Peter Fox: Whilst there is more to do to support people over the coming months, I welcome the steps made by the Chancellor that will help to ease the burden on families across the UK. Indeed, Martin Lewis recognised the benefits of raising the threshold in national insurance. Deputy Llywydd, the doubling of the household support fund in England, outlined last week, will result in consequentials of...
Peter Fox: —and are best placed to use their local knowledge to help those in need. Indeed, they already deliver a range of discretionary services. First Minister, what discussions has the Welsh Government had about how to allocate this funding, this additional £25 million, to councils in the light of current pressures? Will you consider loosening the eligibility criteria of some of the support...
Peter Fox: I wasn't expecting Members in this Chamber to be welcoming the spring statement, but there were a lot of very, very positive things, though I haven't got the opportunity to raise them here. [Interruption.] The combination of unprecedented crises—the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine—has resulted in significant inflationary pressures that have been felt across...
Peter Fox: Diolch, acting Llywydd. And for the record, I would like to declare that I am a practicing farmer—in fact, I'm looking at cattle outside the window as I sit here. Can I thank my colleague Sam Kurtz for bringing forward this important and very timely debate? Quite frankly, food security is something that many of us have taken for granted. As a society, we've generally become accustomed to...
Peter Fox: Before I begin, I'd like to state that I'm speaking as a member of the LJC committee, but not on behalf of the LJC committee. I really want to build on the point earlier that Rhys made about equality impact assessments. It's more of a procedural point. But, Llywydd, I would like to ask the Minister about the lack of an equality impact assessment within the explanatory memorandum of these...
Peter Fox: Trefnydd, could I ask for two statements from the Minister for Health and Social Services, please? Firstly, I would like to request a statement regarding access to GP services. Recently, a constituent contacted me after their family tried to get an appointment at a GP surgery, only to be told that a nurse would call them back with a phone appointment arranged for three weeks after the person...
Peter Fox: Thank you, Commissioner, for that response. I think that was very helpful for Members and others watching in. As we all know, there is a wide-ranging movement across the UK and the wider world to disinvest from Russia based businesses as well as stocks and shares. Of course, in normal times, it's usual practice to use things like pension schemes to invest in foreign stocks and shares, but...
Peter Fox: 5. What assessment has the Commission made of the impact of the economic sanctions on Russia on staff and Members' pension funds? OQ57807
Peter Fox: Could I once again thank the Minister for this statement? And I would like to state that the Welsh Conservative group will be supporting the motion on the agenda. I generally welcome the announcement that councils will receive an additional £60 million in their RSG for 2021-22. As the Minister stated in her letter to council leaders, councils are facing multiple budgetary pressure, for...
Peter Fox: Can I also thank the Minister for her statement today and the Chair of the Finance Committee for his reflections on the budget? The Welsh Conservative group will be abstaining on the motion before us. Of course, it amends the 2021-22 budget, which we have previously outlined our position on. Many of the allocations set out in this supplementary budget were made against the backdrop of our...
Peter Fox: 'We don't want our children to be killed, but our children are being killed. Our hospitals are being bombed, everything is being destroyed. Planes are flying and dropping bombs everywhere; we don't know where the next rocket will land.' These were the dire words of a distraught mother as Russia indiscriminately bombarded Ukraine with bomb after bomb after bomb. It's impossible not to be moved...
Peter Fox: Thank you, Minister, for that response. I would also just like to remind Members that I'm a farmer, as stated in my register of interests, and I currently haven't got TB. Minister, your recent consultation on the refreshed TB eradication plan proposed changes to the current system for valuing animals compulsorily slaughtered by Welsh Government as a result of bovine TB. However, there are...
Peter Fox: That's really helpful. Thank you for that, Minister. Minister, the international community has rightly come together to impose wide-ranging sanctions on Putin and his cronies. Of course, these are absolutely necessary, and these are likely to be increased. However, these sanctions will be felt right across the board—from hard-working families to small and large businesses and, indeed, our...
Peter Fox: Thank you for that response, Minister; that's reassuring, and those of us on these benches will do all we can to help in that quest to bring those positive outcomes. Now, Minister, last week, it was reported by the BBC that around £200 million of Welsh local government pension schemes are currently tied up in Russian funds and companies. In more normal times, such investments would be...
Peter Fox: Diolch, Llywydd, and good afternoon, Minister. Europe, and indeed the entire world, has been shaken to its core by events in Ukraine. A totally unnecessary and barbaric war, brought about by an individual blinded by his own perverse view of the world, will have far-reaching consequences beyond the borders of eastern Europe. I'm confident that every Member sitting in this Chamber would agree...
Peter Fox: 1. Will the Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's refreshed TB eradication programme? OQ57742
Peter Fox: Can I declare an interest also, as a councillor of Monmouthshire County Council for a short period longer? And I absolutely share the sentiments regarding our councils and all they do. I've said many times that the greatest resource that a council has is its staff, and their staff have done fantastically, and continue to do so, and I thank them for that. Members will recall that recently in...
Peter Fox: Sorry. Yes, I am. Yes. And we in the opposition will continue to press the Welsh Government to make every pound of investment count, not only to support the recovery but to deliver hope and aspiration across the country, because our communities need this budget to deliver. Diolch, Deputy Llywydd.
Peter Fox: I think, sadly, there's a lot of smoke and mirrors around funding claims in this place, and there is—[Interruption.] There is a constant contradiction in perspectives from UK Government to Wales Government. The facts are that there was an extra £2.5 billion this year, or more, that has passported through to Welsh Government, to enable the Welsh Government to do the things it has aspired to...
Peter Fox: Oh, I'm sorry. Sorry, Mike. Please, yes.
