Jane Hutt: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I'm pleased to speak in this debate today on behalf of the Finance Committee on the financial implications of the Childcare Funding (Wales) Bill. Firstly, it's worth noting that our scrutiny of the Bill has been limited to the financial information provided in the regulatory impact assessment, which sets out the costings for administering the scheme, and not the cost...
Delyth Jewell: The building that we're debating in is often celebrated for its architecture, its concave ceiling, its sloping walls. The contours of the space itself remind us of not just the principles of openness and transparency in democracy, but also the, at times, circuitous path we've taken to get here, winning the vote in 1997 by a whisker and the work that's happened in the past 20 years to engage...
Elin Jones: ...Deputy Presiding Officer are likely to exercise that right this afternoon. Today, we will be voting on extending the franchise to 16 and 17-year-olds for the Senedd elections in 2021. It was the Representation of the People Act 1969 that lowered the voting age from 21 to 18, and, so, the provision to extend the franchise to 16-year-olds is long overdue for some. In May 2013, a clear...
Natasha Asghar: ...3 per cent as a result of more flexible working and better childcare provision. However, it is worrying that the gender pay gap has increased from 11.8 per cent to 12.3 per cent. Sadly, this is not the full story. Regional disparities mean the gap can be as low as 1.9 per cent in Conwy but as high as 25 per cent in Torfaen. Can I ask, Minister, how you intend to address the widening gender...
Elin Jones: All of us in this Siambr know that a call for more politicians is never going to be popular. Nevertheless, this report highlights the need to take action to address the capacity gap. The panel noted the proposals that have already been implemented to increase the capacity of the Assembly, but those methods in themselves aren't sufficient. So, the Assembly Commission has a responsibility to...
Mohammad Asghar: ...to broaden the range of advice that young people receive about their future prospects. By doing so, I am confident that this will go some way to tackling the worrying gender imbalance and under-representation of disabled people that we currently see in apprenticeships in Wales. Having encouraged young people to take up an apprenticeship, we must now look at the level of support we provide...
Carwyn Jones: ...that there is a debate in this place so that the MPs can be aware of the views of AMs. I understand that discussions have taken place around holding it possibly Thursday next week or possibly another day. It would have to be, I think, a specific day allocated for such an important debate, rather than trying to shoehorn it into Government business between now and Christmas. So, I certainly...
Rhianon Passmore: ..., as Members of the National Assembly for Wales, must model to the Welsh nation that Wales will always be an open, tolerant, multicultural and diverse country. I was struck by the quality of the representations made to the committee—I also, as have others, have met asylum seekers and refugees as part of this work and outside of it—and of the Children’s Society, who helped clearly...
David Melding: A rough definition of a participative democracy would be one where citizens take on greater responsibility for decision making. This would not reduce the need for representative institutions, far less central Government—we are not heading back to Athens—but it would mean that public participation amounts to a lot more than periodic elections. When observing the public mood on polling day,...
Mark Drakeford: Llywydd, the Government will not oppose the Plaid Cymru amendments laid to the debate, but, because each of those three amendments contains a mixture of measures, some of which we positively support but others over which we have more hesitation, we will abstain on them this afternoon. On the main issue, however, we are plainly agreed. Adam Price, quoting the TAC report, demonstrated the...
Hannah Blythyn: ...’s happening outside this Chamber. The Welsh Government’s commitment to equality and its cross-cutting approach to furthering this agenda is to be applauded, but the challenge for us all, and not solely the Welsh Government, is to ensure that these overarching objectives and principles translate into reality and everyday practice for the people they are set up to serve. Equality, to...
Carl Sargeant: ...s why we’re working with our partners to put a number of collaborative arrangements in place. This includes a housing pact with the WLGA and CHC, the housebuilders engagement programme, including representation from SME businesses, land for housing initiatives, the co-operative housing stakeholder group, and the rural housing strategy group, to name just a few. I share, Mike, your...
Suzy Davies: ...recognised—particularly important in Wales, where the Jewish population is small, and, as Jenny alluded to, education research on the Holocaust more widely, as far as I can tell, anyway, is not as developed as it is in Scotland and England. I recommend Dr Andy Pearce's paper on the Holocaust and the national curriculum of England after 25 years. Neither of these proposals prevents...
Helen Mary Jones: What I would say, though, is that we're disappointed in the plan. It's not as ambitious as we would have liked it to be, and clearly the next Welsh Government will have to do better and go further. One of the things that we would want to consider is the possibility of developing a national energy company, similar to Dŵr Cymru, our national water company, to provide people purchasing energy...
Jeremy Miles: ...work to be done to ensure that the audit and accounting arrangements for Welsh-funded Electoral Commission work are robust and protect the Welsh consolidated fund account. The Welsh Government will not commence the Electoral Commission provisions until that work has been completed to the satisfaction of all parties involved. Removing the references to 2021-22 is consistent with this...
Adam Price: ...to the renting homes Act—the content rows back on the commitments that you and your party made in the case of no-fault erections, for example, where you amend the legislation to extend the notice period from two months to six months, rather than abolish the practice entirely. This will not give the assurances that those people who rent homes would need. Over the period of this Senedd,...
David Rees: ...with others. Like my colleague from Caerphilly, I came across many individuals during my educational time. Like most Members across the Chamber we’ve heard this afternoon, I’ve received many representations from families who have children or siblings living with ASD, and it’s critical that the Welsh Government and all public bodies support these families who, on a daily basis, face...
Leanne Wood: I'm not convinced that this statement brings anything new to the table today, and I think the evidence for that is the attack that the Cabinet Secretary just made. Cabinet Secretary, you always seem to attack when you don't have any answers. Anyway, you finished your statement today by saying that the delivery plan in front of us today cuts across all Welsh Government departments and all of...
Mr Simon Thomas: ...t sense that the councils themselves are opposed to the concept of a national body. They haven’t told me that. What they have said is that what’s important is that the local voice and regional representation is maintained. So, there is a possibility here to have a national body that could merge some aspects, which may bring forward savings, if you like, in terms of bureaucracy,...
Rebecca Evans: ..., and, through no fault of their own, they've found that they are denied what they could just reasonably have expected. Members will be aware, of course, as we've heard, that pension matters are not devolved to Wales, but, nonetheless, we support the former ASW employees in their campaign for pension reinstatement. The Welsh Government is pleased to vote in favour of this cross-party...
