Mick Antoniw: Llywydd, earlier this year I had the honour to chair the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee to lead the scrutiny of the president of Welsh Tribunals, Sir Wyn Williams, on his second annual report, and it was an honour because it was a historic session. It was the first time in Welsh history that a committee of this Senedd, the Welsh Parliament, had been able to scrutinise the...
Mick Antoniw: Minister, the roll-out of a vaccine within days, as we're told, is obviously going to be very significant in terms of controlling the virus in the hospital environment. One of the aspects of this particular vaccine is that it has to be kept at -70 degrees centigrade, which means that managing it and containing the vaccine is going to be an extremely difficult technical task. Is it likely that...
Mick Antoniw: There was an old National Union of Mineworkers banner that had as its main logo on it 'Knowledge is power', and that motif has never been more true. The reason why so many billionaires, millionaires and oligarchs want to own the media is not because of their love of journalism, love of the print world or the media, it's because they know it gives them power, and we have to recognise that the...
Mick Antoniw: Will the Minister make a statement on the effect of gambling on mental health in Wales?
Mick Antoniw: Minister, can I welcome very much the positive approach you've made in your statement to the changes and to the initiatives? One of the dangers that I've always found is that the more you talk down an area, the more it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. When I first became the Assembly Member for Pontypridd, I hesitated to go in and say to businesses, 'How are things?' because you would then...
Mick Antoniw: Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. The United Kingdom Internal Market Bill is a piece of constitutional legislation that will have far-reaching implications for devolution and the stability of the UK and will drive the final nail into the coffin of the Sewel convention. It is promoted by the UK Government as a Bill that is solely economic in character. This is a false and a misleading description....
Mick Antoniw: Thank you, Deputy Llywydd. As a cross-party constitutional committee, our function is to assess the probity and constitutional impact of this Bill, so as a committee we rarely recommend to the Senedd whether or not it should grant legislative consent. On this occasion, we're of the view that we have an obligation to make a specific recommendation to the Senedd. We have concluded that the Bill...
Mick Antoniw: Will the First Minister make a statement on the public engagement strategy for the COVID-19 vaccination rollout in Wales?
Mick Antoniw: Diolch, Llywydd. I'm very pleased to be able to participate in this Petitions Committee debate today, because it is an opportunity to talk about the flooding that hit RCT in February, and Pontypridd, my constituency, was the most badly affected area of Rhondda Cynon Taf. So, it is an issue that I have consistently and persistently raised questions on to the First Minister and other Ministers,...
Mick Antoniw: Llywydd, it was not my desire or intention to speak in the debate on this report by the standards committee. In the normal course of events, on a matter as serious as this, the Member found to be in breach of upholding the standards of this Senedd would have the courtesy and the integrity to take the opportunity to apologise to the Senedd and to the people of Wales, and that would be the...
Mick Antoniw: For months after, I would always ensure, when walking to the Chamber, that I was in the company of others or alert to the space around me, in the event that I would be accosted or assaulted by the Member. This is what I expected from a Member of this Senedd who told me he would 'get me', a threat I take very seriously. This is not the environment I expected to work in when I stood for...
Mick Antoniw: Will the Minister make a statement on transport infrastructure investment in Pontypridd and Taff-Ely?
Mick Antoniw: First Minister, I see on the 1 o'clock news today that Michael Gove is going to be writing to you shortly, to see whether there's going to be any development of the four-nation approach to Christmas. At the same time, we see across the UK and across Europe, and indeed in other parts of the world, significant actions being taken by Governments there, who are affected in exactly the same way as...
Mick Antoniw: Minister, can I have a statement from the Welsh Government on a number of flood-related matters? Firstly, obviously, I'm very pleased with your success in securing £31 million from the UK Government as, certainly, a part payment towards some of the promised moneys for the extraordinary flood damages that we have. Of course, this was on the back of a strong campaign by Labour Members of the...
Mick Antoniw: Thank you, Deputy Llywydd. Members will know that the Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (No. 4) (Wales) Regulations 2020 are the principal regulations on coronavirus in Wales, and, as the Minister has said, the Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions and Functions of Local Authorities) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2020 amend the principal regulations and also make technical...
Mick Antoniw: Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. Members will know that these regulations were laid last Thursday and came into force on Friday. We considered the regulations at our meeting yesterday morning and our report has been laid before the Senedd to inform this afternoon’s debate. Our report contains one technical point and three merits points. The technical reporting point highlights what we consider...
Mick Antoniw: Diolch again, Dirprwy Lywydd. Members will know that these regulations were laid late into the evening last Friday, and they came into force on Monday. We considered the regulations at our meeting yesterday morning, and we are grateful for the work of officials in preparing the necessary regulations and papers. Our report has again been laid before the Senedd to inform this afternoon's...
Mick Antoniw: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. We considered and reported on these regulations yesterday. Our report identified two merits points under Standing Order 21.3. Our first point noted that the Secretary of State has been consulted regarding these regulations. Such consultation is required under the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 for EU exit regulations that come into force before the end of the...
Mick Antoniw: I thank you again, Dirprwy Lywydd. We had the pleasure of considering both sets of regulations at our meeting yesterday morning, and our reports have been laid before the Senedd to assist today's debate. If I may, I will deal with the trade in animals and related products regulations first of all. Our report on these regulations contains one technical reporting point, and two merits reporting...
Mick Antoniw: Thank you, Llywydd. Our report contains 11 recommendations, and I thank the Minister for addressing our report and some of those recommendations in her opening remarks, and in particular the commitment to apply the affirmative procedure to certain parts of the Bill in connection with the recommendations that our committee has made. My opening remarks will focus on our consideration of the...
