many of those visits have been...
Russell George: 2. Will the Minister make a statement in response to reports regarding Flybe's future and its impact on Cardiff Airport? 381
Russell George: Can I thank the Minister for his answer, and I would agree with him with regard to the welcome news that the UK Government has come to an agreement with Flybe's shareholders on a deal that will continue to allow Flybe to operate, at least in the short term? With regard to the future of Flybe, I wonder what discussions the Welsh Government has had, as owners of the airport, with both the UK...
Russell George: I wasn't going to speak in this debate—I only put the request in when I heard the Chair's opening comments. I very much welcome the committee's work and recommendations to promote local and Welsh history. And it was only on Saturday that I was being lobbied by constituents specifically to ask the education Minister to include the teaching of our local heroes in schools. And it was on...
Russell George: Yes, New Lanark points out, of course, there that—they've capitalised on Robert Owen. So, if other parts of the country can shout and talk about our local Welsh heroes, then surely that's what we should be doing in Wales and in our schools.
Russell George: It wasn't meant to be a criticism, it was just an observation. But I think, more importantly, the wider point I was making was that some of these local heroes can be talked about not just in Newtown but right across Wales in our schools. That was the wider point that I was making.
Russell George: Diolch, Llywydd. Minister, do you believe that the Welsh Government's support for business represents value for money?
Russell George: Thank you for your answer, Minister. My question was specifically about businesses having good value for money when it comes to Welsh Government support. Following the work looking at the Welsh Government's financial support for business, the Public Accounts Committee, of course, questioned the Welsh Government's support for business and has said that it is concerning and unacceptable that...
Russell George: Well, thank you for your answer, Minister, but we are on the fourth economic strategy—all of which have sadly failed to improve the Welsh economy, and I say that and I look at your education Minister who has previously said that she was concerned that being the bottom of every public service table is now just becoming a habit. When it comes to economic productivity, we are at the bottom,...
Russell George: 4. What discussions has the Minister had with the UK Government regarding the shared prosperity fund? OAQ54935
Russell George: Minister, I raised an issue with your colleague, the First Minister, some weeks ago, regarding the shared prosperity fund and the First Minister gave a fairly positive answer to that. But in designing a new scheme, can you give us some information on how that new scheme will address areas that haven't previously been able to secure finance via the EU structural funds?
Russell George: Diolch, Llywydd. Minister, the number of approved finishing units in Wales is significantly lower pro rata than in England, I'm told. And this is, of course, limiting the opportunities for farmers down with TB to sell their calves to prevent overstocking on their holdings. I wonder, Minister, what you intend to do to encourage the setting up of more approved finishing units in Wales, and...
Russell George: Will the Minister make a statement on electricity generation from renewable energy sources in mid Wales?
