Gareth Bennett: Leanne Wood.
Gareth Bennett: It’s good to hear that the footballing authorities in Wales are planning to use the European championships as a way of creating a future legacy for sport in Wales and I hope that that does, in fact, take place. But, in the short term, before we establish the legacy, there’s the actual event itself. It’s good news that we have fanzones now being created in Swansea and in Cardiff, so that...
Gareth Bennett: It’s a significant achievement for the Welsh squad to qualify for major finals for the first time in 58 years, so I’d like to add the congratulations of the Welsh UKIP group to those of everybody else for that achievement in getting there to Chris Coleman and his team and the squad. It’s good that there is thought being given to grass-roots sport in the future with the investment into...
Gareth Bennett: Yes, it’s a significant achievement that the Welsh football team has reached the European championship finals, as was noted in the Chamber last week as well. Yes, it would be nice to imagine that this sort of achievement in professional sport will trigger major increases in participation in amateur sport at youth and grass-roots levels. Unfortunately, this does not always prove to be the...
Gareth Bennett: The Plaid Cymru Member opposite is right to draw the First Minister’s attention to the recent staff survey at NRW. The results are both disappointing and concerning. Is the dissatisfaction of the staff in any way a reflection on how well this body is serving the general public?
Gareth Bennett: I offer no comment on the Labour Member’s ability to do the job of Counsel General. I’m sure that, in many ways, he’s a highly qualified candidate. My only point is this: the Member has already during the fifth Assembly twice raised the issue of his great desire for a public inquiry to be held regarding events at Orgreave during the miners’ strike of 32 years ago. [Interruption.] Fair...
Gareth Bennett: It’s been an interesting discussion so far, and it’s been good to hear so many people speak and have passionate views on this subject. Here in the UKIP group, we certainly recognise that local government has a major role to play in people’s everyday lives. So, it is important that, if we are going to have yet another major local government shake-up, which, as was pointed out earlier by...
Gareth Bennett: It’s been a long campaign, and perhaps in many ways we’ll all be glad to see the back of it, whatever the outcome.
Gareth Bennett: Okay. Apologies for that.
Gareth Bennett: Sorry, I wasn’t aware—
Gareth Bennett: Thank you, Llywydd. There was no disrespect intended. I’m tempted to ask: where do you start on the EU? We’ve been bombarded with so many facts and figures from both sides, most of them of course conflicting with each other. There are so many aspects of this question to consider. Some of them we have already covered. It’s impossible to cover all of it in one speech, so I will confine...
Gareth Bennett: Thank you, Llywydd. On the leave side are not just Ukippers and Conservatives. We also have Labour people like Frank Field, Gisela Stuart, John Mann and Dennis Skinner. Not enough has been made of the fact that David Owen, one of the most enthusiastic of Europhiles until recently, is now a convinced Brexiteer. Ultimately, you have to decide if you want to side with the workers or the bosses....
Gareth Bennett: First, a piece quoting Darren Hunt—
Gareth Bennett: Thank you. First, the piece quoting Darren Hunt, the boss of a construction company in Scunthorpe. These were his words: ‘It is proving very difficult to get British people in. It seems that people are no longer interested in earning their wages by the sweat of their brow. It is disappointing that we are having to go to Europe to get workers, but we have no option. The good thing about the...
Gareth Bennett: [Continues.]—’and never complain or question the pay, conditions or hours.’ So, there you have it. Whose side are you on, you saviours of the working class? Are you on the side of the workers or the bosses? Thank you.
Gareth Bennett: What about your project fear—world war three?
Gareth Bennett: That’s not project fear?
Gareth Bennett: Carry on.
Gareth Bennett: Sorry, Llywydd.
Gareth Bennett: I note that Newport, Cardiff and Swansea are all in the top 10 of UK cities for receiving refugees. Do we have any idea what the total cost is to local authorities in Wales of housing the recent wave of refugees?
