Huw Irranca-Davies: I welcome Joel's question because it does point out that there are things that we can get on right now, either with technological solutions, or other solutions, that don't require legislation. We can get on with improvements to air quality right now, and I'd be interested in the Minister's thoughts on what other things we can do. But the Minister will understand that there was some...
Huw Irranca-Davies: My thanks to Buffy, and also to Laura as well for speaking so bravely, and from personal experience, and for allowing me to speak in full support of their calls, and also to raise the work of my constituent, Mark Williams, who has done so much to campaign, inspired by his wife's and his own tough personal experiences, for the voices of both mothers and fathers to be heard in perinatal and...
Huw Irranca-Davies: What discussions has the Minister had with Bridgend College regarding its vision for post-16 education?
Huw Irranca-Davies: 3. What consideration will the Welsh Government give to the impact on Wales of possible additional NHS and social care funding in England when allocating funding to the health and social services portfolio? OQ56802
Huw Irranca-Davies: I thank the Minister for that response and, as we’ve heard already today in this Senedd Chamber, what we’re seeing in effect is a classic pickpocket trick—somebody is smiling in your face whilst taking the money out of the back pocket of local authorities; out of employers, some of whom will be employing care staff; and out of low-paid staff themselves in care and in the NHS. So, it is...
Huw Irranca-Davies: 7. How will the Welsh Government ensure a sustainable future for small and medium-scale family-run mixed arable and livestock farming in the south Wales valleys? OQ56801
Huw Irranca-Davies: I thank the Minister for that answer, and ‘active farmers’ are key to that answer. Cwm Risca farm, which I know very well—I’ve visited them many times, most recently in the last couple of weeks—is a classic, small to medium-scale family-run enterprise. It’s diversified. It’s award winning as well. It’s mixed arable and livestock. It does the right thing for its fields, it does...
Huw Irranca-Davies: 5. What are the Welsh Government’s plans to improve community safety in Ogmore? OQ56855
Huw Irranca-Davies: I thank the First Minister for that answer, and one of the things that gave me greatest pleasure over a decade ago was being part of the committee in Westminster that brought into being the police community support officers. It was a long, arduous committee, but we brought them in, and we brought them in because we knew the role that they would have in tackling low-level nuisance and...
Huw Irranca-Davies: I really do welcome this statement today. Sometimes, we have statements in this place that don't take us a lot further forward. This one today really does, and it does it in two ways: (1) in terms of giving, I think, some really good reassurance of the ongoing conversation that there will be with farmers and land managers on the future of this, but also the future of funding, subject to the...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Diolch, Llywydd. I really welcome this statement this afternoon, and also the debate that has ensued and the comments, because it shows that, far from being a dry and arcane piece of Tuesday afternoon business here, it actually goes to the heart of trying to make law accessible and understandable, not only for professionals, as has been mentioned, but for the public as well, and that goes to...
Huw Irranca-Davies: 7. What representations has the Counsel General made to the UK Government regarding restoring legal aid for early advice and reassessing the means test? OQ56853
Huw Irranca-Davies: I welcome that response. The Counsel General will know that, since legal aid was cut and the means testing made more stringent as a result of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, the LASPO Act, that has meant that many of these cases now are coming into our surgeries—all of us. We're seeing it in increasing debt, we're seeing it in mental health problems, we are...
Huw Irranca-Davies: What discussions has the Counsel General held regarding the reform of intergovernmental machinery at a UK level?
Huw Irranca-Davies: Could I ask for two statements? One of them is actually echoing the point made earlier on—it would be great to get a statement on the timing of the outcome of the extended consultation on school transport. It's been extended to look at this issue over the free travel aspects and the distance. Bridgend traditionally provided more generous than most local authorities in Wales transport in...
Huw Irranca-Davies: First Minister, thank you for the statement but also for this report, which I would thoroughly recommend to any student of current constitutional arrangements looking at this moment in time at what it means for Wales and the UK. I think it is fair to say, as Darren pointed out, there are some good bits in here, but I have to say it's a mixed picture as well, and it does, within the reading of...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Dirprwy Lywydd, I declare my interest as a former chair of the regional investment for Wales steering group and as the current chair of the strategic forum for regional investment in Wales, both non-remunerated. That's taken a minute, Chair, to actually say that. Could I say, I was actually heartened by Paul Davies's comments about the 20 years of experience of delivering investment? But,...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Thank you. My apologies, Dirprwy Lywydd. It isn't about badging it either 'UK' or 'Wales'; it's about delivering for the people who we are sent here to represent, and there is a better way to do it than this. We can help. Would you take that message forward?
Huw Irranca-Davies: I'll do my best, Dirprwy Lywydd. Can I preface my remarks by thanking my committee members for their scrutiny, and our clerking team as well, and note, in advance of my comments, that when our committee does its job well, it will sometimes make for challenging listening for the Government as well? As the Minister told us, the Bill has got a long history, and our predecessor committee...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Could I ask for a debate, rather than a statement, on the availability of free banking for charities and community groups? Unfortunately, HSBC is the latest of the banks to take the money and run, and they'll be introducing charges for the Women's Institute, local scouts and girl guides groups, local sports clubs, and others, from the end of this month. It's a really important thing for some...
