Nick Ramsay: Diolch, Lywydd. Can I thank you for the opportunity to speak today and to inform my fellow Assembly Members about the work of the Public Accounts Committee? As Members will be aware, the Public Accounts Committee is responsible for considering and investigating the value-for-money reports produced by the Auditor General for Wales. To date in this Assembly, we have already undertaken a number...
Nick Ramsay: Can I thank Mike Hedges for his warm words there? You are right; it does often feel like we are on a treadmill. I know that all of the committees of this Assembly have their work cut out, but I think it’s unusual for committees to change gear as much as we do, from area to area, and sometimes within the committee meeting; whether we’re looking at a health issue or looked-after children,...
Nick Ramsay: I would agree with the opening of the Member’s comments there. We are an eclectic mix on the Public Accounts Committee. I chose my words carefully there. We do have a robust exchange of views. We work together where necessary, but also individuals have their own views. You are right as well, Neil, that this is a committee with an incredibly serious workload, a huge workload, looking at the...
Nick Ramsay: Thank you, Oscar, and thank you for your warm words. It’s been a pleasure working with you on the committee over the last few months as well. I don’t think that was a request for us to call Tony Blair to the Welsh Public Accounts Committee—at least I’m not taking it as such—but I take your point. The point is, as a committee, we are free to make requests to any members of the public...
Nick Ramsay: I know you have a long-standing interest in terms of looked-after children. I thought that that would come up, so I brought down some of the figures for that, and just looking through them, we intend to scrutinise the overall cost and the value for money of the range of services aimed at improving outcomes for looked-after children. But this is such a huge area that, over, I would say years,...
Nick Ramsay: I’m about to. As you can see, Members, we are a committee of robust members, and robust views, and when we agree and when we work as a team, actually, I think we’re at our best, because, believe me, the Members on the Public Accounts Committee in this Assembly really do know their own minds. I would say in terms of—. I quite agree with you about tweeting, and in fact we did have that...
Nick Ramsay: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I’ve agreed to allow Jenny Rathbone, Hefin David and David Melding to contribute a minute each to this debate. 15 March 2016 was an historic day for Wales: the day the Cardiff capital city region deal was finally struck by the First Minister, the UK Government and representatives of the 10 participating local authorities. Since that day, local...
Nick Ramsay: First Minister, Dai Lloyd in his opening question mentioned the problems for people with disabilities at Abergavenny station. If I can focus on those, you may be aware of the work of one of my constituents, disabled access rights campaigner Dan Biddle, who’s worked tirelessly both in my area and across Wales over the last few years to try and improve disabled access. Whilst you’re right...
Nick Ramsay: Leader of the house, it’s now been two weeks since the Welsh Government gave the Circuit of Wales company—. I think it was a two-week deadline, funnily enough, to provide assurances of their financial backers so that the project can move forward. I said in my debate last week on the Cardiff city region that I thought that this was a positive development for all the parties involved—a...
Nick Ramsay: Cabinet Secretary, I think your decision to issue the Heads of the Valleys Development Company with that two-week deadline two weeks ago—two weeks ago today, or two weeks yesterday—was exactly the right thing to do and I made that clear in the business statement yesterday. I also agree with you on the issue of due diligence. It’s clear now that that will play a vital role in the next...
Nick Ramsay: Very briefly, I appreciate the frustrations about the lateness of the autumn statement, but, on the other hand, you do have to recognise, Cabinet Secretary, that that autumn statement did deliver an extra £400 million for the Welsh economy over the next five years—not to be sniffed at.
Nick Ramsay: I’m pleased to take part in this afternoon’s debate, welcoming the announcement of the UK Government’s industrial strategy. We’ve heard in the opening remarks from Russell George about some details of that strategy, placing education and skills at the heart of the economy, and re-establishing in some measure technical education, too long undervalued, as David Melding mentioned in the...
Nick Ramsay: You were clearly very kind to me in my short debate on the city region last week when you didn’t raise any of these concerns. I’ve listened to what you’ve just said now and what you said in your contribution earlier, Adam. And you clearly have major issues—. Well, you’re thinking outside of the box in terms of the city region. I think everyone else at the moment is saying,...
Nick Ramsay: First Minister, the renewal of the Wales and west border franchise is fast approaching. Has the Welsh Government at least begun the process of ordering or considering ordering new rolling stock for that franchise? I ask the question because, given that it takes up to four years to commission new rolling stock—it’s not like buying a car at the local garage—do you share my concerns that...
Nick Ramsay: Cabinet Secretary, thank you for your earlier answer. Can I firstly welcome the Welsh Government’s commitment to providing a full response to the committee’s report on the Kancoat situation? As you said, your response to the report will be considered in full by the committee, so I don’t want to prejudge that stage of the process, or indeed be repetitive with questioning. I’m pleased...
Nick Ramsay: 5. Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on progress with developing the Welsh Revenue Authority? OAQ(5)0099(FLG)
Nick Ramsay: I think there’s an echo in this Chamber today, Cabinet Secretary, but it’s an important subject, so I will emphasise. Monday, as you said, was another landmark day for Wales’s tax journey: the announcement of Kathryn Bishop as the Welsh Government’s preferred candidate to become the first chair of the WRA. As you know, the Finance Committee will be holding a pre-appointment session...
Nick Ramsay: Russ George and I have done a little wager on who Mark Reckless went to university with. You got us thinking earlier. I could see Hannah Blythyn shaking her head furiously when it was raised. But there we are. Can I also thank Hannah Blythyn for bringing this important issue to the Assembly today? I also concur with the thoughts of Joyce Watson as a commissioner. Suzy Davies couldn’t be...
Nick Ramsay: Thanks for giving way. You can tell I haven’t got my name in for this debate, so I’ve got to do it this way. I totally agree with your last point that this doesn’t mean going back to the old model of having a local branch everywhere, but do you agree with me—I assume you do agree—that the new bank, whatever form it takes, does need to have a strong local presence, whether that’s...
Nick Ramsay: Leader of the house, it’s clearly vital that we develop stronger economic links across the world in the wake of the vote to leave the European Union and if we could still in some way access schemes such as Horizon 2020 and similar programmes following Brexit in some way then that would be a bonus, so I was pleased to hear you mention that. However, I would say a trade mission—and...
