Lynne Neagle: ...and improving mental and health well-being. So, we have quite a track record there to try and protect. I also think that it is very important to guard against the narrative that this programme has not tackled poverty, coming, as it has, for the last nearly seven years, against the backdrop of swingeing benefit cuts, which can be dismissed by the Welsh Conservatives, but which have...
Huw Irranca-Davies: ...so with real skill, and with the help of an exemplary small team of clerks, despite the unexpected disruption of a pandemic and some local political challenges. I'll reserve my remarks on that for another day, but I simply note that I feel it is incumbent on all political parties in this place to engage with the arguments and the evidence no matter how difficult politically that is. And...
Jane Hutt: .... We have to do something about those national governing bodies of sport in Wales, highlighted by that ITV programme, Wales This Week. And you draw attention to the policy theme, leadership and representation. We've made our commitment, Deputy Llywydd, to hold all leaders of public bodies personally accountable for delivering a representative workforce, and inclusive and psychologically...
Helen Mary Jones: ...delay has been necessary, which I do accept that it has been. Can he confirm that this slightly longer pause—I'm very pleased to hear, by the way, what he says about including businesses not able to pay VAT, but can he confirm that this slightly longer pause will enable him to give further consideration to some of the other missing businesses that he might be able to include where proof...
Jane Hutt: ...also chose to address the contribution of the socioeconomic factors to the virus head on, responding to Emmanuel Ogbonna's report and his group—an acknowledgement that medical data could not explain the disproportionate impact on BAME people alone. A report of the socioeconomic group set out the entrenched inequalities experienced by black, Asian and minority ethnic people, which...
Siân Gwenllian: ...possible at last. Without that Act, of course, we wouldn't be in this place discussing this. The next step is to hold a wide-ranging consultation on these issues that are contained in the report, not only about the number of Assembly Members—I'm slightly concerned that the discussion will focus on that, the number of Assembly Members and whether we need to increase the number of Assembly...
Andrew RT Davies: ...well then start to inspire confidence. Some of those questions were explored at length in our debate last week, straight after a bovine TB debate moved by backbenchers in this Chamber. It is worth noting that, in the programme for government, there is no indication as to exactly how the Government will progress its strategy on bovine TB. I appreciate the Cabinet Secretary will be bringing...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. I regret that Plaid Cymru do not feel in a position to support this LCM today, because, actually, what we’re trying to do is secure important safeguards for Welsh higher education institutions in being able to accrue these powers for Welsh Ministers with regard to the future of TEF as well as our ability to be able to continue to provide student...
Steffan Lewis: ...address all injustices against the miners and their families, including the issue of the miners’ pension surplus. Neil Hamilton was right to point out that miners paid into this scheme, and it is not an act of charity for them to benefit from that scheme: the money belongs to miners and their families. Jeremy Miles put the key question, which is at the heart of this whole debate: what is...
Suzy Davies: That's an encouraging response, Minister. I just want to make it plain that this question is not raised as an attack on the growing film industry in Wales, despite comments from Welsh Government to that effect. I'm raising it in an attempt to break through the lack of transparency surrounding how some decisions were made and whether representations made by Welsh Government about the positive...
Lesley Griffiths: ...over two years, so I think it is the appropriate time for them to be reviewed, and I think it's time that we also consider whether other animals should be microchipped. Certainly, I've had a lot of representation around cats being microchipped, so I've asked officials to look into that for me. I think the point you raised about sanctuaries was very pertinent, and the definition of an...
Jack Sargeant: ...in her own constituency, and that those decisions that are made should be in line with the well-being of future generations Act. Heledd Fychan claimed we should be looking at new leases of life—not just saving buildings of historical importance, but new leases of life, reimagining buildings, and going further than perhaps we do already. And then, coming to the Minister's response, the...
Julie Morgan: ...We intend to embark early in the Senedd term; I will be asking the social care work forum for their advice on how best to take this commitment forward and how we can ensure that, in doing it, we do not destabilise this fragile and complex sector. I also want to work jointly with the forum to understand how we might maximise the impact of this funding. Fair work is about more than pay. The...
Mark Isherwood: ...between the UK and the Republic of Ireland as a consequence of the historic relationship between both countries, and the ability of Commonwealth citizens to vote at UK elections is a legacy of the Representation of the People Act 1918. However, this Bill, we believe, proposes a step too far. At least most of the few countries that allow foreign citizens to vote have a minimum residency...
Gareth Bennett: ...service that we have now. The second Plaid Cymru amendment relates to voting in local elections. We support Plaid’s desire for councils to move away from first-past-the-post to proportional representation in order to strengthen accountability. Mike Hedges raised the apparently vexing issue of lower turnout in police and crime commissioner and European elections. However, I believe that...
Jane Hutt: Diolch, Llywydd, and I'd like to start by thanking Plaid Cymru for bringing this debate today. It not only highlights the rising levels of household debt in Wales outlined by speakers today, but also the steps we're taking as a Welsh Government to mitigate some of the grave hardships being faced. And I also welcome the Equality and Social Justice Committee inquiry into debt and the pandemic....
Elin Jones: Siân has chosen to focus on one important aspect of this agenda, one that ensures greater diversity of representation in our National Assembly, and within that, she's raised the question as to whether allowing Assembly Members to job share could lead to the creation of a more gender-balanced Assembly. The Member, as she has described, will be aware that this was a matter raised by the expert...
Carwyn Jones: ...my view in terms of the visit. What is clear over the last few days is that a ban was imposed without any rational basis. Of the terrorist attacks that have taken place in the US over the years, not one person has come from those seven countries—the twin towers people didn’t come from there. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, two countries where terrorists have come from, there is no ban on them,...
David Lloyd: ...the general direction of travel? Can I also thank the Minister for arranging the briefing by officers earlier today? I found that very valuable. Obviously, it's a very extensive Bill, and I'm not going to indulge in a long list of quotes and discussion points, but I was going to concentrate on the voting systems, specifically the single transferable vote versus first-past-the-post. And,...
Vaughan Gething: ...for those people who don't regularly take part in consultations. We engaged Communities Connected to do so. I realise that the Consultation Institute wanted to run their own event. We said we would not engage with that because I don't believe that the Welsh Government should send Ministers or officials along to events where our stakeholders pay for that access. I do not believe we should...
