Gareth Bennett: Well, you've advocated the multiplier. We will look into that and see how effective that is and how effectively you're actually overseeing that in Wales in terms of local government. The Cardiff council chief executive is only one example of the problem that I'm highlighting today. We do have an increasing number of public sector officials in Wales on six-figure salaries. Now, we are in an...
Gareth Bennett: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Can I also add my congratulations to Warren Gatland and the Welsh rugby squad for the achievement of another grand slam? Let's hope that the unbeaten run continues up to the World Cup, during the World Cup and, hopefully, throughout the World Cup this coming autumn. [Interruption.] No, not the rugby. First Minister, one of the areas that you're very interested in is...
Gareth Bennett: Thanks to the Conservatives for bringing today's debate on Natural Resources Wales. We've been talking about NRW quite a bit in this Chamber over the past couple of years, so perhaps it is appropriate to have a more wide-ranging discussion, as we're doing today, on the organisation's overall stewardship of the natural environment of Wales. The Conservatives' motion criticises decisions taken...
Gareth Bennett: Yes, that's encouraging. Now, if I can go back to the UDA issue, obviously, this is all going to hopefully come out in the autumn statement, but one issue with the clawback is that the money that is taken back from the dental practices is not ring-fenced and so is not necessarily going to be reinvested in the Welsh dental service. As we know from matters that are continuously debated in this...
Gareth Bennett: Well, thank you for that anticipatory report of the contractual overhaul. And it's encouraging that you are looking at this, and I look forward to the statement in the autumn. Now, of course, I can't really pre-empt what that statement is going to say, but if I could flag up a few issues relating to the contract—the British Dental Association say that the recruitment and retention of...
Gareth Bennett: Diolch, Llywydd. Minister, recently, WalesOnline published a news story highlighting the difficulty many patients are having in finding an NHS dentist to register with. The news reporter had herself moved to Carmarthen from Kent and, suffering a dental problem suddenly, she found that the closest dentist willing to offer an appointment was in Llanelli, which meant a 50-mile round trip. Of...
Gareth Bennett: I think the truth is, First Minister, that you want to set up your Fair Work Commission that you mentioned earlier, and pretend that you are committed to improving pay and working conditions in Wales, when the reality is exactly the opposite. The truth is that you want to keep pay and working conditions low in Wales by allowing companies to keep accessing cheap foreign workers. It's amazing...
Gareth Bennett: So, it was just a mistake. Okay. Well, whatever strategy your Welsh Government does come up with, claiming that you are trying to improve working conditions in Wales, is likely to be undermined by the real situation we have here in the job market, which is that, in general, wages in Wales are very low and 20 years of a Welsh Labour Government haven't done anything to change that. I see that...
Gareth Bennett: Diolch, Llywydd. First Minister, I'm very interested in a message that went out from Trade and Invest Wales recently. As you know, Trade and Invest Wales is a marketing initiative run by your Welsh Government. They seem to be pushing out the message to potential foreign investors that workers in Wales earn up to 30 per cent less than workers in other parts of the United Kingdom. Is it your...
Gareth Bennett: Thanks for that answer. Of course, there is uncertainty, but we may well be leaving within a few weeks, so I'm glad to hear, Llywydd, that there are plans to update the procedure, and I look forward to seeing them in due course, and hopefully quite soon.
Gareth Bennett: Yes, I agree that online technology is going to be crucial as well. Now, one factor that we have had in recent years, with local government finances being stretched, is there is an unfortunate consequence of the closure of many local libraries, among other local facilities. Wales has lost quite a lot of libraries—I believe a sixth of Welsh libraries have been closed since 2010. So, thinking...
Gareth Bennett: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Minister, it's World Book Day tomorrow, as you probably know. Can we have an update from you on what new work and new projects the National Library of Wales will be undertaking in the coming year?
Gareth Bennett: Thanks. Thanks for that answer, and I look forward to the new programme when the new chief executive gives us that announcement. Do you agree that—? Aberystwyth, of course, is where the national library is, for perfectly good reasons, but, of course, it isn't that accessible for people in many other parts of Wales, so it is important that the national library undertakes outreach projects so...
Gareth Bennett: 3. Will the Commission make a statement on the policy for flying flags on the Assembly estate after the UK leaves the European Union? OAQ53507
Gareth Bennett: Yes. I appreciate the factors that you mention; of course there is uncertainty. It seems to me that the very nature of the uncertainty may demonstrate the need to move towards a slower transition when we bring in a new payment scheme. Another issue that arises is that, under the Welsh Government's current proposals, the move from payments to active farmers to a broader category, which we are...
Gareth Bennett: Yes. I certainly don't disagree with you on that point, and I did state that we do need to move away from that scheme. I'm just flagging up the possibility that, in the short term, we may need to commit to some form of direct payment as part of payments to Welsh farmers in the interim, before we develop longer term schemes. And, of course, they must be robustly modelled—[Interruption.] They...
Gareth Bennett: Diolch, Lywydd. Minister, the Welsh Government is currently working on a new scheme of payments for Welsh farmers after Brexit. Obviously, you know a good deal about this in your ministerial capacity. Now, I'm glad that you've adopted an overall tone that there are opportunities that can be taken after Brexit, but, of course, we also have to be mindful not to try and bring about unnecessary...
Gareth Bennett: I'm glad that you see that that is an issue, and hopefully maybe we can get a statement on that later on, and see what your department's thoughts are on that, because I think it is something that does cause anxiety to existing communities when new large-scale developments are built and they don't have in place these things that were promised. Large-scale housing needs can prove challenging to...
Gareth Bennett: Yes. And of course it wasn't long ago, so we do need to have a look at that further on down the line. But, clearly, there are, as you say, implications for infrastructure to these large-scale housing developments, to always put in place the infrastructure that's needed. Now, one specific point in relation to this issue is the use of section 106 agreements. These are conditions attached to...
Gareth Bennett: Diolch, Llywydd. Last time we had these questions in the Chamber, I was discussing with the Minister, Julie James, her thoughts on the planning system in Wales. Now, later in that session, a couple of Members raised specific issues over multiple applications for large-scale housing developments in their areas. This is an ongoing issue, of course, in many different parts of Wales, as I'm sure...
