Huw Irranca-Davies: 4. What progress has been made on a salary sacrifice support scheme for electric cars for Commission staff and staff of Members of the Senedd? OQ58815
Huw Irranca-Davies: That's really excellent news, and it's good to hear that it's coming forward very soon indeed. I should point out that electric cars, in my view, are not the be-all-and-end-all solution. Many people who will travel here to work or around the constituency will do it by walking, cycling or public transport, but they are a means forward to tackling our climate change emergency, our crisis. But...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Can I thank the committee for bringing this report forward, and once again say it shows the power of the Petitions Committee in bringing really important matters in front of the Senedd, and the facility that we have within this Welsh Parliament, Senedd Cymru, to actually articulate the views of people outside of this Chamber itself? It's a great opportunity to debate this. And, in opening my...
Huw Irranca-Davies: I won't repeat points that have been made by other Members, but I just want to thank the Chair and colleagues on the committee for the session that they held with the interim assessor, and also to thank the interim assessor as well for coming in front of us and for the evidence that she gave. There's only one significant point of difference that I take with Janet on this, because we did hear...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Will the Minister give way?
Huw Irranca-Davies: I thank the Minister for giving way. Whilst we hate delay, one of the advantages is that we can look not only at Conference of the Parties 15 now, but also at what has happened elsewhere in the UK. Janet made the point that, yes, there are other governance structures that have been put in place in the UK, but they haven't been without criticism. So, if you can also give us the guarantee that...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Would the Chair give way?
Huw Irranca-Davies: I simply rise to join him in his acclamation of our committee colleague, Janet, because having that unanimity genuinely is a significant moment—it really is. If we're all agreed, across the Senedd Chamber, on the highest possible environmental governance and regulations to protect us, putting aside Brexit or whatever, my goodness, that's a good place to go forward behind the Minister. So,...
Huw Irranca-Davies: And you'll have to stick at it.
Huw Irranca-Davies: My apologies. I hadn't intended to speak in this debate, but I've read the report in great detail, and there are definitely criticisms of Bridgend social services. There's also observation, from the care inspectorate, that measures have been taken already to respond to those. What there is also criticism of is many other agencies, including the inability of nursing staff in Cwm Taf Morgannwg...
Huw Irranca-Davies: What assessment has the Counsel General made of whether the new inter-governmental arrangements proposed by the Review of Intergovernmental Relations will be sufficiently open to scrutiny?
Huw Irranca-Davies: No thanks.
Huw Irranca-Davies: I’m speaking this afternoon, but later on.
Huw Irranca-Davies: Thank you, Llywydd. We considered these regulations yesterday afternoon and our report has also been laid to inform Membesr this afternoon.
Huw Irranca-Davies: These regulations prescribe rules to be used to calculate the chargeable amount for hereditaments with increased non-domestic rates liability of over £300, as a result of the increase in rateable value of their hereditament, following the compilation of the new NDR rating list on 1 April 2023. Following a request from the Minister, we expedited our scrutiny of the regulations so the debate...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Thank you again, Llywydd.
Huw Irranca-Davies: Thank you again. We considered these regulations yesterday afternoon in our committee, and again, our report has been laid to inform Members this afternoon. I would also like to draw Members' attention to a letter that we wrote to the Minister yesterday afternoon, which is of great significance to this afternoon's discussion as well. The Minister has explained today the purpose of these...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Minister, you've also said that you've decided against the use of the urgent made affirmative procedure, which is an option that's open under the EU (Withdrawal) Act 2018 as a means of correcting the defective drafting highlighted by the committee, because you did not consider it to be a workable solution. We have not, of course, had the time to consider this response fully either. You have...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Diolch, Llywydd. Thank you. In opening our remarks, I note that two of the arguments put forward by the Deputy Minister and also the Minister, in terms of the previous instrument in front of us, are, if not identical, very similar. One is that, in passing these instruments today, even with the defective aspects that we've identified, it wouldn't have an impact on the operability of this...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Thank you, Llywydd. Apologies. Apologies.
