Carwyn Jones: Well, one way of improving the environment, of course, and indeed emissions, is to invest more in sustainable energy, which I know is a particular issue in his part of the world. It is obvious that there are some forms of energy that are far less polluting than others, and that’s the way that we have to go and the world has to go in the future. One way, of course, of investing further in...
Carwyn Jones: Well, membership of the EU and continued access to a single market of over 500 million people provides the people of Islwyn, and indeed Wales, with enormous benefits. It accounts for around 40 per cent of our exports, helps fund long-term infrastructure investment and supports Welsh farming.
Carwyn Jones: Well, I do know that the economists who back Brexit tend to be, shall we say, minimalists when it comes to the protection of workers’ rights. Arch-Thatcherites from the 1980s are indeed people who don’t believe that manufacturing is important. That is what I have heard from Professor Minford, for example. That’s what he’s insinuated. The reality is this: I go abroad and when I bring...
Carwyn Jones: Absolutely right. I know there’ve been issues on the forest drive, of course, with tree disease in years gone by. It’s a hugely useful attraction for the Islwyn constituency, and we know that we need to access all the pots that are available to us in order to maximise the impact on the local economy that the drive provides.
Carwyn Jones: European structural funding won’t be there at all at the end of this month if things go the way that I would not want them to. There is no guarantee at all that that money would be made up by London. We know that our farmers receive £260 million a year. That is not money we have that we can give, but that money nevertheless is provided to our farmers. There is no way that the south-east...
Carwyn Jones: I can. There are enterprises in Wales, like the St Merryn abattoir, that would shut if it wasn’t for the fact that they can access at least some migrant workers. And it means that people who live in the area are able to keep a job that would otherwise be lost to them. There are plenty of examples. General Dynamics. He mentions Oakdale. General Dynamics employs, in the main, people who are...
Carwyn Jones: The court closure programme will have a significant adverse impact on access to justice in Wales. We have provided a robust response to the UK Government, and although the decision has been taken, that is something that we have pressed very hard for in order to have enough courts in Wales. But, unfortunately, that is not the view of the UK Government.
Carwyn Jones: Well, the building itself, of course, is a very old building. To me, it’s an important building; it’s where I prosecuted for the last time in the Crown Court, many years ago now. So, there are some people—well, they’re not still in jail, I don’t believe, because of me. I don’t think that that’s much help in terms of support ultimately, but, no. May I therefore ask the Member to...
Carwyn Jones: It was a fundamental principle of Welsh law until 1536, and a fundamental principle of what we would now describe, I suppose, as the law of England and Wales since then, that justice comes to people. That’s the reason why High Court justices travel around. In the last few years it’s now been suggested that people have to go to justice, and travel a long distance, and when they get there,...
Carwyn Jones: I think that makes perfect sense. With regard to the criminal courts, of course, they need to have access to cells, so they are in a different category to the county courts, which have been in administrative buildings for many, many years across Wales. But I think the suggestion of sharing a particular building or facilities makes perfect sense in order to provide a coherent and consistent...
Carwyn Jones: Yes, I know this is, of course, an issue that is of huge importance to the Member and his constituency, but I will be providing an update a little later on the floor of the Assembly on Tata Steel generally and on the work of the taskforce during my oral statement.
Carwyn Jones: We are very much aware, of course, of the need to support those who have lost their jobs as a result of the announcement that’s already been made. And I will deal with that as part of the statement, if I may.
Carwyn Jones: I’m not aware of the seminar, but I will write to the Member with more details about that. She does raise, of course, an important point, and that is fairness in the market. It wasn’t the European Commission that vetoed the idea of tariffs, it was the UK Government—something that I believe they now regret. Other Governments have done this; there’s no reason then why Europe shouldn’t...
Carwyn Jones: This is a matter, of course, for the UK Government, but I will consider writing to the Home Secretary to see if she has made a decision about the need for an inquiry.
Carwyn Jones: I have to say I believe that the case is strong for such an inquiry. We all saw what happened with Hillsborough, and the length of time it took for the truth to out. The same thing must happen, to my mind, with Orgreave. The 1980s were not a time of transparency, with a Government that did not believe in respecting people’s rights. Well, the truth must come out, and an inquiry is one way of...
Carwyn Jones: That is right, of course; I know the story of what happened there. What’s exceptionally important is that we can see the truth, that there is an inquiry, that we understand what actually occurred, and therefore what did not occur. But, what is important is that the truth is brought before the people of Britain so that we can all understand what happened 30 years ago.
Carwyn Jones: Wel, mae Cymdeithas Bêl-droed Cymru ac Ymddiriedolaeth Bêl-droed Cymru yn bwriadu defnyddio Ewro 2016 fel catalydd i wella pêl-droed yng Nghymru. Fe fydd yna ddatganiad yn hwyrach y prynhawn yma ar hwn. A gaf i gymryd y cyfle hwn, felly, i ddweud ‘pob lwc’ i’r tîm ar ran y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol yn gyfan gwbl, os gallaf i? Rydym wedi sicrhau ein bod ni yna, ond byddai’n bleser...
Carwyn Jones: There are two things here that are important: first of all, to ensure that young people participate in sport and see football as an activity to improve their health and, secondly, of course, to ensure that the profile of Wales is raised not just in Europe, but across the world. We saw what happened in 1990 with the Republic of Ireland when they went to the world cup. It had a huge impact on...
Carwyn Jones: Absolutely. It was my pleasure to open the academy in Newport, the national academy. We did provide financial help to the FAW in order for it to be set up. It is hugely important to have modern facilities with access to good coaching at the elite level of sport in order for there to be a high level of performance. But, it is important as well to make sure that facilities are in place to...
Carwyn Jones: It’s important to understand that, and that’s why we’ve been working with the FAW and the trust to make sure that the anticipated success of the Welsh team is reflected across all corners of our nation, but particularly of course that it is seen as a help in terms of driving investment in the economy and tourism in all parts of Wales for months and years to come.
