David Rowlands: I thank the Minister for his answer. I'm not dismissive of the good work carried out by the third sector, but it is obvious, even to a casual observer, that there is a great deal of duplication in the organisations involved in alleviating some of the most pressing problems faced by the Welsh public. For instance, I believe there are some 50-plus organisations looking after homelessness....
David Rowlands: 3. Will the First Minister make a statement on the number of quangos in Wales? OAQ54654
David Rowlands: Well, I thank the Deputy Minister for that brief answer, but, Deputy Minister, the draft national framework encompasses local development plans, strategic development plans, developments of national significance, which all sit alongside 'Planning Policy Wales', and all supposedly based on a regional structure. Given this desire to move to regional centres of governance, could the Welsh...
David Rowlands: Diolch, Llywydd. Deputy Minister, the proposal to make Newport the focus for economic growth has been welcomed by all in South Wales East, and we congratulate the Welsh Government on its announcement. However, I understand there has been criticism of this move by Cardiff city council, who argue that this would take jobs and investment out of Wales and undermine Cardiff's role as the economic...
David Rowlands: Can I thank the Minister for her statement? By way of background, the private rented sector currently constitutes 11 per cent of the Welsh housing stock, with 71 per cent being owner-owned and 18 per cent rented from housing associations and local authorities. We all acknowledge there's a growing demand for rented accommodation, not only from those historical groups, such as students, but...
David Rowlands: Minister, in a previous Plenary session, I brought to the Government's attention the parlous situation of the citizens of Pontypool, who find themselves marooned after 7 p.m., when all local bus services cease. The lack of transport has grave consequences for the licenced trade in the town centre, and these difficulties are being further exacerbated by the closure of the last community club...
David Rowlands: They can, of course, be done by the authority directly itself, if that is the case at this moment in time. It is the schools and the teaching professionals who run them who know best where to spend the funds available. They are in the best place to decide priorities. Let's put our trust in these professionals. I was told by a headmaster some years ago about the inflated costs he faced when...
David Rowlands: Can I thank the committee for this report and can I say that we will be supporting the motion? Funding our schools, as with our NHS, has always been a controversial issue, but, as with the NHS, we cannot fail to ensure that our education system receives adequate funding. Whatever financial pressures our local authorities are under, school budgets are not the place to make cuts. Only by...
David Rowlands: Very, very quickly—if that referendum, the next referendum, said, 'We leave the European Union', would you then accept that?
David Rowlands: But why would you accept that one and not the previous one?
David Rowlands: Yes, I will. First of all, would you not agree that you've had 40 years to prove to the British people that the European Union is their best option? And after 40 years of being in the European Union, the British people said, 'That is not the option we want. We want to come out of the European Union because we believe that Britain would be better off outside of that union.'
David Rowlands: We must acknowledge that there have been some remarkable successes to celebrate in the promotion of tourism in Wales over the last five years. The themed approach was inspired and inspiring and, I think we would all agree, each, in its own way, gave a substantial boost to the tourist economy of Wales. The future plans and indeed those being implemented at this moment all have merit and should...
David Rowlands: We must rightly acknowledge the recent extensive work put in by the Welsh Government in putting in place the infrastructure that will produce a better skilled workforce for the future. Can I ask, however, what progress has been made by local authorities in developing skill pathways by integrating vocational training into the wider education system?
David Rowlands: We must be careful, in any debate on the use of plastic, not to throw the baby out with the bath water. There are many legitimate cost-effective and sensible uses for plastic. So, if we are to be effective in our fight against plastic pollution, we have to concentrate our efforts on those uses that are totally avoidable, or on those whose use is extendable. It is the single-use plastic items...
David Rowlands: Well, can I say the Assembly Commission has signed a memorandum of understanding to join the proposed Cardiff district heating scheme to invest in our estate—? Sorry, this will remove a significant proportion of our carbon footprint from the otherwise hard-to-tackle activity of heating on the estate.
David Rowlands: Since its formation, the Commission has sought to reduce its environmental impact. Our environmental strategy has resulted in carbon emissions reducing by 42 per cent since 2012, building on our previous achievement of a 30 per cent reduction. We have minimised single-use plastic cups and cutlery, replacing them with biodegradable alternatives, and food containers where currently possible. As...
David Rowlands: Well, can I say, again, that there's a lot of technical information that you require there? And can I say that the information is available from the staff of the Commission, who are very au fait with exactly what's going on with regard to the charging facilities and the ability to use CV cars in general?
David Rowlands: Well, it's absolutely right, there are two systems of charging. I can't exactly answer your question with regard to that, but can I tell you that the Commission staff are there to give information with regard to CV cars to anybody and everybody in the Assembly, as both Assembly Members and the staff themselves? They do have extensive information that you can glean from them, and if you are...
David Rowlands: The Commission installed four charging points in the Tŷ Hywel car park in spring 2018 for use by staff and visitors. Since then, they have been used 692 times to supply over 6,500 kWh of power to electric cars. This has saved more than 5.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide being emitted to the atmosphere. The Commission believes that the designated parking spaces provide an incentive to use an...
David Rowlands: Would the Minister join me in congratulating the pressure group the Friends of Cwmcarn Drive on proving the case for reinstating the facilities at Cwmcarn forest drive to Natural Resources Wales, and the time and effort the people who constitute the group put into securing the drive for the benefit of the Wales tourist industry in general, as well as the local economy?
